2 - of College Football Games

By Andy Watson
Repeat as Yates Cup champs.
Check.
Redeem selves by winning Mitchell
Bowl and advance to Vanier for first
time in Greg Marshall’s head coaching
career. Check.
Advance to Vanier Cup, returning
Western to national stage for first time
since they last won in 1994. Check.
The final item to check in the list of todos
for the Mustangs is now to return to
the Vanier Cup in 2009 and win it all.
The team will build on the success
from 2008 in order to achieve their
ultimate goal.
Last season offered many great
milestones.
Michael Faulds led the nation in
passing yards and is closing in on the
all-time Mustangs career passing yard
mark.
Matt Carapella tied the CIS record for
career interceptions.
Ryan Tremblay set a kickoff return
record in the Vanier Cup.
Greg Marshall shook the Bowl Game
curse as head coach, guiding Western
to a Mitchell Bowl win over Saint Mary’s
at TD Waterhouse Stadium.
Off the field, the Mustangs improved
in many facets.
Academic
success stories
guided by Don
Hayden and
weekly study
sessions, further
improvements
to the Bob Gage
Weight Room
in the Michael
Kirkley Training
Centre in the J.W.
Little Building, the
hiring of a full-
5
State of the Program:
A review of 2008 and a look ahead.
time offensive line coach and recruiting
assistant in Chris Bertoia and the arrival
of a new athletic director in Therese
Quigley in the off-season.
It’s all building positive momentum
toward the 2009 season which started
off with a bang in a 32-17 victory over
the No. 10 ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees.
After Week 1, the Mustangs are
ranked No. 2 in the nation behind only
Laval.
With a greater student presence
expected in 2009 - student tickets
are free for all
games except
H o m e c o m i n g
and the playoffs
- and a strong
contingent of
returning vets, the
Mustangs will be
dangerous and
tough to match in
the country in offfield
support.
T h e
Champions Club
alumni outreach
efforts and those
of Mustangs
alumni and
development
officer Holly Gati continue to make a
difference in providing much-appreciated
support in recruiting, coaching
improvements and equipment.
It’s been a quick rise to the top
for Western’s football program, with
Marshall coming back to coach - but it
was not immediate.
In 2007, Marshall was immediately
under fire, going 0-4 with Western after
being let go by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of
the CFL - then Marshall guided Western
to seven straight wins (four in the
regular season
and three in the playoff) in 2007 and a
10-2 overall regular season and playoff
record in 2008.
The only blemishes on Western’s
record from 2008 were a road loss to
Queen’s - where the scoreline did not
reflect how close Western was in the
game - and a loss to Laval in the Vanier
Cup.
The pressure is on Western, with
expectations high. The 2009 season will
be one to remember - hopefully ending
with a CIS record seventh Vanier Cup
title.