• For the second consecutive year, the Rams and the Bisons open up the Canada West schedule against each other in Winnipeg. Manitoba edged Regina 21-17 in last year's opener at IG Field.

• The Rams will call on Noah Pelletier to get the start at quarterback. Pelletier, a product of Balfour Collegiate, is in his third year with the Rams but still in his first season of U SPORTS eligibility.

• Pelletier will have some dynamic options available to him. Veteran running back Kyle Borsa returns along with the team's top four receivers from last year, including D'Sean Mimbs, Riley Boersma, Bennett Stusek, and Emmett Steadman.

• The U of R defence will be led by linebacker Ryder Varga, a third-round selection of the BC Lions earlier this year who earned Canada West all-star honours after running away with the team lead in tackles last season.

PELLETIER TO START: With Josh Donnelly out due to injury to start the year, Noah Pelletier will start at quarterback for the Rams. Friday will mark the first game action for the first-year pivot, though he dressed as the U of R's backup for one game last season. Pelletier won back-to-back Football Canada Cup championships with Team Saskatchewan in 2018 and 2019 and starred for Balfour Collegiate before joining the Rams for the COVID season in 2020 and redshirting last year. Bryden O'Flaherty will back up.

FRESH FACES: The Rams expect to have nine players suiting up for their first Canada West game this Friday, including LB Kaeden Brennan, OL Matthew Hajewich, LB Travis Horton, OL Damon Iron, SB Ethan Marshall, SB Ethan Kiefer, RB Olivier Savard, DB Donovin Small, and OL William Templeton. Hajewich and Iron, both Regina Thunder products, should have the biggest roles of this group as they're expected to start at right tackle and left guard, respectively. Straight out of Campbell Collegiate, Templeton rocketed up the depth chart with a stellar camp and is the lone Rams player directly out of high school to make the Week 1 lineup.

IRON MAN: The most experienced player on the Rams roster is DB Zach Moore, who (including the postseason) has played in 30 career games and has started 29 consecutive games at halfback. Moore has collected 13 pass deflections and 3 interceptions as a Ram and will line up at the falcon halfback position once again.

BORSA BACK: RB Kyle Borsa attended Winnipeg Blue Bombers camp the last two years but returns for his final season of U SPORTS eligibility. Borsa will not only start at running back, but is expected to be one of the team's primary kickoff returners as well. He's no stranger to that role, ranking second in school history to Chris Ashman in both career kickoff returns (49) and yards (927). Borsa is also fourth in career all-purpose yards (2773), fifth in rushing yards (1037), and tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns (7).

VETERAN D: Followers of the Rams will have no trouble finding familiar names on the defensive side of the ball as LB Cody Peters and DB Brandon Gandire are the only two starters from 2021 not back with the team this year. Look for LB Chopper Hippe to slide into the zack linebacker spot ably filled by Peters last year with Brayden Wagg at sam linebacker. Gowrishan Aravinthan will take over at Gandire's boundary corner position, with Jaxon Fuchs earning the start at the corner opposite.

ON THE LINE: The offensive line depth was tested early and often last year, but the arrival of Hajewich and Iron with both Maguire Abell and Austin Van De Sype returning to full strength has helped immensely at this position. Hajewich being put at right tackle slides Hodel inside to right guard, while Abell starts at centre with Iron stepping in at left guard. The always-reliable Joel Braden has started 11 consecutive games at left tackle and will start there again this year.

EXPERIENCE UP FRONT: Of the team's seven fifth-year players, two are mainstays on the defensive line as both Anthony Bennett and Garth Knittig both return for their last season with the U of R. Bennett was fourth on the Rams and led the team's defensive linemen in tackles last year while also tying for the team lead with 7.5 tackles for loss. Bennett lines up at rush end with Knittig at the opposite end and fourth-year DL Tanner Schmekel between them at nose.

AT RECEIVER: D'Sean Mimbs, Bennett Stusek, and Saskatchewan Roughriders draft pick Riley Boersma will be among Pelletier's favourite targets this year. Mimbs enjoyed a breakout campaign last year that saw him finish with 18 catches and team highs in both receiving yards (288) and touchdown catches (5). Look for Emmett Steadman to be more involved in the offence this year, while Matt Rivers is expected to step in as a starter with Kyler Mosley now graduated.

WHITE, VARGA LEAD THE WAY: The linebackers are expected to be anchored again this season by Josh White and Ryder Varga, the team's two leading tacklers from last season. White and Varga have started for the Rams at will linebacker and mac linebacker, respectively, since the 2019 season and both have two seasons of U SPORTS eligibility remaining. Varga was a third-round selection of the BC Lions earlier this year, while White can be selected in the 2023 draft. 

RECORD WATCH: Now in his fourth year with the Rams, K Aldo Galvan ranks second in school history with 37 field goals made and trails only Perri Scarcelli (56) in that category. Galvan also ranks fifth in school history in average yards per punt (37.2) and is a perfect 45-for-45 on point-after attempts. He's also fourth in the U of R record books with 167 points scored behind only Scarcelli (294), Jon Ryan (198), and Atlee Simon (186).

DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: While the two cornerback positions will see some turnover, the interior of the defensive backfield should look much the same as last year with returners at all three spots. Moore is back at falcon halfback, Jaxon Ford returns to free safety, and Jackson Sombach will be at the hawk halfback position. Ford is the U of R's active leader with four career interceptions, needing one more to tie current assistant coach Bruce Anderson and two more to break into the school's all-time top ten.