Kingston, ON – The No. 5 ranked Guelph Gryphons will look to improve to 6-0 this weekend when they head to Kingston to face the Queen's Gaels (3-2). Kickoff is set for 1pm at Richardson Stadium on Saturday, October 3 and can be seen live online at OUA.tv.
 
Last week, the Gryphon defence was focused on stopping one of the top quarterbacks in the league in Ottawa's Derek Wendel. This week, the focus shifts to a star running back in the opposition's backfield as the Queen's Gaels are led by 4^th year man Jesse Andrews. The 6-0, 204 pound back currently leads the OUA in rushing with 147.6 yards per game on the ground – ranking him second in the country behind only Calgary Dinos Hec Crighton favourite Mercer Timmis. Andrews will be running behind a big Queen's offensive line that weighs in at an average of over 300 pounds per player. As if stopping a good running back behind a big offensive line wasn't challenging enough, add to the equation the fact that the playing surface will also provide a challenge. This Saturday's game at Richardson Stadium marks the Gryphons lone trip to a natural grass playing surface all season. As it has been known to be at this time of the year, the turf in Kingston can often turn more into a mud pit by the second half. The Gryphon defence, like all visiting defences to Kingston at this time of the year, will have to find a way to adjust to the surface quickly to find a way to slow the Gaels offensive attack. When the Gaels want to throw the football, their second year QB Nate Hobbs (Mississauga, ON) has one of the most dangerous receivers in the league at his disposal in CFL Top 20 prospect Doug Corby. Despite the challenges that the Gaels offensive attack present, the Gryphon defence can take comfort in knowing that the previous meeting between these two teams resulted in a defensive masterpiece by the Gryphons during the 2014 Homecoming game in Guelph when the Gryphons shutout Queen's 66-0.
 
Offensively for the Gryphons, the team seems to be improving more and more each week. Nowhere is that more accurate than with Guelph's second year quarterback James Roberts (Cambridge, ON) who put on a dazzling display a week ago against Ottawa, throwing for nearly 400 yards and accounting for five total touchdowns. This week, Roberts and company go up against a Queen's defence that also seems to be improving with each week of the 2015 season. Overall, the Gaels boast a rather young defence, but one that nonetheless has talented players at each level.
 
The Queen's Gaels are close to cracking the CIS Top 10 rankings at the moment. With a 3-2 record on the season, the Gaels only two losses have both come against nationally ranked opponents in Western and Ottawa. In fact, while the Western Mustangs have for the most part been cruising past opponents this season, it was the Gaels who gave them their best game when they traveled to London on Sept. 19 and came out on the wrong end of a 48-25 game. The Gryphons know they will be in for a tough one against one of the emerging teams in the 2015 OUA season. Then there's the history part.
 
Historically speaking, traveling to Richardson Stadium has generally not treated the Gryphons well as they have won just once in seven all-time trips to Kingston. However, the overall balance in this head-to-head series has certainly started to shift in Guelph's favour lately with the Gryphons having won four of their last six overall meetings with the Gaels.
 
Following Saturday's game, the Gryphons will enjoy their Bye Week during Thanksgiving Weekend before returning home to face the Windsor Lancers on October 17 in what will be the final home game of their regular season schedule.