GUELPH – They're two football teams that know each other well. And when they meet, it's usually a tight battle with the deciding points coming late in the game. The Guelph Gryphons and Western Mustangs have always been familiar OUA foes but four playoff matchups over an eight-year stretch has only upped the intensity level of an already heated rivalry between these two programs.
Gryphons @ Mustangs
Monday, September 4
7pm
TD Stadium (London, ON)
TICKETS
TV: Rogers Cable 13
Radio: Newstalk 1290 CJBK, CHRW Radio 94.9 FM
Online: www.oua.tv
It will be an important early-season game when they play under the lights at TD Stadium Monday night in the OUA Marquee Matchup of the Week. Guelph is coming off a heartbreaking 24-21 double overtime loss to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in its season opener, while Western rolled, defeating the York Lions 66-3 in week one.
The Gryphons will be doing everything they can to leave London with a W.
"One of the keys for us on Monday night will be winning on special teams," says Gryphons head coach Kevin MacNeill.
"Last week versus York, they had two blocked punts and one punt return for a touchdown. And when we faced Western last year, one of their scores came on a punt block. So we're well aware of just how dramatically the game can change on special teams. Even going back a few years to the 2015 Yates Cup in London, several of our scoring drives that game were set up by big returns."
MacNeill's Gryphons have had the upper hand in recent years, winning four straight games from 2012 to 2015, including that dramatic 23-17 Yates Cup win in London two years ago. The Mustangs got one back when they met at Alumni Stadium in 2016, a decisive 50-16 win over the hosts.
But past records won't mean much Monday. Guelph will have to be sharp offensively to get past the Mustangs. The Gryphons had trouble sustaining drives throughout the first three quarters against Ottawa last week. But they did show how explosive they can be when fourth-year quarterback
James Roberts connected with standout receiver
Jacob Scarfone on a 74-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The Gryphons will need more of that, including a consistent ground game to keep the ball moving and the clock ticking. Guelph got 100 rushing yards from second-year man
Patrick Pierre in his first career start last week.
The Gryphons excelled in the pass rush last week, a key in this game if they hope to slow down Western quarterback Chris Merchant and his potent offensive weapons. A few defensive penalties proved costly against the Gee-Gees but one thing Guelph did consistently was pressure Ottawa's quarterbacks Victor Twynstra and Alex Lavric, racking up an impressive eight sacks on the day. Three and half of those came from first-year Gryphon
Alain Cimankinda, a Gatineau, QC native and transfer from the New Mexico Military Institute. Cimankinda, the OUA Defensive Player of the Week, lined up inside and was an unstoppable force for the Gryphons, also chipping in three solo tackles and six assisted tackles.
The whole defensive unit must be sharp to slow down a Western offence that churned out 258 yards on the ground and another 372 through the air against York. The Mustangs had their way with the Lions. Running back Alex Tayor, a First-Team All-Canadian in 2016, ran for a game-high 130 yards, while wide receivers Malik Besseqhieur (six catches for 179 yards, one touchdown) and Brett Ellerman (four catches for 118 yards, two touchdowns) torched the York secondary.
"You obviously have to take care of the run game," defensive coordinator
Adam Grandy says of the problems Western pose. "They recruit well, they're well coached. But last year, they came out passing the ball against us, too. It's a multi-dimensional offence and you have to be prepared for a lot of things. Our team defence is good and we'll see how we match up with them.
"We pursued the football and were physical last week. We just have to make sure we keep moving forward and progressing every single game with that mentality."
Defensive end
Charlie Taggart (six solo tackles, three assisted and two sacks), linebackers
Luke Korol (12 solo tackles, four assisted) and
Job Reinhart (five solo tackles, three assisted and 2.5 sacks), and veteran defensive back
Royce Metchie (seven solo tackles, three assisted), anchor a defence that can be dominating when at its best. Second-team OUA All-Star defensive back
Nicholas Parisotto and veteran linebacker
Derek Drouillard can be difference makers on the defensive side of the ball and they'll have their chances against Western's offence.
Gabriel Ferraro will relish the chance to come up big for the Gryphons. The talented fourth-year kicker/punter was crushed after missing a 36-yard field goal attempt into the wind that would have sent last week's game to triple overtime. But Guelph wasn't in that position if not for Ferraro, who booted a 38-yarder with one second left in the fourth quarter to tie the game, and then nailed a 49-yard field goal in the first overtime.
It was a disappointing season opener for Guelph but the players moved on quickly.
"We all understand the challenge that we face this week," says Grandy. "The guys are very confident and have risen to that challenge of taking on an opponent like Western. Prep has been good.
"It's been a good response from the players."
