GUELPH, ON - The weather forecast looks good. The opponent is a storied rival. The game will be nationally televised from coast-to-coast on City TV.

The stage is officially set.

On Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium, the Gryphons (2-2) will host the No. 4-ranked Western Mustangs (3-1) in the 2016 version of the Gryphons annual Homecoming football game. Kickoff is set for 1pm.

For the first time since meeting in the 2015 Yates Cup, the Mustangs and Gryphons are set to square off in a re-match of last year's conference championship.

Although Homecoming is always a day to remember for Gryphon fans, regardless of who the opponent is, it becomes that much more memorable when you add heated rivals Western to the mix. It has been six years since Western last served as the opponent for U of G's Homecoming football game. Gryphon fans will get an up close look at the No. 4-ranked team in the country when the 3-1 Western Mustangs take the field on Saturday. Although Western has been dominant in OUA play in recent years, it is the Gryphons who are the ones who own recent bragging rights in this series as they have won each of the last four head-to-head meetings with the Mustangs.



















If the Gryphons are going to extend their win streak versus Western to five games, they will need to find a way to slow down a Mustangs rushing attack that ranks second in the country with 319.3 rushing yards per game. Spearheading the ground game for Western is their third year running back Alex Taylor who leads the CIS with 527 rushing yards on the season.

The Gryphon defence will also get their first look at Western's new quarterback with rookie Chris Merchant now under centre for the Mustangs. Merchant transferred to Western from the University of Buffalo (NCAA) and has impressed in his first few games in the OUA, throwing for 7 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

Despite suffering a dramatic 31-28 loss to the Gee-Gees last week in Ottawa, the Gryphons welcomed back a pair of standout offensive players in running back Johnny Augustine and receiver A'dre Fraser. Fraser set a new career-high with 12 receptions in what was his 2016 season debut in Ottawa, while Augustine ran the ball 33 times for 153 yards and a touchdown. The Gryphon offence will need to protect the ball this week against an opportunistic Western defence that has forced 14 turnovers (8 fumbles, 6 INT) through their first four games.

Gryphons quarterback James Roberts will be happy to have A'dre Fraser back at his disposal. Last September in what was Roberts' first Homecoming as the starting QB, he ran for a touchdown and threw for two more. Both passing touchdowns were to A'dre Fraser as the Gryphons beat the Marauders 33-23. This season, Roberts  has thrown for 253.3 yards per game, ranking him 5th in the OUA.

Defensively, the Gryphons have received some strong play from a pair of linebackers who are starting for the  first time in their careers. Luke Korol and Riley Baines rank first and second, respectively, on the Gryphons as the team's leading tacklers in 2016.  Korol, who ranks 3rd in the OUA with 8.0 tackles per game, also leads his team with 2 INTs on the year. Baines meanwhile has collected a pair of sacks.

The Gryphons sack-leader is St. Mary's transfer Matt Delmas who has impressed early on in his first year with the red, black and gold. Delmas has recorded three sacks through the first four games of the season.

On special teams, the Gryphons have had tremendous production from kicker/punter Gabe Ferraro. The third year man is an impressive 11 of 13 on field goals this season, while also recording 9 punts inside opponents 20-yard line. 

The last four meetings versus Western have been memorable ones for the Gryphons. A win at 2016 Homecoming on national television would certainly be a memorable way to extend the head-to-head win streak to five.

Note: Saturday's game can also be seen live online at www.oua.tv.