Football returns to York University's Keele campus this weekend as the Lions look to avenge their opening-week loss when they welcome the Carleton Ravens to open up York Lions Stadium.
It's a milestone game for a number of reasons. This contest will be the first OUA football game on York's campus since the 2019 Red & Blue Bowl versus Toronto on Oct. 11, 2019, and it will also be York's first in program history at the new York Lions Stadium, a facility built for the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games now retrofitted to house OUA competition.
The game is also
Tommy Denison's first home contest as the Lions offensive coordinator. Denison, a back-to-back Hec Crighton Trophy winner (2002-03) as national player of the year was the first Canadian university quarterback to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a single season.
The Lions will also look to add to the list of firsts as they search for their first win of the season in their second game.
The Laurier Golden Hawks handed York its first loss of the season during the opener last Saturday. The Golden Hawks went to the locker room at half time with a 22-0 lead, before York turned on their offensive production with a
Darren Bumstead touchdown in the fourth quarter. The game's final score was 37-6.
Third-year starter
Noah Craney got the nod to begin the game at quarterback, and went 11-for-29 with 95 passing yards.
Brady Crowe came into the game in the second half and threw the Lions' lone touchdown. He finished the game with a 57.1 per cent completion rate, going 8-for-14.
The Ravens come into the game off a loss of their own – they dropped their home opener at the Ravens' Perch 18-6 to the Queen's Gaels, getting into penalty trouble in the first half that led to Gaels touchdowns and a lead Queen's would not relinquish.
Tanner DeJong and Keaton Bruggeling led the way offensively for Carleton, with DeJong, a fifth-year quarterback, throwing for 294 passing yards. Bruggeling was the only Ravens receiver to hit triple digits in receiving yards, notching 109.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
York
#6 Rickey Parsons
Rookie defensive back from North Delta B.C. … Left an immediate impression on the OUA football scene in his conference debut vs. Laurier … Notched nine tackles and one interception.
#18 Gabriel Appiah-Kubi
Second-year receiver from Brampton, Ont. … Bright spot on offence for York in loss to Laurier … Led Lions with 58 receiving yards in his season debut … Recorded six receptions.
#82 Darren Bumstead
Rookie receiver from Beeton, Ont. … Brother of first-year offensive lineman Brandon … Recorded first-carer OUA touchdown in first-career OUA game versus Laurier … Notched only offensive points of the game for York … Recorded one reception.
#85 Alex Daley
Veteran receiver and returner from Etobicoke, Ont. … Brother of first-year receiver Retsen … Second on the Lions with 48 receiving yards after the first game versus Laurier … Led the team and tied for seventh in the OUA with 38 receptions … Was second on the team with 403 receiving yards and had two touchdown catches in 2019.
Carleton
#17 Tanner DeJong
Fifth-year quarterback from Brockville, Ont. … Played entire game for Carleton versus Queen's … Went 19-for-33 and registered 294 passing yards … 370 yards away from 4000 career passing yards.
#31 Nathan Carter
Carleton running back enters his fifth season with 2641 yards … Second on the all-time Carleton rushing list, trailing Mark Brown (1985-88) by just 118 yards … Carter enters the season with 19 touchdowns … He is three touchdowns behind all-time Ravens TD leaders Scott Alexander, Joe Barnabe and Nate Behar, who all have 22.
#89 Keaton Bruggeling
Third-year receiver from St. Catharines, Ont. … Led Ravens in both major receiving categories, with six receptions and 109 receiving yards versus Queen's, a career high… The longest reception of the afternoon for Bruggeling was 26 yards.
LOOKING AHEAD
York will be very familiar with both of their opponents based in the nation's capital very soon. After their date with the Ravens, they head to Ottawa to take on the Gee-Gees at TD Place Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 5 pm. The Gee-Gees join the Lions and Ravens as the three OUA East teams to drop their season openers, and all of them will be looking for retribution as they quickly approach the halfway mark of their regular seasons.
