TOP TEAMS CLASH FOR 99th YATES CUP, LIVE ON UNIVERSITY RUSH

Hamilton, Ontario - University Rush on The Score Television Network reaches its long-awaited climax on Saturday afternoon in our nation's capital. The 99th edition of the Yates Cup presented by Pioneer Petroleums will feature the top two teams in Ontario University Athletics, a fitting match for one of the oldest and most prestigious football trophies in North America. The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks will be looking for their third consecutive Yates Cup as they attempt to also defend their Vanier Cup title. The Ottawa Gee-Gees last captured the OUA crown more than three decades ago, but they are just six years removed from hoisting the national trophy as a member of the Ontario-Quebec Conference. The Yates Cup will be a battle of the minds just as much as a battle of speed, strength and endurance.

"We played a strong team last week and we had to work hard to get here (to the Yates Cup)," expressed Denis Piché, Ottawa head coach. "For us, the playoff game against Queen's was a great preparation for Wilfrid Laurier. It was a chess match between the coaching staffs and I expect the game against Laurier will be the same."

The Ottawa Gee-Gees, who finished the regular season with a conference-best 7-1 record, had a total of 11 all-star selections, including four players on the first team, to lead all schools. Ranked third in the country, the OUA regular season champion Ottawa Gee-Gees are a complete package. Their offence averaged 34.5 points per game and their defence gave up 12.1 points per contest, both tops in the OUA. The Gee-Gees started the season by playing Western Ontario, Wilfrid Laurier and McMaster, three of the best programs in the conference. This tough scheduled helped force them to play at an elite level coming right out of training camp. Ottawa's only loss of the season came Week Three, a 24-19 defeat at the hands of the Marauders. Third-year quarterback Joshua Sacobie (Fredericton, New Brunswick) finished second in the OUA regular season with 1,860 passing yards and ranked tops in the CIS with a 13:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He was recognized as the top pivot in the conference, capturing OUA first-team all-star honours.

"We have enough confidence in Josh (Sacobie) that if he sees something, we will often go with it, explained Piché. "His biggest strength is that he doesn't dwell on his mistakes. Against a team like Wilfrid Laurier, you have to be able to shake somethings off, because they will make plays too. Josh has that gunslinger's mentality were he is always ready to make that next throw."

Sacobie is blessed with an explosive receiving unit led by veterans David Crane (Ottawa) and Adam Nicolson (North Bay, Ontario). Crane totalled 32 catches for 596 yards and four touchdowns while Nicolson caught the same number of passes for 520 yards and two majors. Both receivers rank in the Top 10 in total yards. Ottawa also has a talented tandem of rookie backs on the ground. Dave Mason (Brampton, Ontario) took the ball 116 times for 755 yards and three touchdowns. Michael Donnelly recorded 61 carries and totalled 402 yards with two touchdowns. The pair has the agility to run up the gut or swing outside.

The Gee-Gees defence owns a bend-don't-break attitude and work as a complete unit. Despite giving up the fewest points among OUA teams, linebacker Joe Barnes (Stoney Creek, Ontario) was the only Ottawa player to rank in the Top 20 in tackles with 43, including 33 solo tackles. They possess a defensive line that ranks second in the nation, allowing an average of only 76.1 rushing yards. Ottawa defeated Queen's 23-10 in the Yates Cup semifinal, capitalizing on a solid outing from Mason (139 yards on eight carries), who only played the second half. His day was highlighted by the Gee-Gees longest play from scrimmage all season, an 82-yard touchdown run just before the two-minute warning. The stingy defence forced a fumble which led the game-winning touchdown, it was a well-orchestrated win with contributions from both sides of the ball.

With a win on Saturday, fans and media alike will start to confirm a certain place in history for this edition of the Purple and Gold. Wilfrid Laurier would become just the sixth team in the 99-year history of the Yates Cup, to have captured the trophy in three consecutive seasons. The defending Yates Cup and Vanier Cup champion Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks registered the most number of first-team all stars with six, including four on the defensive end. The Hawks are led by the OUA top tackler, Jesse Alexander (Kitchener, Ontario) who totalled 56.5 tackles and three interceptions. Yannick Carter (Pickering, Ontario) is an exciting fourth-year linebacker to watch. He has recorded a CIS-leading 9.5 sacks. The defensive threat from WLU is completed by a strong pair of defensive backs, fourth-year defensive back Justin Phillips (Kitchener), who recorded four sacks and Josh Maltin (Sarnia) who registered 33 tackles and one interception.

The 2006 Golden Hawks are a very different team from the squad that won last year's Yates Cup. They lost 13 starters since 2005 but haven't missed a beat. Wilfrid Laurier finished second in the regular season with a 6-2 record and enter today's final ranked seventh in the country. Wilfrid Laurier has strong weapons on the ground and in the air. Third-year running back Ryan Lynch (Waterloo) completed the campaign with 143 carries and 864 yards with five touchdowns, finishing third in the OUA among backs in total yards. Fourth-year receiver Andy Baechler (Ayr, Ontario) caught 38 passes for 557 yards, which included seven touchdowns. Baechler was a key factor in both the Yates Cup and Vanier Cup wins last season, catching a 23-yard touchdown pass in the national championship. While quarterback Jamie Partington (Stoney Creek, Ontario) was backup to now-offensive coordinator Ryan Pyear, he proved that he can lead the offensive unit all on his own. Partington threw 15 touchdowns this season, the most in the OUA and tied for second in the CIS. Nearly the entire linebacking corps has returned from 2005 and it has shown in their performance this year.

This defensive unit came up big in the dying minutes of Wilfrid Laurier's 20-15 win over Western Ontario in the semifinal last week. The Golden Hawks defence is smart, quick and aggressive. WLU turned the ball over seven times against the Mustangs and cannot afford to make similar mistakes against the Gee-Gees, who often take advantage of their opponents' misfortunes.

"Last week's game told me what I already knew" explained Jeffries. "We have tremendous character and a never quit attitude. You'll see the Golden Hawks competing until it's over. Our hiccups from early on aren't happening as much now and the games we've played this season have allowed us to grow as a football team."

The fact that the Golden Hawks have been in these situation is a stark contrast to the Gee-Gees. "It's extremely important that we've been here before" said Jeffries. "Our concern is that half our team has the experience and the rest earned some this season - but hopefully the players that have championship experience will help it rub off to the others that don't."

Today's Yates Cup finalists met on September 9 at University Stadium as the Gee-Gees erased a 12-3 deficit in the third quarter to walk away with a 29-19 victory. Sacobie went 12-for-23 and totalled 179 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Although Sacobie had an average game, some of his favourite targets enjoyed offensive success. Dave Mason carried the ball 23 times for 153 yards while fourth-year receiver Adam Nicolson (North Bay, Ontario) caught five passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. The shining light when Wilfrid Laurier had the ball was Ryan Lynch, who made 20 carried for 113 yards. The biggest defensive impact came from Golden Hawks leader Jesse Alexander. The veteran linebacker recorded 12.5 tackles and returned an interception 26 yards. The Ottawa defence shut down Wilfrid Laurier in the second half with a group effort. Six different Gee-Gees totalled four or more tackles, including by third-year linebacker Joe Barnes (Stoney Creek), who had six tackles.

The 99th edition of the Yates Cup presented by Pioneer Petroleums is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. Host Ottawa Gee-Gees will face Wilfrid Laurier at Frank Clair Stadium in front of a nationally televised audience, live on University Rush on The Score Television Network. The Yates Cup marks the conclusion of an OUA football season filled with drama, spectacular plays and elite student-athletes. University Rush has showcased OUA football talent for the past five years and this weekend has the makings to be the best game of all.

Wilfrid Laurier Regular Season Leaders

Passing
Jamie Partington - 124 completions, 218 attempts, 1741 yards, 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions

Rushing
Ryan Lynch - 143 rushes, 864 yards, five touchdowns
Brodie Legein - 55 rushes, 348 yards, two touchdowns

Receiving
Adam Baechler - 38 receptions, 557 yards, seven touchdowns
Josh Bishop - 19 receptions, 287 yards, one touchdown
Dante Luciani - 17 receptions, 277 yards, two touchdowns

Defence
Jess Alexander - 43 solo tackles, 27 assisted tackles, one sacks, three interceptions
Josh Maltin - 26 solo tackles, six assisted tackle, one interception
Yannick Carter - 23 solo tackles, 14 assisted tackles, nine sacks, one interception

Ottawa Regular Season Leaders

Passing
Joshua Sacobie - 124 completions, 204 attempts, 1860 yards, 13 touchdowns, five interceptions

Rushing
Dave Mason - 116 rushes, 755 yards, three touchdowns
Michael Donnelly - 61 rushes, 402 yards, two touchdowns

Receiving
David Crane - 32 receptions, 596 yards, four touchdowns
Adam Nicolson - 32 receptions, 520 yards, two touchdowns
Matthew Edgeworth - 14 receptions, 256 yards, four touchdowns

Defence
Joe Barnes - 33 solo tackles, 20 assisted tackles, three sacks, one interception
Michael Cornell - 26 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, three sacks
Anthony Plante-Ajah - 21 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles

- OUA -