Game Notes

After a 42-17 loss on Friday night to the Saskatchewan Huskies in the last week of the Canada West regular season schedule, the University of Regina Rams thought their season had ended.

That, of course, all changed on Tuesday after the Manitoba Bisons forfeited three wins due to the use of an ineligible player, giving the Rams a second life and a berth in the conference postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

The Rams will play Saskatchewan for the second straight weekend on Saturday, as they'll meet the Huskies at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon in the Canada West semifinals. Though Saskatchewan holds a 14-4 all-time advantage in conference games against Regina, the Rams have won two of the three postseason meetings between the two teams. The last time the Rams played their provincial rivals in the playoffs was in 2007, when Regina took a 19-13 win in the conference semis.

The teams have met twice this season, with Saskatchewan earning victories in both contests. In addition to last week's win, the Huskies also won 10-9 in Saskatoon back on Sept. 11 in what was the lowest-scoring game in the Rams' 11-season history at the CIS level.

University of Regina Rams (3-5)
Last Week: Lost 42-17 to Saskatchewan

The Rams are the first team with a record under .500 to qualify for the playoffs since the 2001 season, when Calgary also made the postseason with a 3-5 mark.

Regina was handed a 42-17 loss last week by Saskatchewan in a game in which the Rams had five drives of at least 50 yards, but only broke into the red zone twice. They had three drives that stalled between Saskatchewan's 20- and 30-yard line, and three more that stalled between the 30 and the 45.

Fifth-year kicker Perri Scarcelli was one of the bright spots for the Rams last week, as he was a perfect 3-for-3 on his field goal attempts, all of which came from at least 40 yards out. Scarcelli hit from 41, 46, and 50 yards out to become the second Canada West kicker (the other being Jamie Boreham) to hit 20 field goals in a single season.

Rams quarterback Marc Mueller completed 176 of his 310 pass attempts during the regular season and threw for 2308 yards and nine touchdowns. Mueller's 176 completions on the year is the third highest single-season total in Canada West history and ranks second on the U of R list, behind Teale Orban's total of 177 in the 2007 season.

Jordan Sisco was Mueller's No. 1 target during the season, as the fourth-year wide receiver had 52 catches for 700 yards and two touchdowns. Sisco's 52 catches rank second in U of R history, behind Chad Goldie's mark of 54 receptions set last year.

Cornerback Jamir Walker became only the second player in the U of R's history to record four interceptions in a single season. Walker, in just his second season of eligibility, also had a team-leading seven pass breakups. Fifth-year outside linebacker Brandon Ganne had 48 total tackles, while middle linebacker Bruce Anderson had 46.5 total tackles and tied Ryan Wellman for the team lead with two sacks.

University of Saskatchewan Huskies (7-1)
Last Week: Won 42-17 at Regina

Now ranked No. 3 in the CIS, the only blemish on Saskatchewan's record this season is a 27-7 loss at Alberta in late September.

The Huskies will be trying to atone for last year's hiccup in the Canada West semifinals, when they suffered a 40-30 loss to upstart Simon Fraser at Griffiths Stadium.

Saskatchewan's offence, which ranks second in the conference in points scored behind Calgary, is controlled by Laurence Nixon. The fourth-year quarterback finished second in Canada West in completion rate (62.5%) and third in the conference in both pass completions (251) and passing yards (1933). Nixon's top two receivers are Travis Gorski (43 receptions for 467 yards) and Scott McHenry (23 catches for 375 yards).

The Rams were introduced to Jeff Hassler last week, as Saskatchewan's first-year running back had 23 carries for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Hassler, who was making his first career start last Friday night, is expected to get the start again on Saturday with fifth-year back Tyler O'Gorman also available to the Huskies.

Safety Bryce McCall finished second in the conference in interceptions this season, recording seven picks including one last week against the Rams. Cornerback Jon Krahenbil wasn't far behind, picking off Mueller twice last week to end up with five on the year. McCall also had a team-leading 45.5 total tackles for the Huskies, while defensive lineman Zach Hart tied for second in Canada West with six sacks.

SCARCELLI NEARING CONCLUSION OF FIVE-SEASON CAREER

Perri Scarcelli saved his best season with the Rams for last. The fifth-year kicker set a Canada West record (since 2002) for field goal percentage, hitting 87.0% of his attempts this season after splitting the uprights on 20 of his 23 tries. He hit 20 field goals in a single season for just the third time in conference history, with Jamie Boreham's 23 in 2001 and 22 in 2002 the only other times a Canada West kicker has hit the milestone.

Scarcelli ended up with 56 field goals in his career, which ranks third in conference history. He hit three field goals of at least 50 yards during his time with the Rams, including a 53-yarder against Simon Fraser in 2008 that stands as the second longest field goal in Canada West history.

SISCO MOVING UP RAMS, CONFERENCE CAREER LISTS

Rams fourth-year slotback Jordan Sisco, who had eight catches last week, moved all the way up to No. 6 on the Canada West all-time list with 141 career receptions. He also ranks No. 14 in conference history with 2051 receiving yards.

Sisco, a prospect for the 2010 CFL Draft, had 52 receptions this year and needs just 33 more to surpass former Rams slotback Chad Goldie, who set the conference career record with 173 catches.

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 48.3 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.