Game Notes

With their postseason hopes on the line, the University of Regina Rams host the No. 3-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies this Friday at Mosaic Stadium. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live at 620ckrm.com and on tape delay on both Access7 and Max Local on Demand.

In order to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, the Rams (3-4) need to defeat the Huskies and hope that either Calgary wins at Alberta on Saturday, or both Alberta and Simon Fraser win.

The game also means plenty to Saskatchewan, as the Huskies (6-1) can nail down first place in Canada West with a victory over the Rams. A win on Friday would give the Huskies their second consecutive first-place finish and their fourth in the last seven seasons.

The two teams have already met once this season, with Saskatchewan earning a 10-9 victory back on Sept. 11 in what was the lowest-scoring game in U of R history. Though the Rams have won three of their last five games against the Huskies, Saskatchewan holds a 14-6 all-time advantage in the series including the postseason.

University of Regina Rams (3-4)
Last Week: Lost 47-29 to Calgary

The Rams are coming off an old-fashioned shootout, losing 47-29 to Calgary in what was the highest combined score in a game involving the Rams since they defeated UBC 55-28 during the 2007 season.

Despite the loss, the Rams can draw several positives out of the game. The 29 points are the most scored they've scored this season, quarterback Marc Mueller threw for a career-high 384 yards, and slotback Jordan Sisco crushed the 100-yard barrier for the second consecutive game after catching nine balls for 176 yards and a touchdown.

Mueller has put together a fine season in his first as the team's starter. He is 29 completions and 31 attempts away from setting U of R single-season records in both categories, and needs just 40 passing yards to hit the 2000-yard barrier for the season. It should mark the fifth time in U of R history that a quarterback has thrown for at least 2000 yards in a season.

With 19 receptions in his last two games alone, Sisco has 44 for the season and needs ten more to tie Chad Goldie's school record of 54, set during the 2007 season. The fourth-year slotback ranks third in the conference with 611 receiving yards. Mueller's other top targets are Brenden Owens (23 catches for 399 yards and four touchdowns) and Mark McConkey (32 catches for 373 yards).

Defensively, the Rams are led in total tackles by Brandon Ganne (44½) and Bruce Anderson (39½). Jamir Walker ranks third in the conference with four interceptions, while Anderson (2) is the only other Ram with multiple picks. Walker has also broken up a team-leading six passes, while Mike Kerr has five. Anderson and Ryan Wellman both have two sacks on the season.

University of Saskatchewan Huskies (6-1)
Last Week: Won 39-3 over Alberta

With a 39-3 win over Alberta last week, Saskatchewan avenged its only loss of the season and was rewarded with a jump up to No. 3 in this week's CIS poll. The Huskies have a playoff berth nailed down and will compete in the Canada West postseason for the ninth consecutive season, and a win over the Rams will ensure that Saskatchewan will have home-field advantage through the Hardy Cup.

The Huskies have allowed 95 points through the first seven games of this season, an average of just 13.6 per game. Safety Bryce McCall not only ranks second in the conference with six interceptions, but also has a team-leading 37½ total tackles. Saskatchewan's defence ranks second in the conference with 16 sacks, led by Zach Hart (4½) and Lyndon Boychuk (3).

Saskatchewan's offence is controlled by fourth-year quarterback Laurence Nixon, who ranks third in Canada West (behind Mueller and Calgary's Erik Glavic) with 1690 passing yards this season. Nixon's main targets are Travis Gorski (38 catches for 410 yards) and Scott McHenry (22 catches for 360 yards), while Tyler O'Gorman leads the team on the ground with 76 carries for 352 yards and five touchdowns.

After Friday's game, the Huskies will begin preparations for their Canada West semifinal game, which they'll host at Griffiths Stadium next Saturday. Saskatchewan will play either Alberta, Manitoba, or Regina in that contest with the winner advancing to the Hardy Cup.

SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS TO FALL AGAINST HUSKIES?

• Marc Mueller's total of 149 pass completions this season ranks fourth in U of R history, trailing only Teale Orban's 2008 (158), 2006 (162), and 2007 (177) totals.
• Mueller's total of 264 pass attempts this season ranks fifth in U of R history behind Orban (272 in 2008), Mark Anderson (282 in 2003), Orban (285 in 2006), and Orban (294 in 2007).
• Mueller has 1960 passing yards this year, which trails Anderson (2161 in 2003), Orban (2273 in 2007), Darryl Leason (2277 in 2000), and Orban (2616 in 2006).
• Jordan Sisco has 44 pass receptions this year, which trails only Chad Goldie's 54 in 2007 on the U of R's all-time list.
• Perri Scarcelli's total of 17 field goals this season is a U of R record, breaking his own mark of 14 set last season. If he hits at least three on Friday, he will become the first Canada West kicker not named Jamie Boreham to hit 20 in a single season.

SISCO MOVING UP RAMS, CONFERENCE CAREER LISTS

Rams fourth-year slotback Jordan Sisco has already made an impact on the U of R's career stats and is now starting to etch his way into the Canada West record book. Sisco, a prospect for the 2010 CFL Draft, ranks No. 3 in U of R history and is tied for No. 12 on the Canada West list with 133 career receptions. He also ranks No. 3 in school history and No. 19 on the conference list with 1962 receiving yards.

FORMER RAMS IN THE PROS

The impressive list of former University of Regina players now toiling in the professional ranks is led by the Seattle Seahawks' Jon Ryan, who currently ranks No. 2 in the NFL with an average of 49.9 yards per punt. Nine former University of Regina Rams are now in the CFL, including Chris Bauman (Hamilton), Jason Clermont (Saskatchewan), Tamon George (Saskatchewan), Chris Getzlaf (Saskatchewan), Neal Hughes (Saskatchewan), Nick Hutchins (Saskatchewan), Brendon LaBatte (Winnipeg), Joel Lipinski (Saskatchewan), and Stan Van Sichem (Montreal). Randy Srochenski, who suited up for the Regina Rams during their days as a junior program, is with the Toronto Argonauts.