November 6, 2009
YATES CUP BERTH ON THE LINE ON UNIVERSITY RUSH
HAMILTON, Ont. – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) football returns to The Score Television Network this Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET as the No. 9 nationally-ranked McMaster Marauders (7-2) travel east to take on the No. 4-ranked Queen's Gaels (7-1) at Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont.
In the first of two University Rush semifinal match-ups this weekend, the Marauders will look to overturn the Gaels for a spot in the 2009 Yates Cup presented by Pioneer Petroleums on Saturday, Nov. 14.
To get to that goal, McMaster will have to play Lumsden-era football, leaving much of the pressure on the shoulders of running backs Jordan Kozina (Brantford, Ont.) and Joseph Nemet (Burlington, Ont.), not to mention quarterback Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.).
"With our young quarterback, the run game takes a lot of pressure off him and allows him to ease into playoff football," said McMaster head coach Stefan Ptaszek.
"If we can establish some run and work play action and keep Quinlan's reads very simple and straight forward, we're going to be okay. The run game is critical."
Coming into this post-season game, the Marauders are riding a five-game win streak, including a 42-35 victory over the No. 5 Western Mustangs in Week 5.
In their quarter-final win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Oct. 31, Nemet scored two touchdowns, rushing for 123 yards on 19 attempts. In that same game, Kozina tallied 114 receiving yards and sealed the win for the Marauders with a 65-yard touchdown reception with five minutes to go in the game.
Quinlan was dependant on his running game in his first ever playoff start, as he threw for just 180 yards at Ottawa, but passed for two touchdowns with no interceptions.
"Zero picks and no fumbles from him are big. He was about as efficient as you can be," praised Ptaszek. "You can't get much more production out of him. We need him to take another step forward this week. He has a very unique and tough challenge ahead of him because this is a championship-level defence we're talking about."
One of those passing touchdowns against Ottawa came courtesy of third-year receiver Matthew Peressini (Hannon, Ont.), who led the team in receiving yards with 411 on 31 catches and four touchdowns during the regular season, making him a favourite target for Quinlan.
Another likely recipient of Quinlan's passes is Kevin D'Hollander (London, Ont.). While making only 22 catches in the regular season, the fourth-year wide receiver trailed Peressini by just 14 yards but led the team in receiving touchdowns with five, proving that he's capable of making big catches.
But without a good defence, all those offensive strengths mean nothing. Luckily, McMaster has some strong men on their D-line, starting with Ryan Chmielewski (St. Catharines, Ont.). The linebacker made a team-high 44 solo tackles and three sacks in the regular season and picked off one pass in the quarter-final game against Ottawa for 17 yards.
Pair Chmielewski with Cody Lynch (Stoney Creek, Ont.) and you've got a couple of solid defenders. In the regular season, Lynch made 18 solo tackles and led the Marauders in interceptions with three. Against Ottawa, the rookie defensive back made six solo tackles and broke up four passes.
"On the defensive side, we were a very, very young secondary," Ptaszek said of the Marauders regular season match against Queen's, "and now they have nine OUA weeks under their belt."
"They're going to need them because Danny Brannagan and that pass game are special."
In their regular season meeting back on Sept. 12, the Gaels edged the Marauders 8-7 in a defensive struggle.
"Offensively, we struggled tremendously," said Ptaszek. "It was a great game plan for Queen's and they shut us down for four full quarters. The big difference offensively is Quinlan has emerged as our starter. It's going to be a tough battle; [Queen's has] a great defence."
"In an 8-7 game, I think both teams have to just accept the fact that their defence was good enough to win," added Queen's coach Pat Sheahan. "We stepped in a landmine where we lost a starting quarterback. It was a game that was dominated by defence; ours was one point better on the day."
Danny Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.) left the game half-way into the second quarter, leaving the passing duties to rookies Justin Chapdelaine (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Thomas Howes (Parham, Ont.), who failed to fill the void left by the Gaels star quarterback.
This time around, says Sheahan, it's going to be a very different game, especially having Brannagan in the line-up.
"We're very cognisant of the fact that that game could have gone either way, so we've become much more consistent on offence," explained Sheahan. "We're a little bit more balance and obviously our passing game is still highly productive. The quarterback, when he's in the groove, is very efficient."
So, technically, the Marauders haven't seen Brannagan at full capacity and they could be in for a rude awakening when he steps onto the field, despite dropping their final regular season game to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Oct. 24.
"In some ways, losing a football game at the end of the season can be a bit of a wake-up call," said Sheahan. "It's not your reputation that wins football games, it's your effort and your skill and your level of preparation, both mentally and physically. [Losing to Laurier] was a good thing to happen to us at that time of the season."
Brannagan held the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and OUA career passing yards record this year, if only for a brief moment before Western's Michael Faulds out-did him. At any rate, his 174 completions, 2,580 yards and 15 touchdowns make him the dominant quarterback in the OUA.
One of Brannagan's favourite places to fire the ball is right into the hands of Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.). The fifth-year receiver connected with Brannagan on 55 passes in the regular season for 913 yards and four touchdowns, and will likely be a scoring threat against McMaster on Saturday.
The Gaels run game is led by Queen's running back Jimmy Therrien (Montreal), who carried the ball 99 times during the regular season for 508 yards and one touchdown.
"Teams that win can run the ball. That's the bottom line," said Sheahan. "Where we came up short at this time of year [last year] was their inability to run the football. We're better on the offensive line now, we've got some quality backs."
Queen's has some players that have a knack for taking away the ball. David Rooney (Kingston, Ont.) made three interceptions in the regular season, while Jimmy Allin (Belleville, Ont.) came away with a team-high of five.
But sometimes, it's special teams that can make or break a game, and this game should be no different.
On returns, it's Allin who makes the grade, returning 42 regular season punts for 592 yards, the longest being 78 yards. It's the same story on kick returns, where Allin's longest return was 105 yards for a TD, one of 20 returns the fifth-year DB made for 490 yards.
This year, the Gaels are a Yates Cup favourite, having only lost one regular season game and none at home. With Brannagan ready to show the Marauders what it's like to face the post-season version of himself, it could be the biggest playoff challenge the underdog Marauders have faced in a long time.
"We have to assume [McMaster] is going to adjust and play their game and we've got to go play ours," said Sheahan.
Play-by-play announcer Tim Micallef along with former McMaster Marauder and CFL star Mike Morreale will bring you all the action on The Score beginning at 1 p.m. The game will also be webcast via SSNCanada.ca, and heard on CHML AM 900 and CFMU 93.3 FM in Hamilton, Ont. and CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston, Ont.
MCMASTER LEADERS (regular season)
Passing
Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.)
89 completions, 153 attempts, 1,405 yards, 9 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
Rushing
Jordan Kozina (Brantford, Ont.)
116 attempts, 720 yards, 2 touchdowns
Joseph Nemet (Burlington, Ont.)
98 attempts, 612 yards, 1 touchdown
Receiving
Matthew Peressini (Hannon, Ont.)
31 receptions, 411 yards, 4 touchdowns
Defence
Ryan Chmielewski (St. Catharines, Ont.)
44 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception
Steven Cecchini (Thorold, Ont.)
28 solo tackles, 1 sack
Daniel Baronas (St. Catharines, Ont.)
21 solo tackles, 2 interceptions
QUEEN'S LEADERS (regular season)
Passing
Danny Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.)
174 completions, 280 attempts, 2,580 yards, 15 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
Rushing
Jimmy Therrien (Montreal)
99 attempts, 508 yards, 1 touchdown
Receiving
Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.)
55 receptions, 913 yards, 4 touchdowns
Defence
Matt Vickers (Stittsville, Ont.)
35 solo tackles, 1 interception
T.J. Leeper (London, Ont.)
32 solo tackles, 1 sack
David Rooney (Kingston, Ont.)
30 solo tackles, 3 interceptions
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
In the first of two University Rush semifinal match-ups this weekend, the Marauders will look to overturn the Gaels for a spot in the 2009 Yates Cup presented by Pioneer Petroleums on Saturday, Nov. 14.
To get to that goal, McMaster will have to play Lumsden-era football, leaving much of the pressure on the shoulders of running backs Jordan Kozina (Brantford, Ont.) and Joseph Nemet (Burlington, Ont.), not to mention quarterback Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.).
"With our young quarterback, the run game takes a lot of pressure off him and allows him to ease into playoff football," said McMaster head coach Stefan Ptaszek.
"If we can establish some run and work play action and keep Quinlan's reads very simple and straight forward, we're going to be okay. The run game is critical."
Coming into this post-season game, the Marauders are riding a five-game win streak, including a 42-35 victory over the No. 5 Western Mustangs in Week 5.
In their quarter-final win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Oct. 31, Nemet scored two touchdowns, rushing for 123 yards on 19 attempts. In that same game, Kozina tallied 114 receiving yards and sealed the win for the Marauders with a 65-yard touchdown reception with five minutes to go in the game.
Quinlan was dependant on his running game in his first ever playoff start, as he threw for just 180 yards at Ottawa, but passed for two touchdowns with no interceptions.
"Zero picks and no fumbles from him are big. He was about as efficient as you can be," praised Ptaszek. "You can't get much more production out of him. We need him to take another step forward this week. He has a very unique and tough challenge ahead of him because this is a championship-level defence we're talking about."
One of those passing touchdowns against Ottawa came courtesy of third-year receiver Matthew Peressini (Hannon, Ont.), who led the team in receiving yards with 411 on 31 catches and four touchdowns during the regular season, making him a favourite target for Quinlan.
Another likely recipient of Quinlan's passes is Kevin D'Hollander (London, Ont.). While making only 22 catches in the regular season, the fourth-year wide receiver trailed Peressini by just 14 yards but led the team in receiving touchdowns with five, proving that he's capable of making big catches.
But without a good defence, all those offensive strengths mean nothing. Luckily, McMaster has some strong men on their D-line, starting with Ryan Chmielewski (St. Catharines, Ont.). The linebacker made a team-high 44 solo tackles and three sacks in the regular season and picked off one pass in the quarter-final game against Ottawa for 17 yards.
Pair Chmielewski with Cody Lynch (Stoney Creek, Ont.) and you've got a couple of solid defenders. In the regular season, Lynch made 18 solo tackles and led the Marauders in interceptions with three. Against Ottawa, the rookie defensive back made six solo tackles and broke up four passes.
"On the defensive side, we were a very, very young secondary," Ptaszek said of the Marauders regular season match against Queen's, "and now they have nine OUA weeks under their belt."
"They're going to need them because Danny Brannagan and that pass game are special."
In their regular season meeting back on Sept. 12, the Gaels edged the Marauders 8-7 in a defensive struggle.
"Offensively, we struggled tremendously," said Ptaszek. "It was a great game plan for Queen's and they shut us down for four full quarters. The big difference offensively is Quinlan has emerged as our starter. It's going to be a tough battle; [Queen's has] a great defence."
"In an 8-7 game, I think both teams have to just accept the fact that their defence was good enough to win," added Queen's coach Pat Sheahan. "We stepped in a landmine where we lost a starting quarterback. It was a game that was dominated by defence; ours was one point better on the day."
Danny Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.) left the game half-way into the second quarter, leaving the passing duties to rookies Justin Chapdelaine (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Thomas Howes (Parham, Ont.), who failed to fill the void left by the Gaels star quarterback.
This time around, says Sheahan, it's going to be a very different game, especially having Brannagan in the line-up.
"We're very cognisant of the fact that that game could have gone either way, so we've become much more consistent on offence," explained Sheahan. "We're a little bit more balance and obviously our passing game is still highly productive. The quarterback, when he's in the groove, is very efficient."
So, technically, the Marauders haven't seen Brannagan at full capacity and they could be in for a rude awakening when he steps onto the field, despite dropping their final regular season game to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Oct. 24.
"In some ways, losing a football game at the end of the season can be a bit of a wake-up call," said Sheahan. "It's not your reputation that wins football games, it's your effort and your skill and your level of preparation, both mentally and physically. [Losing to Laurier] was a good thing to happen to us at that time of the season."
Brannagan held the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and OUA career passing yards record this year, if only for a brief moment before Western's Michael Faulds out-did him. At any rate, his 174 completions, 2,580 yards and 15 touchdowns make him the dominant quarterback in the OUA.
One of Brannagan's favourite places to fire the ball is right into the hands of Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.). The fifth-year receiver connected with Brannagan on 55 passes in the regular season for 913 yards and four touchdowns, and will likely be a scoring threat against McMaster on Saturday.
The Gaels run game is led by Queen's running back Jimmy Therrien (Montreal), who carried the ball 99 times during the regular season for 508 yards and one touchdown.
"Teams that win can run the ball. That's the bottom line," said Sheahan. "Where we came up short at this time of year [last year] was their inability to run the football. We're better on the offensive line now, we've got some quality backs."
Queen's has some players that have a knack for taking away the ball. David Rooney (Kingston, Ont.) made three interceptions in the regular season, while Jimmy Allin (Belleville, Ont.) came away with a team-high of five.
But sometimes, it's special teams that can make or break a game, and this game should be no different.
On returns, it's Allin who makes the grade, returning 42 regular season punts for 592 yards, the longest being 78 yards. It's the same story on kick returns, where Allin's longest return was 105 yards for a TD, one of 20 returns the fifth-year DB made for 490 yards.
This year, the Gaels are a Yates Cup favourite, having only lost one regular season game and none at home. With Brannagan ready to show the Marauders what it's like to face the post-season version of himself, it could be the biggest playoff challenge the underdog Marauders have faced in a long time.
"We have to assume [McMaster] is going to adjust and play their game and we've got to go play ours," said Sheahan.
Play-by-play announcer Tim Micallef along with former McMaster Marauder and CFL star Mike Morreale will bring you all the action on The Score beginning at 1 p.m. The game will also be webcast via SSNCanada.ca, and heard on CHML AM 900 and CFMU 93.3 FM in Hamilton, Ont. and CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston, Ont.
MCMASTER LEADERS (regular season)
Passing
Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.)
89 completions, 153 attempts, 1,405 yards, 9 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
Rushing
Jordan Kozina (Brantford, Ont.)
116 attempts, 720 yards, 2 touchdowns
Joseph Nemet (Burlington, Ont.)
98 attempts, 612 yards, 1 touchdown
Receiving
Matthew Peressini (Hannon, Ont.)
31 receptions, 411 yards, 4 touchdowns
Defence
Ryan Chmielewski (St. Catharines, Ont.)
44 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception
Steven Cecchini (Thorold, Ont.)
28 solo tackles, 1 sack
Daniel Baronas (St. Catharines, Ont.)
21 solo tackles, 2 interceptions
QUEEN'S LEADERS (regular season)
Passing
Danny Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.)
174 completions, 280 attempts, 2,580 yards, 15 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
Rushing
Jimmy Therrien (Montreal)
99 attempts, 508 yards, 1 touchdown
Receiving
Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.)
55 receptions, 913 yards, 4 touchdowns
Defence
Matt Vickers (Stittsville, Ont.)
35 solo tackles, 1 interception
T.J. Leeper (London, Ont.)
32 solo tackles, 1 sack
David Rooney (Kingston, Ont.)
30 solo tackles, 3 interceptions
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
