The first week of the 2022 U SPORTS season is a unique one. There aren’t a ton of games to watch, primarily because the Canada West season doesn’t begin until next week. But, there still are a handful of games that can fall under the category of “must-watch”
Whether or not these games go on to actually end up being good is kinda of immaterial, as even a bad game can really tell us something about what to expect this season. So these are the games we think will be the most tell-all this weekend.
Note: Click “where to watch” links to view games
Guelph Gryphons at Western Mustangs
When: Saturday, August 27 at 1 PM EDT
Where to watch: OUA TV
If you’re a fan of OUA football, then you don’t need to be sold on this game.
Guelph-Western is probably the most heated football rivalry in this country as year after year, both programs find themselves on a collision course to meet in the playoffs.
Saturday’s meeting, however, will be about first glimpses, as both sidelines are loaded with potential All-Stars, All-Canadians, and MVP candidates.
From Western, we’ll be getting our first look at running back Keon Edwards, who rushed for 1,264 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. To many, Edwards is a preseason favourite to win OUA MVP - the last running back to win OUA MVP was Laurier’s Dillon Campbell in 2014. After spending last year splitting carries with Trey Humes, fans will also be introduced to a new backfield tandem of Edwards and Eduard Wanadi. Wanadi only appeared in all 11 games last year, rushing for 566 yards and 6 touchdowns as a third string running back - that’s more production that some starting running backs, just saying.
We’ll also get a look at quarterback Evan Hillock who enters only his second season at the helm for Western. Hillock finished last season with 1,907 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. Having spent time this offseason working with Western-GOAT Will Finch, while putting on 30 pounds, it’s hard to not be curious as to what the year-two jump looks like for Hillock.
Western’s defence will see the return of 2021 First Team All-Canadian defensive back Daniel Valente Jr, who’ll be playing in his final season with Western. Valente spent his summer with the Ottawa RedBlacks after being selected 31st overall in the 2022 CFL Draft.
From Guelph, a lot attention this season will be on third-year receiver Clark Barnes who has drawn many comparisons to former OUA MVP Kurleigh Gittens Jr. Barnes shared the spotlight in 2021 with current Hamilton receiver Kiondre Smith, but was still able to record 29 receptions for 406 yards and five touchdowns (T-1st in the OUA). Now the sole number receiver on Guelph’s offence for the first time in his career, we’ll finally get a first look at what a passing game built around Barnes truly looks like.
The Gryphons entered last season with three quarterbacks who were all capable of seizing the starting job. Shawn Lal eventually won the role, but fans would still go on to see standout performances from both Deandre Rose and Ettore Casati III. This year both Lal and Casati III return to battle for the starting job, but this time alongside UBC transfer Tommy Yanchuk. Yanchuk started at UBC for a brief time period back in 2019, appearing in all eight games and throwing for 570 yards and two touchdowns.
Montréal Carabins at Concordia Stingers
Time: Saturday, August 27 at 2 PM EDT
Where to watch: Concordia Stingers Webcast
Two of the most anticipated offences in the nation will be sharing the field this Saturday to kick-off their 2022 campaigns as the Montréal Carabins take on the cross-town rival Concordia Stingers, with all eyes will on early RSEQ MVP hopefuls in quarterbacks Johnathan Sénécal and Olivier Roy.
Sénécal’s 2021 season saw him lead the Carabins to a 7-1 record, while throwing for 1,530 yards, and nine touchdowns as a rookie. Entering his second season, Sénécal will be surrounded by returning weapons in receivers Justin Langlais, Carl Chabot, and Hassane Dosso - who hauled in 757 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2021. Expect to also see Sénécal handing the ball off to his 6-2, 229 pound running back, Bertrand Beaulieu, who will be returning for his fourth season.
While most of the attention will be on their offence, the Carabins very well may be fielding one of the top defences in the nation in 2022. Their defensive line will see the return of the 2021 RSEQ Lineman of the Year winner, Phillipe Lemieux-Cardinal - who finished second in the nation in sacks (6) last season - while, their linebacker corp will be led by 2021 All-Canadian Michael Brodique.
Would it be fair to say the Carabins are walking into this matchup stress-free? Probably. After all, they are the defending conference champions. But, don’t be surprised if Montréal attempts to put this game away quick. Facing a Stingers squad that wholeheartedly believes they have a chance at challenging for a Dunsmore Cup in 2022, Montréal may look to use this game to make a statement to not only Concordia, but the rest of the RSEQ.
Building off of last season’s magic, Concordia enters this season juggling high expectations on offence as they’ll be running it back with the trio of Olivier Roy (QB), Jacob Salvail (REC), and Jaylan Greaves (REC). Entering only his third year of eligibility, Roy is coming off a season where he led the nation in passing yards (2,470), and passing touchdowns (18) to capture RSEQ MVP. Salvail, a veteran, led the team in both receiving yards (632) and receiving touchdowns (7). Greaves brought home U SPORTS Rookie of the Year behind a campaign that saw him record 605 receiving yards and fives touchdowns. Make no mistake, this offence will be must-watch in 2022. With Roy only in year three, and Greaves in year two, there’s room to believe that this group has yet to reach their full potential.
The key area of focus when these teams link up will be the performance of Concordia’s defence. In 2021, they allowed the most points of any team in the nation (243). If the Stingers expect to make a run at a Dunsmore cup this season, they’ll need to see their defence step up massively to accommodate their high-powered offence. With Sénécal and the Carabins offence likely looking to come out strong, this game will serve as a true test for defensive coordinator Ed Philion and his unit.
Ottawa Gee-Gees at Windsor Lancers
Time: Saturday, August 27 at 7 PM EDT
Where to watch: OUA TV
To many, the upper-echelon of the OUA will be headlined by programs such as Guelph, McMaster, and the defending national champion Western Mustangs. However, for the first time in a long time, there’s no clear-cut idea for what to expect from the rest of the conference, especially when it comes to the mid-tier playoff contenders.
Enter, these two programs.
The Ottawa Gee-Gees begin their 2022 campaign on Saturday when they travel to end of the 401 to take on the Windsor Lancers.
Having only missed the postseason twice since the turn of the century, Ottawa has struggled to engineer significant playoff success over the last decade. The Gee-Gees are coming off a confusing 3-3 season that saw them finish with one of the weaker offences in the nation - 21st in offensive PPG (15.3) - and one of the stronger defences in nation - 10th in allowed PPG (20.7). When considering that this team was only able to pick up wins over York and an injury-riddled Carleton, while factoring in that they’re returning essentially the exact same roster, it’s hard to see this program trending either upwards or downwards in 2022.
Windsor hasn’t made the playoffs since 2014 - The Austin Kennedy era. The Lancers are also coming off a confusing 2-4 season that saw them pick up wins over the then #5 ranked Guelph Gryphons and the then #5 ranked McMaster Marauders, while losing their other four games by an average margin of 42.2 points - granted, two of those games were against Western, and one was against Tre Ford. Nonetheless, the Lancers are returning promising players on defence such as 2021 OUA All-Stars Andrew Beatty and Zach Benson, as well as All-Rookie Demir Tagani. The real area of improvement for this squad rests on offence as they’ve lost starters in Sam Girard (QB), Matt James (REC), Joe Carbone (TE), and David Adeniran (RB). Having their fair share of offensive struggles in 2021, Saturday will be a first glimpse at a completely restructured Windsor offence.
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