GET YOUR TICKETS HERE OR AT CLIENT SERVICS IN THE W.F. MITCHELL ATHLETICS CENTRE

Guelph, Ont. – If their regular season matchup was any indication, this Saturday's OUA semi-final clash between Guelph and Western should once again be the must-watch game of the week in CIS football.  On Saturday afternoon (Nov. 8), the Gryphons and Mustangs will battle for a spot in the 107^th Yates Cup when they meet up at Alumni Stadium in Guelph.  Kickoff is set for 1pm.
 
For a third straight season, the Gryphons finished the regular season with a 7-1 record and secured a first round bye in the OUA playoffs.  Of those seven victories, none were more impressive than the last-second 49-46 victory over the Western Mustangs in week 8 of the OUA season.  The excitement of that victory was somewhat tempered by the very real possibility that the Mustangs and Gryphons could renew acquaintances again in just a few weeks' time.  Sure enough, here we are.  Round two.  This time, it is win-or-go-home.
 
There is no denying that the biggest storyline heading into this game revolves around Western's quarterback situation.  2013 OUA MVP Will Finch (Burlington, Ont.) is out after suffering a concussion versus Windsor in Western's regular season finale.  In his place steps Stevenson Bone (Toronto, Ont.), who in Western's OUA quarter-final victory over Laurier completed just nine of his 22 passes, was intercepted twice and sacked five times.  Without a doubt, Finch being out of the lineup is a huge loss for the Mustangs, but the backup quarterback for the defending Yates Cup champions will still be surrounded by plenty of talent.  Stevenson Bone will have the option to hand it off to either, the nation's leading rusher in 2012, Garret Sanvido (Vancouver, BC) or, third year standout Yannick Harou (Gatineau, QC) who last season racked up 12 touchdowns (including four in the playoffs).  The Western receiving core is deep with a pair of 2013 First Team All-Canadians in Brian Marshall (London, Ont.) and George Johnson (London, Ont.), as well as the 2013 Yates Cup MVP in Matt Uren (London, Ont.).   Protecting Bone is a solid Western offensive line that stands at an average of 6-foot-4, 293 pounds.
 
For the Gryphons, the quarterback situation has been a bright spot in 2014.  Now in his fourth year, Jazz Lindsey (Markham, Ont.) is enjoying his best season under centre for the Gryphons.  With 13 touchdown passes on the season to just three interceptions, Lindsey has not only made some big plays, he has also done a tremendous job of limiting turnovers.  Earlier this season versus the Mustangs, Jazz had a career day throwing the ball, finishing with 34 completions on 53 attempts for 514 yards – all single-game school records.  With some cold and raind conditions in the forecast for Saturday, the difference this time around between the Gryphons and Mustangs could very well come down to which team has the most success running the ball.  Fortunately for the Gryphons, their fifth year running back Robert Farquharson (Niagara Falls, Ont.) thrives on days like this.
  Farquharson's hard, down-hill running style has helped him to become one of the most productive and reliable ball carriers in the CIS.  In six games this season, Farquharson finished fifth in the country with 108.8 rushing yards per game.  He will be up against a big, physical Western defence that is anchored by two All-Star calibre defensive linemen in Ricky Osei-Kusi (Brampton, Ont.) and Daryl Waud (Hamilton, Ont.).  The Mustangs sit second in the CIS allowing just 83 rushing yards per game.  While it may be clichéd, the battle up front may be where this game is won or lost if Saturday's forecast does indeed make things a bit sloppy.  When the Gryphons do decide to put the ball in the air, they have two play-making receivers with A'dre Fraser (Halifax, Ont.) on the outside and Alexander Charette (St. Catherine's, Ont.).  Those two alone combined for 398 yards receiving last time out versus Western and it is safe to say that they will garner plenty of attention for the Mustang secondary on Saturday afternoon. 
 
It is also safe to say that the Gryphons would not be 7-1 this season if not for some outstanding play from the special teams units.  Ryan Nieuwesteeg (Niagara Falls, Ont.) and Lucas Spagnuolo (Grimsby, Ont.) have developed into two of the top returners in the conference.  Kicker Daniel Ferraro (Mississauga, Ont.) set a CIS record with 26 made field goals during the regular season and also did a tremendous job for the Gryphons on both kickoffs and punts as well.  Defensively, the scoreboard in the last two games has not reflected how well this unit has played this season.   The Gryphons rank in the top five nationally in both interceptions (12) and fumble recoveries (11) and will be well rested heading into Saturday's game.
 
The last time these two teams met, it took everything the Gryphons had to come out on top of a 49-46 thriller.  Another total team effort will be required on Saturday if the Gryphons are to de-throne the reigning champions and return to the Yates Cup for the second time in the last three seasons. 

Kickoff is set for 1pm. 

To purchase tickets visit https://gryphons.ca/tickets/playoff-tickets/football-playoff-games/

For those unable to make it to Alumni Stadium on Saturday, the game will be webcast on oua.tv