Football (0-1 OUA): No. 10 uOttawa hosted No. 2 Western Ontario for the season-opening game of the 2009 Ontario University Athletics season Sunday, September 6, 5:00 p.m., at Frank Clair Stadium (Rogers Television, SSN Canada).
FINAL: Western Ontario 32 uOttawa 17
Scoring by quarter: 1 2 3 4 -F
Western Ontario 7 14 9 2 -32
uOttawa 7 6 3 1 -17
Attendance at Frank Clair Stadium: 5,120
HEADLINE: Red flagged in season-opening loss to No. 2 Mustangs
GAME STORY:
Fifth-year quarterback Michael Faulds threw three touchdowns and second-year RB Mathan Riva scored twice Sunday afternoon in the No. 2 Western Ontario Mustangs 32-17 road win over No. 10 uOttawa Gee-Gees to open the 2009 Ontario University Athletics regular season.
uOttawa was flagged 18 times for 151 yards in penalties and conceded a pair of safety touches to drop a fourth straight game to the Mustangs, including a 31-17 road loss in the 2008 Yates Cup.
The Gee-Gees intercepted Faulds three times and first-year RB Jordan Wilson Ross of Alliston, Ont. rushed 18 times for 126 yards and a touchdown in his first Canadian Interuniversity Sport regular season game.
"Penalties cost us at least 10 points - and dearly in terms of field position," said Gee-Gees head coach Denis Piche. "We will look into this and make it better."
Gee-Gees third-year quarterback Brad Sinopoli finished with 89 yards rushing on 10 carries and completed 22 of 41 passes for 355 yards and no touchdowns in his second career start.
Wilson Ross scored off a six-yard rush at 8:14 of the first quarter and weaved for 62 yards on the first play of the Gee-Gees second possession in the first quarter.
uOttawa second-year kicker Matt Falvo kicked field goals of 38 and 29 yards in the second quarter, and was good from 23 yards in the third quarter.
Fourth-year cornerback Chayce Elliott had a pair of interceptions, in the first and third quarters, and second-year linebacker Alex Lothian picked off a third Faulds pass with the Mustangs pressing in the fourth.
"We prepared a lot for these guys," said Elliott. "They didn't beat us. We beat ourselves."
Faulds finished with 18 completions on 36 attempts for 293 yards and was sacked twice.
"Chances are we won't have to come back here in the playoffs," said Faulds. "That was on our minds the whole time."
Western Ontario scored twice in the final three minutes of the second quarter to end the half ahead 21-14 following a 20-yard pass from Faulds to second-year RB Da'Shawn Thomas of Conyers, Georgia and a five-yard scoring run by second-year RB Nathan Riva of LaSalle, Ont.
Thomas then hit second-year WR Nick Trevail on a 38-yard half-back option to set up a nine-yard scoring pass from Faulds to Riva in the third quarter and a 30-16 Mustangs advantage.
Riva finished with 96 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Third-year Gee-Gees transfer WR Steven Hughes caught seven passes for 98 yards and fourth-year WR Cyril Adjeitey caught six passes for 96 yards.
The crowd of 5,120 at Frank Clair Stadium booed when the Gee-Gees turned the ball over on downs at the Mustangs 20 late in the fourth quarter.
uOttawa travels to Waterloo Saturday, September 12, 1:00 p.m.
Summary:
First Quarter:
Ott - TD Wilson Ross 6 run (Falvo convert) 8:14
Wstn - TD Bellamy 33 pass from Faulds (Wheeler convert) 14:16
Second Quarter:
Ott - FG Falvo 38 2:10
Ott - FG Falvo 29 10:27
Wstn - TD Thomas 20 pass from Faulds (Wheeler convert) 12:12
Wstn - TD Riva 5 run (Wheeler convert) 14:26
Third Quarter:
Ott - FG Falvo 23 4:34
Ott - Safety conceded 9:22
Wstn - TD Riva 9 pass from Faulds (Wheeler convert) 11:09
Fourth quarter:
Ott - Safety conceded 4:06
Ott - Single 47 6:41
