Game Notes

DATE: Saturday, Oct. 5
TIME: 1:00 pm
LOCATION: Regina, Sask.
VENUE: Mosaic Stadium
TELEVISION: Access7
RADIO: 620 CKRM
WEBCAST: canadawest.tv

After dropping two consecutive games following their Week 3 road win over Alberta, the University of Regina Rams will try to get back in the win column against those same Golden Bears this Saturday in a rare afternoon game at Mosaic Stadium (1:00). Mitchell Blair and Gary Bresch will have the call live on Access7 and canadawest.tv, while Michael Ball and Marco Ricci will be on the dial at 620 CKRM.

AGAINST ALBERTA: The Rams come into Saturday's game having won five consecutive games over Alberta and 10 of the last 11 meetings between the two teams, including a 55-35 win earlier this season. The teams met twice last season, with the Rams coming away with a 31-17 road win in Week 3 and pitching the first shutout in school history with a 19-0 win in Week 8. Overall, the Rams have a 16-5 record against Alberta.

LAST WEEK: The Rams hung around for most of the game despite losing starting quarterback Cayman Shutter in the second quarter and pulled to within 12 points after a Mark McConkey touchdown catch early in the fourth, but No. 10-ranked Manitoba came away with a 34-15 win. Linebacker Michael Stefanovic had a 53-yard touchdown off a fumble return, while John Kiesman stepped up in relief of Shutter and completed 13 of his 29 pass attempts for 121 yards and a touchdown and scrambled seven times for 76 yards in his first Canada West game.

NEXT WEEK: The Rams – and the entire conference, for that matter – will have a weekend off before playing their next Canada West game. That's scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18 when the Rams make the bus trip west for a Week 7 game against No. 5-ranked Calgary.

McCONKEY MAKES HISTORY: Fifth-year slotback Mark McConkey became Canada West's all-time leading receiver last week after catching six passes for 50 yards against the Bisons. McConkey now has 175 career receptions, two more than former teammate Chad Goldie who had held the record since completing his CIS eligibility after the 2008 season. The CIS career record is held by former McGill University receiver Charles-Antoine Sinotte (251).

BROOKS POISED TO BECOME SCHOOL SACKS LEADER: Logan Brooks collected his 13th career sack last week at Manitoba, pulling the fifth-year defensive end into a tie with Stan Van Sichem for the school's all-time lead. Brooks has registered 16 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, 2½ sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in a productive first five games of the Canada West schedule.

STEFANOVIC LEADING THE DEFENCE: He's only in his first season of eligibility after redshirting last season following a fine high school career at Vanier Collegiate in Moose Jaw, but linebacker Michael Stefanovic has been impressive all season long for the Rams. He even put points on the board for the Rams last week at Manitoba, scoring on a 53-yard fumble return which stands as the second longest in U of R history. Stefanovic has a conference-leading eight tackles for loss this season and has been in on a total of 41 tackles, a total which ranks second only to Alberta's Connor Ralph. He's also tied for second in Canada West with three sacks, all of which came in the Week 3 road win over the Golden Bears.

RICHARDS LEADING CANADA WEST: Third-year wide receiver Addison Richards's four catches for 55 yards last week at Manitoba were his lowest totals of the season after registering at least eight receptions in each of the first four games, but he's still tied for the Canada West lead with 39 receptions on the year. Richards is also second in the conference with 459 receiving yards, just 21 behind Calgary's Chris Dobko.

UNDER CENTRE: Rams quarterback Cayman Shutter had thrown for at least 400 yards in three consecutive games heading into last week's game at Manitoba, but was knocked out of the contest in the second quarter after suffering a concussion due to a helmet-to-helmet hit at the end of a 16-yard scramble. Shutter's status for Saturday's game isn't yet certain and might not be known until close to kickoff, but if he's not available expect first-year pivot John Kiesman to get the start under centre with redshirt freshman Noah Picton dressing for his first Canada West game as a backup. Shutter remains Canada West's leader with 1754 passing yards and ranks second in the CIS with an average of 350.8 yards per game.

TEVAUGHN ON THE RETURN: Second-year cornerback Tevaughn Campbell not only starts for the Rams on the defensive side of the ball, but is also one of the most dynamic returners in the CIS. He leads the nation with an average of 26.2 yards per kickoff return and has 24 punt returns for a Canada West-leading 286 yards, and is also just 17 punt return yards from surpassing Chris Ashman's school single-season record set back in 2002.

JANOTTA MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Jared Janotta still has a full season of CIS eligibility left after this season, but the fourth-year slotback is making his mark on the University of Regina's career receiving charts. He's sixth on the school's all-time list with 123 career receptions and needs nine to pass Brenden Owens for fifth, and is also ninth in career receiving yards (1584) with both eighth-place Shane Ostapowich (1623) and Chris Bauman (1705) within range. Janotta's also one of just eight players in U of R history with at least 10 career touchdown receptions and needs one more to tie Chris Getzlaf and Jordan Sisco for sixth.

SMITH MAKES CIS DEBUT: The U of R landed heralded defensive tackle Calvin Smith in the offseason, bolstering a defensive line that has been extremely strong for the Rams over the past few seasons. Smith missed much of the Week 1 game after being injured, but has collected seven solo tackles, nine assisted tackles, and a pair of sacks for the Rams since. This is his first action since 2010, when he played at the NCAA Div. I level with the University of New Mexico. Coming out of Hialeah HS in Hialeah, Fla., Smith was listed as a four-star prospect by both Rivals.com and ESPN.

RANKINGS: For the sixth time in six polls this year, three Canada West teams are ranked in this week's edition of the CIS Top Ten. Calgary jumped up two spots to No. 3 after a convincing road win over Alberta and losses by both Queen's and Montreal, while Saskatchewan moved up one position to No. 6 and Manitoba stayed steady at No. 10.

SWITCHING SPORTS - TAKE 1: Followers of U of R sports might see a familiar name starting for the Rams on the offensive line, as Jeremy Zver has been a key reserve for the men's basketball team over the last two years and returns to football for the first time since starring for Balfour Collegiate in 2010. Zver has appeared in 36 Canada West hoops games in his career.

SWITCHING SPORTS - TAKE 2: Running back Jens Johnson is in his first year with the Rams after playing a Junior A career that spanned three full seasons in the SJHL. Johnson spent two years with the Weyburn Red Wings before splitting the 2012-13 season between Weyburn and Notre Dame. A defenceman, Johnson collected 48 points in 150 career regular season SJHL games and played in a total of 24 postseason games with the Red Wings and Hounds.

SWITCHING SPORTS - TAKE 3: Defensive back Jeff Propp has appeared in all three games so far for the Rams and has collected a pair of solo tackles. Propp, who was a multi-sport standout for Michael A. Riffel HS in Regina, redshirted last season with the U of R's men's basketball team and is in his first season with the Rams. He's expected to play for the Cougars again this year under new head coach Steve Burrows.

SHUTTER, STEFANOVIC EARN WEEK 3 HONOURS: Cayman Shutter was named the CIS and Canada West Offensive Player of the Week and Michael Stefanovic was the Canada West Defensive Player of the Week after the Week 3 game at Alberta. Shutter's 37 pass completions and 484 passing yards were the second highest totals recorded by a U of R quarterback in a game, while Stefanovic had 10 tackles and became just the second player in U of R history to collect three sacks in one contest.

RAMS IN THE NFL: The Rams have three players currently in the NFL, led by defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (New Orleans) and punter Jon Ryan (Seattle). Defensive tackle Stefan Charles is also on Tennessee's practice roster. Only eight non-NCAA Div. I schools have at least three current NFLers, led by five each from the California University of Pennsylvania and Grand Valley State. Mount Union (NCAA Div. III) and NCAA Div. II schools Midwestern State, Missouri Western, Valdosta State, and Washburn join the U of R with three players apiece.

RAMS IN THE CFL: In addition to their three NFL players, the Rams also have seven players currently on CFL rosters. That list is highlighted by Chris Getzlaf and Brendon LaBatte of Saskatchewan and Calgary rookie Brett Jones, who's starting at centre for the West Division-leading Stampeders. The list of 10 former Rams in the professional ranks doesn't include long snapper Jorgen Hus, who attended camp with the St. Louis Rams but was waived following the preseason.