Kingston, Ont. (October 8, 2008) – University Rush returns to Kingston for Thanksgiving pigskin as the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (3-3) try to stop the undefeated No. 2-ranked Queen's University Gaels (6-0) live on The Score. 

The 2008 season brings a revamp at Queen's Athletics and Recreation: a new logo, a fresh website and a powerhouse of a football team. The Queen's Gaels, who went 6-2 last season losing in the first round of the playoffs to Western, has blown past their opponents this year. The laundry list includes McMaster (35-11), Guelph (41-30), Laurier (41-7), Toronto (58-14), Western (43-16), and most recently York in an 80-0 blowout.

The 80-point plateau was the most ever scored in Queen's football. Previously, the Gaels high point came on Sept. 6, 2003, when Queen's scored 72 points against the University of Toronto (72-0).

Quarterback Dan Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.) completed 14 of 18 passes for 169 yards and four touchdowns; three of them to Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.). The fourth touchdown pass found the hands of receiver Scott Stinson (North Bay, Ont.) in the third quarter.

Valberg finished the game with seven receptions for 186 yards. Three of his four touchdowns came from Brannagan, while the fourth quarter saw back up Jansen Shrubb (Toronto, Ont.) control the field, completing 2 of 4 passes, connecting with Valberg for his final touchdown of the game.

CIS leading rusher and scorer Mike Giffin (Kingston, Ont.) recorded his third 200-yard rushing game of the season posting 204 yards on 19 attempts. Fourteen of his 19 attempts came in the first half of the game. Giffin also recorded three touchdowns in the one-sided victory.

Kicker Dan Village (Abbotsford, B.C.) put two between the uprights in the first quarter. Jimmy Therrien (Montreal, Que.) and Marty Gordon (Kingston, Ont.) also contributed to the shut out adding a touchdown apiece.

Defensively, Tyler Thibault (Smith Falls, Ont.) had four tackles, while Peter Boshyk (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Kyle MacDonald (Cleveland, N.S.) had three each.

The Gaels have secured a playoff position for the second consecutive season and coupled with the Ottawa loss to Laurier, have clinched a bye, putting them straight through to the OUA Semi Finals. Queen's needs just one more victory against either Ottawa this week or Waterloo in the final week to earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Starting the season with a 35-31 loss to No.5-ranked Western Mustangs, Ottawa recovered with a trifecta of wins against the York Lions (71-3), the McMaster Marauders (22-19), and the Waterloo Warriors (59-0). The last two match ups have given the Gee-Gees back-to-back losses, narrowly falling to both the Windsor Lancers (40-38) and the No.10-ranked Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (22-21). The loss to Laurier saw an end to Ottawa's eight-game regular season home win streak.

The Golden Hawks defence pressed Gee-Gees quarterback Josh Sacobie (Fredericton, N.B.) for a season-low 16 of 32 completed passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, with only two completions on 11 attempts in the third quarter. Sacobie, who sits second in the CIS this season in touchdown passes (15) and passing yards (1,847), connected with both Gharone McLean (Whitby, Ont.) and Justin Wood-Roy (Morin-Heights, Que.) for TDs in the second quarter.

Rookie kicker Luigi De Lellis (Ottawa, Ont.) put up points completing two converts and a 32-yard field goal, but missed a possible game-winning 45-yard field goal with seconds left.

"We had no momentum," said Sacobie, who also had four carries for 32 yards. "In key moments we were just an inch off."

On defence, Michael Cornell (Hamilton, Ont.) had six tackles, Sebastien Tetreault (Granby, Que.) had five tackles and one sack, and Ian Hazlett (Ottawa, Ont.) banked four tackles and two sacks. Fifth-year defensive captain and linebacker Joe Barnes (Stoney Creek, Ont.) had five tackles and a 46-yard interception return in the second quarter, only to leave the field moments later on a bad ankle.

The Gee-Gees were plagued by injuries, a theme this 2008 campaign. Third-year running back Davie Mason (Brampton, Ont.) lasted just the first quarter and second-year defensive back Sebastien Bourget-Fournier (Montreal, Que.) was out for an extended period in the second.

Ottawa sits in a tie for fourth in the OUA standings along side Guelph, McMaster and Windsor. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, it is likely that one of these schools will be on the outside looking in when the playoffs begin.


Since 1995, Ottawa has beat up Queen's 12-3. When the two teams met last year, the Gee-Gees narrowly got past the Gaels 13-12, to continue their undefeated streak. Join play-by-play announcer Sid Seixeiro, analyst Larry Jusdanis and sideline reporter Glenn Schiiler this Sat., Oct. 11. The Score goes live at 1 p.m. for kickoff.

It is the first of two games on University Rush this Saturday featuring two of the top three ranked university teams in Canada. Immediately following the game at Queen's, the Montreal Carabins visit the No. 3 Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax, N.S.

OTTAWA LEADERS

Passing
Joshua Sacobie (Fredericton, N.B.)
114 completions, 187 attempts, 1,847 yards, 15 touchdowns, 8 interceptions

Rushing
Davie Mason (Brampton, Ont.)
63 attempts, 361 yards, 3 touchdowns

Receiving
Ivan Birungi (Pickering, Ont.)
17 receptions, 417 yards, 4 touchdowns

Defence
Michael Cornell (Hamilton, Ont.)
35 solo tackles, 4 sacks

Joe Barnes (Stoney Creek, Ont.)
17 solo tackles, 1 interception

Lee Shaver (Ottawa, Ont.)
17 solo tackles, 1 interception

QUEEN'S LEADERS

Passing
Dan Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.)
101 completions, 183 attempts, 1,721 yards, 17 touchdowns, 8 interceptions

Rushing
Mike Giffin (Kingston, Ont.)
124 attempts, 957 yards, 12 touchdowns

Receiving
Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.)
30 receptions, 716 yards, 9 touchdowns

Defence
Thaine Carter (Nanaimo, B.C.)
26 solo tackles, 1 sack

David Rooney (Kingston, Ont.)
20 solo tackles, 1 sack

Alex Daprato (Toronto, Ont.)
18 solo tackles, 1 interception

Dee Sterling (Kingston, Ont.)
17 solo tackles, 7 sacks