//DATE: Nov. 5, 2009
//For Immediate Release
//Complete game
notes attached
Rams, Huskies prepare for third meeting of 2009
After a 42-17 loss on Friday night to the Saskatchewan Huskies
in the last week of the Canada West regular season schedule, the
University of Regina Rams thought their season had ended.
That, of course, all changed on Tuesday after the Manitoba
Bisons forfeited three wins due to the use of an ineligible
player, giving the Rams a second life and a berth in the
conference postseason for the fourth consecutive year.
The Rams will play Saskatchewan for the second straight weekend
on Saturday, as they'll meet the Huskies at Griffiths Stadium in
Saskatoon in the Canada West semifinals. Though Saskatchewan
holds a 14-4 all-time advantage in conference games against
Regina, the Rams have won two of the three postseason meetings
between the two teams. The last time the Rams played their
provincial rivals in the playoffs was in 2007, when Regina took
a 19-13 win in the conference semis.
The teams have met twice this season, with Saskatchewan earning
victories in both contests. In addition to last week's win, the
Huskies also won 10-9 in Saskatoon back on Sept. 11 in what was
the lowest-scoring game in the Rams' 11-season history at the
CIS level.
University of Regina Rams (3-5)
Last Week: Lost 42-17 to Saskatchewan
The Rams are the first team with a record under .500 to qualify
for the playoffs since the 2001 season, when Calgary also made
the postseason with a 3-5 mark.
Regina was handed a 42-17 loss last week by Saskatchewan in a
game in which the Rams had five drives of at least 50 yards, but
only broke into the red zone twice. They had three drives that
stalled between Saskatchewan's 20- and 30-yard line, and three
more that stalled between the 30 and the 45.
Fifth-year kicker Perri Scarcelli was one of the bright spots
for the Rams last week, as he was a perfect 3-for-3 on his field
goal attempts, all of which came from at least 40 yards out.
Scarcelli hit from 41, 46, and 50 yards out to become the second
Canada West kicker (the other being Jamie Boreham) to hit 20
field goals in a single season.
Rams quarterback Marc Mueller completed 176 of his 310 pass
attempts during the regular season and threw for 2308 yards and
nine touchdowns. Mueller's 176 completions on the year is the
third highest single-season total in Canada West history and
ranks second on the U of R list, behind Teale Orban's total of
177 in the 2007 season.
Jordan Sisco was Mueller's No. 1 target during the season, as
the fourth-year wide receiver had 52 catches for 700 yards and
two touchdowns. Sisco's 52 catches rank second in U of R
history, behind Chad Goldie's mark of 54 receptions set last
year.
Cornerback Jamir Walker became only the second player in the U
of R's history to record four interceptions in a single season.
Walker, in just his second season of eligibility, also had a
team-leading seven pass breakups. Fifth-year outside linebacker
Brandon Ganne had 48 total tackles, while middle linebacker
Bruce Anderson had 46.5 total tackles and tied Ryan Wellman for
the team lead with two sacks.
University of Saskatchewan Huskies (7-1)
Last Week: Won 42-17 at Regina
Now ranked No. 3 in the CIS, the only blemish on Saskatchewan's
record this season is a 27-7 loss at Alberta in late September.
The Huskies will be trying to atone for last year's hiccup in
the Canada West semifinals, when they suffered a 40-30 loss to
upstart Simon Fraser at Griffiths Stadium.
Saskatchewan's offence, which ranks second in the conference in
points scored behind Calgary, is controlled by Laurence Nixon.
The fourth-year quarterback finished second in Canada West in
completion rate (62.5%) and third in the conference in both pass
completions (251) and passing yards (1933). Nixon's top two
receivers are Travis Gorski (43 receptions for 467 yards) and
Scott McHenry (23 catches for 375
yards).
The Rams were introduced to Jeff Hassler last week, as
Saskatchewan's first-year running back had 23 carries for 224
yards and three touchdowns in the win. Hassler, who was making
his first career start last Friday night, is expected to get the
start again on Saturday with fifth-year back Tyler O'Gorman also
available to the Huskies.
Safety Bryce McCall finished second in the conference in
interceptions this season, recording seven picks including one
last week against the Rams. Cornerback Jon Krahenbil wasn't far
behind, picking off Mueller twice last week to end up with five
on the year. McCall also had a team-leading 45.5 total tackles
for the Huskies, while defensive lineman Zach Hart tied for
second in Canada West with six sacks.
SCARCELLI NEARING CONCLUSION OF FIVE-SEASON CAREER
Perri Scarcelli saved his best season with the Rams for last.
The fifth-year kicker set a Canada West record (since 2002) for
field goal percentage, hitting 87.0% of his attempts this season
after splitting the uprights on 20 of his 23 tries. He hit 20
field goals in a single season for just the third time in
conference history, with Jamie Boreham's 23 in 2001 and 22 in
2002 the only other times a Canada West kicker has hit the
milestone.
Scarcelli ended up with 56 field goals in his career, which
ranks third in conference history. He hit three field goals of
at least 50 yards during his time with the Rams, including a
53-yarder against Simon Fraser in 2008 that stands as the second
longest field goal in Canada West history.
SISCO MOVING UP RAMS, CONFERENCE CAREER LISTS
Rams fourth-year slotback Jordan Sisco, who had eight catches
last week, moved all the way up to No. 6 on the Canada West
all-time list with 141 career receptions. He also ranks No. 14
in conference history with 2051 receiving yards.
Sisco, a prospect for the 2010 CFL Draft, had 52 receptions this
year and needs just 33 more to surpass former Rams slotback Chad
Goldie, who set the conference career record with 173 catches.
FORMER RAMS IN THE PROS
The impressive list of former University of Regina players now
toiling in the professional ranks is led by the Seattle
Seahawks' Jon Ryan, who currently ranks No. 2 in the NFL
with an average of 48.3 yards per punt. Nine former
University of Regina Rams are now in the CFL, including
Chris Bauman (Hamilton), Jason Clermont (Saskatchewan), Tamon
George (Saskatchewan), Chris Getzlaf (Saskatchewan), Neal Hughes
(Saskatchewan), Nick Hutchins (Saskatchewan), Brendon LaBatte
(Winnipeg), Joel Lipinski (Saskatchewan), and Stan Van Sichem
(Montreal). Randy Srochenski, who suited up for the Regina Rams
during their days as a junior program, is with the Toronto
Argonauts.
-30-
Braden Konschuh
Sports Information Director
University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK S4S 0A2
Phone: (306) 585-5199
Fax: (306) 585-5693
braden.konschuh@uregina.ca
http://www.reginacougars.com
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