Complete Game Notes

GAME DATE: Saturday, Sept. 12
KICKOFF: 6:00 p.m. (PDT)
LOCATION: Thunderbird Stadium (Vancouver, B.C.)
REGINA RADIO: RM2 (Mitchell Blair, Braden Konschuh)
VANCOUVER RADIO: CiTR 101.9 FM (C.J. Pentland, Brent Calvert)
VIDEO WEBCAST: www.canadawest.tv ($)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
• It'll be a pivotal game for both teams, as Regina and UBC are coming off losses in Week 1 of the Canada West schedule
• Saturday will mark the lone meeting of the Canada West schedule between the two teams
• The Rams are looking to leave Thunderbird Stadium with a victory for the first time since the 2010 season - UBC has won three in a row in Vancouver, though their 2011 victory was eventually forfeited to the U of R due to an ineligible player
• This is the first of two consecutive road games for the Rams - they're also on the road next weekend for a Friday night game at Saskatchewan (Sept. 18)
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: Regina and UBC have played it close in each of their last four meetings, with three of them decided by a touchdown or less and the other by 10 points. The teams split last year, with the Rams winning 33-23 over UBC in Regina and the Thunderbirds replying with a 33-32 win in Week 6 in Vancouver. The Rams hold a 13-10 advantage in the 23 games played between the two teams.
 
SIMON TAKES RUSHING LEAD: RB Atlee Simon took the early Canada West rushing lead after Week 1. He had a career-high 189 rushing yards against Alberta, the highest single-game total by a CIS player this season and the most registered in one game by a Rams player since 2011. He's also starting to climb the U of R career charts, as he enters the game No. 8 on the school's all-time list with 713 rushing yards but needs only nine to pass Mark Anderson for seventh, 88 to surpass Derek Belvedere for sixth, 114 to pass Luke Derkson for fifth, and 169 to surpass Michael Kiapway for fourth.
 
4-FOR-4: Simon has now started four Canada West games for the Rams, including last week and the last three conference games of 2014. He's rushed for at least 100 yards in all four of them, collecting a total of 569 yards during that span.
 
B.C. CONNECTION: Four players on the Rams' 2015 roster hail from British Columbia, and interestingly enough all four of them are from Vancouver Island. One is a major contributor, as veteran DL Tyler Perkins is a starter at defensive end. But he'll sit out this week after being injured in Week 1, so the only one of the four expected to make the trip home to UBC will be fullback Sam Varao. Varao, who hails from Victoria, redshirted last season with the Rams and will dress for his first Canada West game this Saturday.
 
DRAWING THE LINE: With Perkins out, the Rams will dress what will be almost certainly the youngest defensive line in the conference. Bryce McKinnon and Eric Wicijowski will start inside, with rookies David Jule and Grey McKen on the ends. It'll be the first career start for McKen, who joined Wicijowski on Canada's U19 team at the International Bowl held earlier this year in Texas.
 
RAMS IN THE PROS: The Rams currently boast three former players in the NFL, including DL Stefan Charles (Buffalo), DL Akiem Hicks (New Orleans), and P Jon Ryan (Seattle). OL Brett Jones was making a push for the New York Giants' 53-man roster, but suffered a suspected MCL sprain in their final preseason game and was put on injured reserve. Five former Rams are currently in the CFL, including LS Jorgen Hus and OL Brendon LaBatte who are both on Saskatchewan's active roster. WR Addison Richards is on Winnipeg's 1-game injured list, while SB Chris Getzlaf is on Saskatchewan's 6-game injured list and CB Tevaughn Campbell is on Calgary's practice roster.
 
RAMS FAMILY TIES:
• OL Aaron Picton and SB Mitchell Picton - brothers
• DB Luke Wilson and SB Riley Wilson - brothers
• OL Aaron Picton/SB Mitchell Picton, QB Noah Picton, RB Blake Anaka - cousins
• Defensive line coach Greg Nesbitt and LB Danny Nesbitt - father/son
• Greg Nesbitt and defensive coordinator Paul Dawson - brothers-in-law