GUELPH, Ont. –
Scott Murray (defence),
Eric Stranz (special teams) and
Juwan Jeffrey (offence) have been named Gryphon football's "Players of the Game" following the team's 34-11 loss to Western on Saturday (Aug. 27) in the opening game of the 2022 OUA football season.
Scott Murray (Defence)
Linebacker
Scott Murray takes home 'Defensive Player of the Game' honours for the Gryphons following a strong showing in Guelph's Week 1 matchup versus the Western Mustangs.
Murray, a Mississauga native and graduate of the Clarkson Football North academy, was a constant presence in the Western backfield on Saturday afternoon, with the 6'2", 230 pound linebacker accounting for 2.5 of Guelph's 3 sacks on the day. Murray, a 21-year-old English major at the University of Guelph, is currently in his fourth year with the Gryphon football program, and projects to play a key role in the Gryphon linebacking corps in 2022 following the graduation of standout linebackers
A.J. Allen and
Jared Beeksma from a season ago.
Eric Stranz (Special Teams)
All-Canadian kicker
Eric Stranz has picked up right where he left off, following on the heels of a standout 2021 season in which he earned U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian honours. Stranz, a 22-year-old native of Ayr, Ontario, went 3-for-4 on field goal attempts on Saturday afternoon at Western, including a long of 50-yards.
Last season, Stranz was the only place kicker in the country to connect from 50-yards out. His 50-yard field goal this past Saturday was also the longest made field goal of any U SPORTS kicker during the opening week of the 2022 season. For Stranz, an accounting major at U of G and graduate of Southwood Secondary School in Cambridge, the impressive start to the 2022 season marks a continuation in what has been a sensational kicking career with the Gryphons. In 2021, Stranz was named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian after connecting on an OUA-best 17 field goals during the season, the second-highest total in U SPORTS, next only to Michael Arpin's 20 made field goals for the Montreal Carabins. Stranz also excelled with his punting duties on Saturday afternoon at Western Alumni Stadium, averaging 37.0 yards per punt while twice pinning the Mustangs inside their own 20-yard line.
Juwan Jeffrey (Offence)
Fourth-year running back
Juwan Jeffrey takes home offensive player of the game honours for the Gryphons after leading the team with 13 carries for 49 yards against a tough Mustangs defensive front.
Jeffrey, a 22-year-old management economics and finance major at the University of Guelph, is currently in his fifth year with the Gryphon football program, and fourth year of eligibility. The longest rush on the day for the 5'10", 191 pound veteran running back was a 15-yard gain, with the graduate of St. Roch Catholic Secondary School (Brampton) also contributing in the Gryphons pass game, with Jeffrey finishing the day as Guelph's second-leading receiver (2 receptions for 27 yards). Jeffrey's best season as a Gryphon came in 2019, when he finished 3rd on the team in rushing with 254 yards on 40 carries in just 4 games played (averaging a team-best 63.5 yards rushing per game), including a career-high 150 yards rushing on Oct. 10, 2019 in a 27-24 road win over Queen's.
The Gryphon football team (0-1) will now prepare for their 2022 home opener on Labour Day Monday (Sept. 5, 2022) when they welcome the Windsor Lancers (0-1) to U of G's Alumni Stadium for a 1pm kickoff.
