OTTAWA - Teams can normally enjoy a period of adjustment when beginning the season, adapting to new personnel on the field and finding chemistry with new teammates and coaches.

For the No. 10 nationally ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees and No. 2 ranked Western Mustangs football teams, it’s more like they are undergoing baptism by fire. The opportunity to adjust and adapt needed to come in training camp for both teams as they will be immediately tested by each other in the first game of the season.

For the third straight season, the Gee-Gees and Mustangs play a pivotal game early in the season. The past two have been barnburners. They’ve been thrillers, coming down to key plays in the last minute, and certainly were games to remember.

This one promises to offer a lot of the same when the teams kickoff at 5 p.m. Sunday Sept. 6 at Frank Clair Stadium in the nation’s capital (Rogers TV, Cable 13, will broadcast the game on tape delay at 7 p.m. in the London market, CHRW 94.9 FM and online at www.chrwradio.com/listen/ will have the audio feed live).

For Western, head coach Greg Marshall knows the Mustangs have a target on their backs. And if there’s one team looking for more redemption than another, it’s the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Losing the past three games – including the 2008 Yates Cup – against Western, the Gee-Gees will have fuel on their side.

“Obviously, in the last three games they have had the upper hand and we don't like it,” Piche said.” It forces us to get better.”

He said he likes the rivalry and knows it’s a good motivator for both teams – and a good product for fans.
“I think the rivalry is a good thing,” Piche added. “It’s good for university sports and that's the way it should be.”

Led by quarterback Brad Sinopoli (Peterborough, Ont.), who was also highly sought by the Western Mustangs, Denis Piche’s Gee-Gees squad will be a formidable test for Western.

Piche knows the outcome of the Western game will have an immediate impact on both teams. The losing team will immediately face pressure in Week 2 to win.

"Let's be honest, they (Western) run a good program over there. They have the resources and coaching and installations. It's a big tradition,” Piche said. “Every time you have the chance to compete against Western, you have to raise the bar.”

The Mustangs, 2008 Vanier Cup finalists, are coming off a 27-0 loss in exhibition play against Laval – it was 3-0 for Laval until the dying seconds of the second quarter when Laval’s second and third stringers came into the game and from that point on outscored Western’s second and third stringers 24-0 – and anxious to see their new-look squad in action.

Anything less than a Vanier Cup for many of the Mustangs this season will be a disappointment. Managing expectations will be a challenge – realizing it’s not a sprint but a marathon is an appropriate analogy the Mustangs will need to keep top of mind.

"I think it's a bit of a disadvantage,” Marshall said of the matchup against Ottawa in Week 1. ”You'd prefer to start with getting some of the mistakes out of the way… you might not know about (mistakes) until you play a game.”

“(But) when you play a strong opponent like the University of Ottawa, you certainly like to feel your way through the first game. If i had my preference I would like to start with an easier opponent, But in the OUA this year there’s going to be lots of parity.”

Piche agrees with the preference to have a different Week 1 opponent

“Definitely it’s a disadvantage. This game could mean a lot down the road. Both teams are coming off training camp. Some guys might not be ready to play because of the little boo-boos you encounter in camp. We'll have a lot of young guys playing in bigger roles, testing them against Western is not ideal.”

Marshall knows the Garnet and Grey will be an immediate test – both on paper and traditionally. 

“I guess since I’ve been a head coach in the OUA and CIS, Ottawa has consistently been one of the top programs,” said Marshall, entering his third season with the Mustangs, adding the Ottawa game is an important measuring stick on the schedule. “We were fortunate last year… in the first game of the season, we were fortunate to come back. The game went right down to the line, to last few possessions. The year before, it was a similar type game. We’ve had some really exciting football games with Ottawa.”

Western will be wary of a hungry and improved – and healthier – Gee-Gees team than they saw in the 2008 Yates Cup.

“They were younger last year because of injuries. You give real credit to coaching staff and leadership of the Ottawa players for keeping the team together. The run they had in the playoffs to win over Guelph and then taking out a tough team from Queen’s, it set up an exciting Yates Cup.”

“I believe the University of Ottawa will be one of the toughest teams in the playoffs this year. This is an important game this weekend… and I’m sure we'll see each other in the playoffs.”

Piche said he hopes some of the agony the Ottawa team went through last year with young players forced into key starting roles will pay dividends in 2009.

“A lot of first-year kids last year were placed in tough positions because of injuries. We planted the seed , but it will take us a good two to three weeks to get the kinks out,” Piche said. “There are many new faces… it was not a good thing for these kids to haveto have played last year but it will help us tremendously (in 2009).”

Ottawa Players to Watch
Brad Sinopoli, Quarterback
Eric Chabut, Defensive Line (Nose Tackle)
Chayce Elliott, Defensive Back
James McNaughton, Outside Linebacker
Cyril Adjeitey, Wide Receiver
Craig Bearss, Running Back
Frank Spera, Offensive Line (Guard)
Sebastien Tetreault, Defensive Line (Tackle)

Key Losses
Davie Mason, Running Back
Ian Hazlett, Defensive End
Joshua Sacobie, Quarterback

Sizing Up the Opposition: OTTAWA GEE-GEES
vs. Western, Sept. 6, 2009, 5 p.m., Frank Clair Stadium
2008 Record: 4-4, 1st OUA, lost to Western in Week 1 on Sept. 1, 2008, 35-31, at TD Waterhouse Stadium in London, Ont.
2008 Playoffs: 2-1, lost to Western in OUA Yates Cup 31-17 on Nov. 8, 2008, at TD Waterhouse Stadium in London, Ont.

All-Time Record vs. Ottawa: 11-4 for Western
(3-0 exhibition, 4-0 playoffs,4-4 in regular season)

Last Meetings: Western defeated Ottawa 35-31 in the season opener on Sept. 1, 2008. Western defeated Ottawa 23-16 in 2007 OUA semifinal, the last playoff meeting between the two teams.

Last 10 Games: 6-4 in favour of Western 

Playoff History: Western has won all four playoff meetings.
- 1971 Yates Cup – Western 13 Ottawa 0 (JW Little Stadium)
- 2005 OUA Semifinal – Western 18 Ottawa 10 (TD Waterhouse)
- 2007 OUA Semifinal – Western 23 Ottawa 16 (Frank Clair Stadium)
- 2008 OUA Yates Cup – Western 31 Ottawa 17 (TD Waterhouse)

Home Sweet Home: Three of Ottawa’s four wins over Western in history have come on home field. Ottawa is 3-4 all-time at home against Western and has won three of four regular season games against Western all-time at home.

TD Waterhouse Advantage: Western’s only home loss to Ottawa was a 35-30 Gee-Gees’ win in the 2007 regular season at TD Waterhouse Stadium on Sept. 15. Including one exhibition game, Western is 8-1 at home against Ottawa.

Player to Watch: QB Brad Sinopoli was magnificent at the pivot spot against Western in Week 1 in 2008 giving the Gee-Gees an early lead before Western stormed back.

ON TV: Rogers TV, Cable 13 (in London market) Tape Delay to 7 p.m.
ON RADIO: CHRW Radio, 94.9 FM, LIVE (online www.chrwradio.com/listen)
Play by Play David Alter

HEAD COACH
Denis Piché (8th season)
613-562-5800, ext. 6339
drpiche@uottawa.ca

ASSISTANT COACHES
Phil Roberts - Assistant Head Coach/ Special Teams Coordinator
Mike White - Defensive Coordinator/ Defensive Backs
Chris Coulson - Offensive Coordinator