The University of Regina Rams play host to the Alberta Golden Bears this Friday at Mosaic Stadium as both teams open up the 2015 Canada West schedule.

GAME DATE: Friday, Sept. 4
KICKOFF: 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Mosaic Stadium (Regina, Sask.)
TICKETS: Available at door (U of R/SIAST students free, adults $20, high school students $10, ages 4-12 $5)
TV: Access7 (Mitchell Blair, B.K. Woldu)
RADIO: 620 CKRM (Michael Ball, Luc Mullinder)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
• It's the start of a new era for the Rams, as they play their first Canada West game under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Gibson
• The two teams played twice in each of the last three seasons, but Friday's meeting will be the only Canada West game between Alberta and Regina this year
• This will be only the second time in history that Alberta and Regina have opened up the season against each other - the only other time was in 2004
• After this game, the Rams will be on the road two straight weeks for games at UBC (Sept. 12) and Saskatchewan (Sept. 18)

BENCH BOSS: Friday will be the first meaningful game for the Rams under first-year
head coach Mike Gibson. Gibson coached in the Canadian Football League as an assistant
for a decade prior to taking the Rams post in December, including most recently
as the Ottawa REDBLACKS' offensive coordinator. Though he has a litany of experience
at the professional and NCAA levels, Gibson says it'll actually be his first game as a head
coach since leading the freshman team at Cornell in the early 1980s.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Both of last year's games between the Rams and Alberta were
settled by less than a touchdown. Alberta won 44-42 on Sept. 20 in Edmonton, but the
Rams replied with a 35-31 win on Nov. 1 in Regina that qualified them for the postseason.
The Rams hold an 18-6 all-time edge in the series and have won 12 of 14 meetings
since 2006.

THE TARGETS: You'd think that with the Rams losing Landon Buch, Jared Janotta,
and Addison Richards from last year, the receiving corps might be a question mark this
season. But the coaching staff certainly doesn't think so, with Mitch Thompson and Riley
Wilson both returning and a number of players graduating to prime-time roles after
being in the program for multiple years. That group is likely to include WR Andrew Bennett,
WR Richard Sindani, SB Davin Johnston, and SB Mitchell Picton.

MAKING THEIR DEBUTS: No less than 14 Rams are likely to dress in their first
meaningful game on Friday, including five that were in high school just a few short
months ago - DB Polis Koko, DL Matt Moore, WR Adam Rask, SB Ryan Schienbein, and
DL Ajai Washington. OL Roe Borgmann, SB Kyle Moortgat, and DB Luke Wilson should all
play in their first game after redshirting with the Rams last year, while QB Tyler Vieira
and RB Michael Webber come to the U of R from CJFL programs. QB Ben Bucholz, DB
Preston Paulson, and RB Jayde Rowe are all transfers, while OL Braydon Johnson didn't
play last season after graduating from high school in 2014.

YOUTHFUL IMPACT: The Rams have one player in his first season of CIS eligibility
projected to start in Week 1 - and that's rush end David Julé, who redshirted with
the Rams last year. Julé got the start in the non-conference game against Calgary and
picked up a pair of assisted tackles against the Dinos.

RAMS IN THE PROS: The Rams currently boast four former players in the NFL, including
DL Stefan Charles (Buffalo), DL Akiem Hicks (New Orleans), OL Brett Jones (NY
Giants), and P Jon Ryan (Seattle). 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 PR.

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