This article comes courtesy of Manitobafootballfeed’s OUA correspondent.
Week 1 Review
Western 32
Laurier 19
The Western Mustangs got an impressive win on the road over a feisty Laurier Golden Hawks team. Laurier lead 3-1 after the first quarter, but the second quarter is where Western took control of the game. A 62 yard Justin Nickson touchdown pass from Chris Merchant, and a blocked punt for a touchdown gave Western a 15-3 lead, an advantage they wouldn’t concede for the rest of the game. A Laurier touchdown with :12 seconds left made the game a lot closer than it was. Manitoban Tony Rossi started at defensive tackle for a Western Defense that sacked the quarterback twice and only allowed 92 rushing yards. Tony recorded 2 solo and 2 assisted tackles in the game.
McMaster 25
Guelph 10
The Steph Ptaszek era 2.0 got off to a good with a 25-10 victory over arch rival Guelph and rookie head coach Ryan Sheahan. Guelph started the game off strong, returning the opening kick-off for a touchdown, but it was all McMaster after that. McMaster had 463 total yards of Offense, lead by starting quarterback and Manitoba Andreas Dueck who was 29/39, throwing for 344 yards and 1 Touchdown. St. Paul’s alum Wyatt Edmonds moved from Left Guard to Centre, and anchored a McMaster offensive line that rushed for 129 yards while only giving up one sack. Winnipegger Xander Tachinski added 5 catches for 57 yards. On the defensive side, Vincent Massey Alumnus Eryk Bujalski started at middle linebacker on a McMaster defense that did not give up a touchdown. Eryk had two tackles and a pass break-up.
Carleton 18
Queens 12
The Steve Snyder era for Queens got off to a shaky start, with a 18-12 home loss to Carleton. In a sloppy game that had 205 yards in penalties and 27 total punts, it was Carleton who came out on top. The Ravens were able to overcome a -3 turnover differential while limiting Queen’s offense to 132 yards passing on the way to a 1-0 start to the OUA season.
Toronto 30
Waterloo 33
Three fourth quarter touchdowns by Toronto made the game close, but ultimately Waterloo came out on top 33-30. Waterloo was lead by QB Tre Ford (225 yards passing, 2 touchdowns & 83 yards rushing), REC Tyler Ternowski (5 Receptions, 29 yards, 1 Touchdown) and DB Tyrell Ford (4 tackles, 1 Interception and a Punt Return Touchdown). Winnipegger Quinn Mulligan dressed for the varsity blues and registered snaps on offense and special teams. Interesting to note, Tre Ford threw 2 interceptions in this game, which matches his total of 2 interceptions thrown in all of 2018.
York 17
Windsor 34
The JP Circelli era is off to a great start in Windsor. In a tight game, Windsor pulled away with 3 rushing touchdowns in the 3rd quarter en-route to a 34-17 victory. Winnipegger Jared Ott registered snaps on both defense and special teams for the York Lions.
Week 2 Review
Ottawa @ McMaster
Manitobans: DB Cody Cranston (OTT), QB Andreas Dueck (MAC), OL Wyatt Edmonds (MAC), LB Eryk Bujalski (MAC), REC Xander Tachinski (MAC)
Coming off a first week bye, Ottawa will be looking to start the season off right with a victory in McMaster’s 2019 home opener. Ottawa has a strong offense lead by Moose Jaw native Sawyer Buettner and an aggressive defense that likes to give opposing teams multiple looks. McMaster will look to ride the momentum from its week 1 victory over Guelph into this crucial week 2 matchup against Ottawa. Ottawa defeated McMaster 18-11 in 2018.
Guelph @ Carleton
Guelph coach Ryan Sheahan will be looking for his first victory as a head coach, while Carleton will be looking to start off the season 2-0. This will be the first matchup between Guelph and Carleton since 2017. Both teams have athletic defenses, so a defensive battle is to be expected.
Windsor @ Toronto
Manitobans: FB Quinn Mulligan (TOR)
Both Windsor and Toronto were non-playoff teams in 2018, so this weeks matchup is a critical opportunity for both teams to get a victory. Expect Windsor to rely on its successful run game from week 1, while Toronto will lean on its defense lead by head coach and long-time CFL defensive coordinator Greg Marshall.
Queens @ Western
Manitobans: DL Tony Rossi (WES)
There won’t be many secrets between these two teams, as Queens head coach Steve Snyder served on Western Head Coach Greg Marshall’s staff in 2017 & 2018. Look for Western to control the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense, while Queens will rely on big plays to pull off the upset on the road.
Laurier @ York
Manitobans: LB Jared Ott (YORK)
Both Laurier and York will be looking for their first victories of 2018. Laurier will rely on their explosive offense and athletic defense, while York will be looking to pull off the upset in their home opener.