The Queen's Gaels (1-1) will welcome the Toronto Varsity Blues (0-1) to Richardson Stadium for a Saturday afternoon showdown. Game time is set for 1:00pm and if you can't make it to the stadium the game will be streamed live on OUA.tv as well as YourTV Cable 13/HD Cable 700.

KIDS DAY
Queen's Athletics and Recreation is excited to partner with Kingston Boys and Girls Club to bring you Kids Day!

Kids Day will feature a kid-friendly pre-game fan fest with inflatables, games, autographs, face painting and prizes. Kids can run through the Gaels tunnel onto the field after the game. Event is free with the purchase of an adult ticket to the game. 

During halftime, cheer on future football stars as local TIMFL youth football players will take the field.

We are also pleased to welcome Kingston Special Olympics athletes and Motionball Marathon of Sport participants to the game.

TORONTO PREVIEW
The Gaels are coming off a 44-18 loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks during their home opener.

After a slow start, the Gaels weren't able to muster up any momentum to keep pace with the Golden Hawks.

Meanwhile, the Varsity Blues came off an early season bye-week in week one to lose to the Waterloo Warriors on home turf. After allowing 17 unanswered points in the first quarter, the Varsity Blues weren't able to catch up falling 41-18.

In 2017, Toronto had the last-ranked offence in the conference posting 272.4 yards per game and 13.5 points scored per game. They struggled defensively as well allowing 495 yards per game to go along with 38.5 points allowed per game.

FORMER GAELS LEAD TORONTO'S COACHING STAFF
In late December of 2017, the Varsity Blues announced that Greg Marshall would be the new head coach of their football program. Marshall spent four seasons with the Gaels serving in roles such as the defensive coordinator, defensive line and linebackers coach. The matchup on Saturday will be his first against his former team.

His defensive coordinator is Bob Mullen, who joined the Varsity Blues before the 2017 season. Mullen won the Vanier Cup with Queen's both as a player and a coach. He served as the defensive coordinator with the Gaels from 1988-2000 where he won a Vanier Cup in 1992 to go along with four Yates Cup titles.

The offensive coordinator, Mark Surya, also has ties with the Gaels. He was a wide receiver with Queen's when they won the 2009 Vanier Cup against the Calgary Dinos. 

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
RB Rasheed Tucker – Queen's: Tucker had a standout game last week despite the Gaels' loss. In limited playing action the rookie Tucker showcased his skills which included a 1-yard touchdown run, the first in his career. He figures to play a larger role in the team's offence as the season progresses.

WR Chris Osei-Kusi – Queen's: Last season against the Varsity Blues, Osei-Kusi put on a monster performance hauling in 179 receiving yards as well as a pair of passing touchdowns from Nate Hobbs. The star wide receiver will look to have a repeat performance on Saturday.

QB Clay Sequeira – Toronto: For the first time in his career, Sequeira began the season as Toronto's starting quarterback. Despite the loss, he put up a very impressive performance. He went 31-47 for 361 yards through the air. He also found the end zone twice, once through the air and once on the ground. His 62 yards rushing also proves that he can be a threat once he moves out of the pocket.

DB Nick Hallett – Toronto: Hallett is coming off a tremendous 2017 campaign where he lead the Varsity Blues in tackles with 60. He also factored into 3 of his team's 12 total turnovers with an interception and a pair of fumble recoveries. He will certainly need to be taken into consideration this weekend.

2017 MATCHUP
The Gaels closed out the 2017 regular season with a 59-38 win in Toronto. The win allowed the Gaels to squeak into the OUA's final playoff spot as the sixth seed.

The Varsity Blues jumped out to a quick start by grabbing a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter. However, the Gaels remained determined and responded with 38 unanswered points before halftime.

In the second half, the Gaels kept their foot on the gas pedal and cruised to a playoff-clinching victory.

QB Nate Hobbs had one of his strongest games going 32-40 with 436 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.

Defensively, the Gaels held their ground and limited the Varsity Blues to enough points for the offence to take control of the game.