OTTAWA - When the Western Mustangs football team faces the Ottawa Gee-Gees at Frank Clair Stadium in the nation's capital on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the 103rd Yates Cup, expect a tightly contested game.

Both teams feature different offensive strengths. Western features the three-pronged rushing machine of quarterback Donnie Marshall and running backs Jerimy Hipperson and Nathan Riva, while the Gee-Gees will rely on quarterback and OUA MVP Brad Sinopoli and receivers Matthew Bolduc, Cyril Adjeitey and Steven Hughes.

Defences will feature Western's all-star laden Supreme Seven up front with Craig Butler patrolling the secondary, while Ottawa is carried by a strong defensive front four, headlined by Sebastien Tetreault. Chayce Elliott is a cover threat in the secondary.

The game will come down to who can limit big plays defensively in the battle of the Ottawa pass and Western run.

The Mustangs hope history will play to its favour when they travel to face the No. 4 nationally ranked Gee-Gees . Western is 4-0 against Ottawa in the post-season and Greg Marshall, the OUA coach of the year, and his squad is ranked No. 2 in the nation behind only the undefeated Laval Rouge et Or.

Ottawa is coming off a close call in last weekend’s 32-31 semifinal win over Laurier. With Laurier holding the lead most of the game, it was the Gee-Gees defence and special teams that made the difference down the stretch.

With 2:59 left in the fourth quarter, third-year kicker Matthew Falvo of Welland, Ont., kicked the winning field goal.  After that, it was up to the Gee-Gees defence to hold strong as they prevented Laurier from scoring a single point in the final quarter.

Western also survived a scare in their OUA semifinal game last weekend against McMaster.

While the Marauders controlled time of possession and controlled the many statistical categories, Western scored 21 unanswered points to advance to their fourth straight Yates Cup with a 34-28 win.

Marshall said Western will need to contain Sinopoli to be successful. He said both teams have improved since the Sept. 6 meeting.

"It was a long time ago, it seems like it was last year ," he said. "The University of Ottawa, there's a reason they're here. They have a balanced offence, they are well coached."

"I expect it will be a close game, and it's going to come down to who can make big plays and prevent the other team from making big plays."

This is Ottawa's first Yates Cup appearance since 2008, which the Gee-Gees lost to Western in London, Ont., 31-17.

Ottawa handed Western its only loss of the regular season, a come-from-behind 20-19 Gee-Gees' victory in front of over 6,000 fans at Frank Clair Stadium back on Sept. 6.
Western has won both Yates Cup meetings with Ottawa and is 4-0 against the Gee-Gees in the post-season.

“This year is very different for me and I think for our team," said Gee-Gees head coach J.P. Asselin. "At the beginning of the season this was a part of the goal, and I feel like we are just on that path to do what we’ve set out to do.”

“We’re ready, I think we’ve shown good progression all year to be ready to play our best football at the biggest time of the season that is right now," he said. "I think it’s going be a good game. We’re ready to fight their well-coached team, and they are not going to let us walk all over them that’s for sure. They are coming to win, and we are going to match their intensity.”


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