Game Notes

DATE: Saturday, Sept. 21
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Regina, Sask.
VENUE: Mosaic Stadium
TV: Access7 (tape delayed to Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1:00 pm)
RADIO: 620CKRM.com

Fresh off their first Canada West win after a 55-35 road victory over Alberta, the Rams return to action this weekend with their second home game of the conference schedule. They'll host fellow 1-2 team UBC on Saturday night (7:00) in a game that will see the winner move up to .500 for the year and into sole possession of a postseason berth.

AGAINST UBC: The Rams hold a 12-8 all-time advantage over UBC, though both matchups between the two teams in 2011 were originally UBC victories before being overturned due to the Thunderbirds' use of an ineligible player. The two teams split the season series last year, with the Rams winning 49-20 in Regina (Sept. 7) before UBC returned the favour with a 24-17 win in Vancouver (Oct. 13). Saturday's matchup will be the only time these two teams play this season.

LAST WEEK: The Rams put one in the win column with a 55-35 road victory over Alberta. The U of R led 30-6 at one point before a Golden Bears rally gave them a 32-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Rams outscored Alberta by a 24-3 margin in the final period to put away the win. Cayman Shutter was 37-for-54 and had 484 passing yards and four touchdown passes while running for two more majors, while Michael Stefanovic led the Rams' defence with 10 tackles including three sacks.

NEXT WEEK: The Rams will return to the field next Saturday, Sept. 28 with a road game against No. 8-ranked Manitoba (2-1). It'll mark the U of R's first game at Manitoba's new Investors Group Field.

McCONKEY CHASING HISTORY: Mark McConkey missed last week due to an injury, but is expected to return for the UBC game. The fifth-year slotback is tied with former UBC receiver Brad Coutts for second place on Canada West's all-time list with 162 career receptions and can overtake former teammate Chad Goldie as the conference's all-time leader with 12 more catches. The CIS career record is held by former McGill University receiver Charles-Antoine Sinotte (251).

SHUTTER, STEFANOVIC EARN 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 for their performances in the team's win over Alberta on Saturday. Shutter's 37 pass completions and 484 passing yards are both the second highest totals recorded by a U of R quarterback in a game, while Stefanovic had a game-high 10 tackles and became just the second player in U of R history to collect three sacks in one contest.

RANKINGS: For the fourth time in four polls, three Canada West teams are ranked in this week's edition of the CIS Top Ten. Calgary stayed at No. 5 after its win over Saskatchewan last week, while Saskatchewan dropped from No. 6 into a tie with Manitoba for seventh after losing to the Dinos. The Huskies were awarded the No. 7 ranking over the Bisons due to a greater number of higher-place votes, while the Rams checked in with four votes this week.

RETURNING FIRE: Second-year DB Tevaughn Campbell not only starts for the Rams on the defensive side of the ball, but has also been among the top returners in the CIS this season. He has 251 yards on 16 punt returns for an average of 15.7 yards per return – the most of any CIS player with at least 10 returns this year. Not even at the midpoint of the conference schedule yet, Campbell needs just 52 punt return yards to shatter the school's single-season record of 302 set by Chris Ashman in 2002. Also a member of the U of R's track & field team, Campbell won a Canada West gold medal in the 60-metre dash in 2012.

GRAND CAYMAN: In his first year with the Rams and in his first year as a starting quarterback since leading Punahou School to a Hawaii state high school championship in 2008, Cayman Shutter has had a seamless transition to the Canadian game. Shutter ranks second in the CIS with 1207 passing yards and is on pace to threaten the conference's single-season record of 2823 yards, which was set by Calgary's Greg Vavra in 1983. He's currently one of only two CIS quarterbacks that are averaging over 400 yards per game this season.

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 – who both play key roles for the 8-2 Saskatchewan Roughriders – and Brett Jones, who's starting at centre for the Calgary Stampeders as a rookie. Long snapper Jorgen Hus attended camp with the St. Louis Rams and has an excellent chance to catch on in the NFL or CFL this year.

JANOTTA MOVING UP THE CHARTS: With a full season of CIS eligibility remaining after this year, fourth-year slotback Jared Janotta is moving up the U of R's all-time lists in several receiving categories. Janotta is now tied with Neal Hughes for seventh in school history with 111 receptions and also needs just five more to pass Jason Clermont for sixth. He's No. 10 on the U of R's career list with 1416 receiving yards and needs 73 more to pass Cory Olynick for ninth, and also needs just one more touchdown catch to become the eighth player in school history to hit double digits in the category.

STEFANOVIC AMONG LEADERS: Despite being only in his first season of CIS eligibility after redshirting in 2012, linebacker Michael Stefanovic has piled up some impressive statistics throuh the first three weeks of the season. He had three sacks last week against Alberta, joining Stan Van Sichem as the only players in school history to have at least three in a single game (Van Sichem actually did this twice during the 2007 season, registering four in one game and three in another). Stefanovic is tied for the Canada West lead with three sacks on the year and is also the conference's outright leader with six tackles for loss.

SACK WATCH: The Rams might have former defensive linemen Akiem Hicks and Stefan Charles in the NFL right now, but it's Logan Brooks that has a chance to take over as the school's all-time sacks leader. Brooks has 11 sacks in his career with the Rams, which put him into a tie with Sean Brimacombe for second place in U of R history. He needs three more sacks to pass Stan Van Sichem for first.

NEW LINE: The Rams graduated 20 fifth-year players from last season's roster and lost two players early to professional football, and no position got hit harder than the offensive line where the team lost four starters and two key reserves. And the Rams lost both Aaron Picton and Nathan Cugnet in Week 1 against Saskatchewan, so they've gone with three first-year players and a pair of first-year starters in their third season of eligibility - Jeremy Zver, Kyle Paterson, Bryce McKinnon, Lyndon Smith, and Matt Degelman. Despite the inexperience, the line didn't give up a single sack last week at Alberta.

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 7½ tackles and has been in on two sacks in the two games 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.

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.