GAME INFORMATION
KICKOFF: Friday, Aug. 31 (7:00 PM)
SITE: Mosaic Stadium (Regina, Sask.)
CAPACITY: 33,000
RANKINGS: Calgary #5, Regina #10
TELEVISION: Canada West Football Showcase on SaskTel maxTV 48/348 & TELUS Optik TV (Wray Morrison/PxP, Jason Clermont/CC, Dan Plaster/host)
REGINA RADIO: 620 CKRM (Michael Ball/PxP, Addison Richards/CC)
LIVE VIDEO: www.canadawest.tv ($)
HEADLINES
• For the second consecutive year, the Rams open up the season at home against a ranked opponent. Last year, the Rams defeated No. 7 UBC by a 36-20 count in the season opener at Mosaic.
• Rams QB Noah Picton needs only 160 passing yards to become the sixth player in U SPORTS history - and the first in Canada West history - to hit the 10,000 mark.
• Calgary won both of last year’s meetings over the Rams, winning by 46-26 in Calgary and 42-30 in Regina. The Rams will be looking for their first win over the Dinos since Joey Dwyer’s last-second forced fumble saved the day back in 2016.
CHASING HISTORY - PICTON NEARS 10,000: Fifth-year QB Noah Picton needs only 160 passing yards to become the sixth player in U SPORTS history to rack up 10,000 in a career. He enters Week 1 eighth on the national all-time list with 9840 yards, but could pass Ottawa's Josh Sacobie (9885), McMaster's Ben Chapdelaine (9974), and Windsor's Austin Kennedy (10,004) as early as this week. Picton also has 65 touchdown passes in his career as he needs just one more to move into the all-time top ten and is closing in on Teale Orban's school record of 76.
SIMON'S ENCORE: Already the school's all-time leader in rushing yards, touchdown runs, and touchdowns scored, RB Atlee Simon is back for his fifth and final U SPORTS season looking for more. Simon enters the season ranked 15th in Canada West history with 2943 career rushing yards, but has Calgary's Mercer Timmis (2984), Alberta's Nathan Connor (3030), and Chris Ciezki (3069 with Alberta and UBC) in his sights.
ONE-TWO PUNCH AT RECEIVER: The Rams get back about 46% of their receiver production from last year, almost all of which comes from two returning slotbacks - Ryan Schienbein and Kyle Moortgat. Schienbein had 40 catches for 483 yards and three touchdowns despite missing two games due to injury last year, while Moortgat broke out with 37 receptions for 408 yards and two touchdowns. Expect both to again be favourite targets of Picton this season.
RETURNING STARTERS: Besides Moortgat, Picton, Schienbein, and Simon, the Rams also return five offensive players with plenty of experience as starters, all of which are linemen. Andrew Becker and Matt Degelman are both expected to return after missing last season due to injuries, while the Rams also welcome back Roe Borgmann, Theren Churchill, and Bryan Robinson. Defensively, the Rams return starting safety Cord Delinte, halfback Zach Moore, linebackers Layne Hull and Danny Nesbitt, and defensive end Eric Wicijowski.
ENHANCED ROLES: Four returning Rams players will graduate into feature roles as Week 1 starters, including Daniel Scraper who breaks camp as one of the team's starting wide receivers and will also back up at kicker. Three defensive players also fit into this category, including Cole Benkic who piled up 22½ tackles, a pair of fumbles, and an interception last season without actually starting a game. Benkic will get the nod at zack linebacker for his first U SPORTS start on Friday. Look for Ryan Warner and redshirt freshman Tanner Schmekel to both start on the defensive line for the Rams, though the team also expects St. Francis Xavier transfer Kyle Forde, veteran Grey McKen, and redshirt freshman Blake Turner to see significant playing time up front.
STEP RIGHT UP: Up to six players new to the program could get the start for the U of R on Friday, including SB Bennett Stusek (Campbell Collegiate) and either DB Chase Ellingson (Royal Imperial Collegiate of Canada) or DB Jaxon Ford (Campbell Collegiate). Earning big roles for the Rams out of camp on the defensive side of the ball are both cornerbacks - Brandon Brooks (University of Nevada) and Brandon Gandire (Westshore Rebels) - and sam linebacker Tanner Smith (Regina Thunder). Fellow Regina Thunder alumnus Kris Calcutt will start at wide receiver.
FALCON HALFBACK STILL UP IN THE AIR: As of Monday's practice, a pair of rookies right out of high school were still deadlocked in a battle for one of the starting halfback positions. Zach Moore has the hawk position locked up, but over at falcon Ellingson and Ford are battling to become the first defensive back to step right out of high school and start for the Rams in Week 1 since Jamir Walker way back in 2008.
STUSEK, MOSLEY BATTLING: On offence, the Rams had a pretty good idea of what their depth chart would look like following Monday's practice with the exception of one slotback position where newcomers Kyler Mosley (Okanagan Sun) and Bennett Stusek (Campbell Collegiate) were still battling. Mosley had a big season with Okanagan last year which saw him collect 32 catches for 518 yards and three touchdowns, while Stusek is looking to become the first receiver in school history to come right out of high school and start immediately for the Rams.
KICKING GAME GALVAN-IZED: An out-of-the-blue email to head coach Steve Bryce over the summer resulted in a complete overhaul of the U of R's kicking situation. A few emails, phone calls, and a visit to Regina later and Aldo Galvan committed to the Rams from the Bucaneros de Satélite club team based just outside of Mexico City. Galvan was Team Mexico's kicker at the 2018 IFAF U19 World Championship over the summer, winning a silver medal at the tournament after matching up against a Canadian team in the final that featured Ford, Schmekel, and White.
SKIPPING THE REDSHIRT: Ryan Schienbein is the only U of R receiver in the last half decade to skip the redshirt year coming out of high school, but it looks like the Rams will have two this year. Stusek is obviously one of them, and towering Miller product Dallen Keen is the other. On the defensive side of the ball it appears that Ford, Ellingson, and LB Josh White will all step right into the lineup for the Rams.
USING THE REDSHIRT: You'll be hard-pressed to find guys itching more to get on the field than the guys who were able to practice all year, but didn't play more than a single game in order to preserve a season of U SPORTS eligibility. Schmekel is likely to have the biggest impact of the team's six redshirt freshmen that are expected to be in the lineup on Friday. Also dressing for the Rams coming off their redshirt season will be OL Maguire Abell, SB Lucas Nurkowski, DB Noah Sampson, DL Blake Turner, and LB Ryder Varga.
RAMS IN THE PROS: The Rams currently have eight players on active professional rosters, including four in the NFL – Stefan Charles (Kansas City), Akiem Hicks (Chicago), Brett Jones (Minnesota), and Jon Ryan (Buffalo). The four University of Regina alumni in the CFL are Tevaughn Campbell (Montreal), Jorgen Hus (Saskatchewan), Brendon LaBatte (Saskatchewan), and Richard Sindani (Calgary). Mitchell Picton is also on Saskatchewan’s practice roster.
(Braden Konschuh/U of R Athletics)
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