2 - of College Football Games

2009-10 Season Outlook
LONDON, Ont. - If the maxims about
third time lucky are any sign, the
Western Mustangs will welcome a little
bit of luck as the final ingredient in their
potion for a national championship.
Western’s bid for a national title
would fall into the emerging theeyear
progression: Yates Cup in 2007,
Mitchell Bowl in 2008 and possibly the
Vanier Cup in 2009? If there’s any year
the deck is stacked in their favour, it’s
2009. The Mustangs boast a solid crop
of returning players and an impressive
recruiting class. The coaches and
players hope it pays dividends in helping
to advance Western to the national final
for the first time in over a decade.
In his third season at the helm,
Western’s head coach Greg Marshall
and the Mustangs hope they will finish
the year hoisting the Vanier Cup. The
Vanier is something which has eluded
Marshall’s head coaching tenure in the
CIS. Marshall won his 17th Yates Cup
through his football career (three as a
player and 14 coaching) after Western
thumped the Ottawa Gee-Gees 31-
17 in the 101st playing of the Ontario
university football final at TD Waterhouse
Stadium in November, 2008. A year
earlier, Marshall guided the Mustangs
to a miraculous turnaround culminating
with a Yates Cup road-win over Guelph
after starting the season 0-4.
This year, Western is the early favourite
to win the 102nd Yates - a position
Marshall’s Mustangs have not seen
themselves in since his arrival here.
WESTERn MUSTAnGS
BY THE nUMBERS
2008 Regular Season Record: 7-1
2008 Regular Season Standing: 2nd in
OUA
2008 Playoff Record: 3-1 (Lost in Vanier
Cup, Won Mitchell Bowl and Yates
Cup)
2008 Playoff Finish: Lost in Vanier Cup
to Laval
Biggest Strength: Quarterback Michael
Faulds
Biggest Concern: Uncertainty at
Defensive End
OFFEnCE
QUARTERBACK
Michael Faulds returns for a fifth and
final season with the Mustangs with a
simple goal: winning the Vanier Cup.
Approaching a number of career
milestones in Mustangs football
history, the Eden Mills, Ont., native
is a preseason favourite for the Hec
Crighton.
Any success Western has falls largely
on his shoulders. He’ll settle for nothing
less than a championship.
“Michael Faulds is - and this is not just
my opinion - the top quarterback in
the country,” Marshall said. “I am very
surprised he was not a first-team all-star
last year. As good as he is, he is also a
top coachable competitor.”
Donnie Marshall (London, Ont.), a
sophomore and son of head coach
Greg, returns after off-season shoulder
surgery, and will be challenged by
freshman Jason Schuler (East Elgin
High School, Aylmer, Ont.) and Marko
Isakov (Toronto) for the back up spot.
RUnnInG BACKS/FULLBACKS
The Mustangs are deep at the running
back position entering the 2009
campaign - a combination of experience
and better health gives great optimism
for coach Greg Marshall, himself a
former back.
Toronto Argonauts prospect Da’shawn
Thomas (Conyers, Ga.) will add
considerable
depth to a
backfield that
boasts both
experience and
promise.
“He’s athletic
and he can
run and he
can catch,”
Marshall said.
“He’s also a
really good
kid and he is
really likeable.
He has no
attitude.”
Nathan Riva (LaSalle, Ont.), who
emerged as the top ground threat in the
second half of the 2009 season, and
John Leckie (Georgetown, Ont.), who
was a strong red-zone presence for
Western are both back after their rookie
campaigns.
“We can probably get Riva out of the
backfield to push the ball and spread
out the offence,” Marshall said. “Before
(in 2008), we really had no deep threat
receiver. We expect that will change this
season.”
Ben Roberts (London, Ont.) and Jerimy
Hipperson (st. catharines, Ont.) return
from 2008 injuries. Reliable fullback Dan
Duff (London, Ont.) is an excellent pass
blocker while Ryan Tremblay (London,
Ont.), a 2008 transfer from Simon
Fraser in Burnaby, B.C., will likely move
to the slot and return to special teams
as a kick and punt returner.
“Our running game will be much better
this year,” Marshall predicted. “We relied
too much on the passing game last year
and losing Roberts early and Hipperson
we lost a lot of depth. We had to go with
the trial-and-error approach.”
RECEIVERS
Probably the biggest concern for
Marshall entering the 2008 season,
Western can rest easier after a handful
of rookies gained valuable experience
in 2008.
“I’m not worried like I was last year going
into the season about the receivers,”
Marshall said. “The tough part this year
will be deciding who will play.”
Josh Svec (Blenheim, Ont.), a graduate
student enrolled in the Masters
program in kinesiology with a focus
on coaching, comes to Western from
Waterloo and adds veteran presence,
along with returning inside receivers
Jesse Bellamy (Guelph, Ont.) and Mike
Hegarty (Sarnia, Ont.) who are both
back for a final season.
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