Uteck Bowl: Breaking down Western vs. Acadia matchup

As Arash Madani reports, It's special for the Acadia Axemen to host their first ever U Sports Bowl game at home, but even a little more special for RB Cam Davidson and DL Adam Melanson.

The stage is set for the U SPORTS football national semifinals on Saturday, when the last four teams still standing will battle for a berth in the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup, scheduled for Nov. 25 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.

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The OUA conference champion Western Mustangs (10-0) and the AUS champion Acadia Axemen (7-2) kick things off at 12:30 p.m. ET in the Uteck Bowl at Raymond Field in Wolfville, N.S.

Viewers can watch both the Uteck Bowl and Mitchell Bowl live on Sportsnet 360 on Saturday, with coverage beginning at 12 noon ET with a 30-minute pre-game show. The doubleheader is also available online through Sportsnet NOW.

While Western soundly defeated Laurier 75-32 in the Yates Cup to avenge a heartbreaking loss to the Golden Hawks in last year’s OUA championship match, Acadia needed overtime to edge Saint Mary’s 45-38 in the Loney Bowl.

The Western-Acadia matchup in the Uteck Bowl will bring back memories to long-time university football followers. The two storied programs squared off in three Vanier Cup finals over a span of four years in the late 1970s and then battled in a pair of Atlantic Bowls in Halifax in 1986 and 1995, with the Mustangs winning four of the five contests.

The most recent head-to-head meeting 22 years ago at Huskies Stadium remains the highest-scoring national semifinal in history (55-45 Western) and one of only two national Bowl games to be decided in extra time.   

Most observers agree that, at least on paper, the Mustangs go into Saturday’s reunion as overwhelming favourites, despite the fact the Axemen are undefeated this fall at historic Raymond Field, which has previously been the site of only one U SPORTS semifinal since it opened in 1966, a 38-13 Acadia loss to Calgary back in 1975. 

The only remaining undefeated team in the country this fall, Western dominated their opponents by an average of 35.2 points during the regular season before crushing Guelph and Laurier by 54 and 43, respectively, in the OUA playoffs. Guelph had been the only team to give the London powerhouse a scare during the regular schedule, taking the Mustangs to overtime in Week 2.

In league play, Western’s offence finished first in the nation in scoring (48.3 points per game), total offence (608.5 yards per game) and rushing (309.9), while their defence ranked first in total yards allowed (288.0 per game), second in points (13.1) and against the pass (188.4), and third against the run (99.6).  

Despite this overwhelming domination, long-time bench boss Greg Marshall and his troops face a unique challenge this week as their Uteck Bowl opponents were only confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.

"We had watched a lot of film on Acadia on Sunday morning, and then Sunday night when that ruling came down we kind of started looking at Saint Mary’s, We’ve been kind of splitting up [our time] but Acadia’s a well-coached team. They play solid defence, they like to run the football and throw some play-action passes, they’re a good overall football team."

Greg Marshall – Western Head Coach

Among the innumerable weapons Marshall has at his disposal is third-year running back Cedric Joseph, who had a 250-yard, three-touchdown performance last Saturday to help Western score a Yates Cup-record 75 points. The Montreal native led the country with 10 rushing majors during the regular season and has added a whopping seven in two playoff outings.

"I’m excited. They look like a pretty solid team, they look like they’re very consistent, and well-coached," said Joseph, whose 578 rushing yards in conference play were second on the team to Alex Taylor’s 831. "I’m excited to get in the film room and start breaking them down a little bit. Obviously, it’ll be fun to take a flight out there with the boys to be able to enjoy a nice little business trip and take care of business this weekend."


At the other end of the field, Acadia counters with a solid defensive unit that topped the AUS in total yards (375.5) and rushing yards (117.3) allowed per game during the regular season. On offence, the Axemen boast the nation’s fourth-best rushing attack with a conference-leading 208.3 yards per contest, led by league MVP Dale Wright, who became only the second player in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards.  

Winners of five straight since a loss to Saint Mary’s that dropped their record to 2-2 in mid-September, the AUS champs also tied for second in the country in league play with 14 interceptions. They added no less than four picks in their thrilling Loney Bowl triumph, including a pair by Rory Kelly, who sealed the win when he stepped in front of a pass in his own end zone on the Huskies’ second shootout series.

On Saturday, the Axemen hope to put an end to a streak of seven consecutive losses in national semifinals since their last trip to the Vanier Cup in 1981. Their last four U SPORTS Bowl appearances have come under Jeff Cummins, who is completing his 15th campaign at the helm.

I’m very proud of my team and the way they battled through this game versus a very tough opponent, Now we are off to another really good team, one that broke a scoring record in their championship game. We are excited about what the next three days have in store for us and believe that by Saturday we will be ready to go.

Jeff Cummins – Acadia Head Coach

Running back Cameron Davidson unexpectedly moved up the depth chart in the AUS final after Wright went down early with an injury. The senior from Kentville, N.S., made the most of his opportunity, racking up 152 yards on 22 carries en route to game-MVP honours.

"Absolutely surreal. Growing up locally and watching the team play, it’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Doing it with this group of guys and in front of our amazing fans in Wolfville is and will forever be one of the best moments of my life," Davidson said.

While the Mustangs and Axemen are set to rekindle an old rivalry in Wolfville, it will be déjà vu all over again in Calgary, where the Rouge et Or and Dinos will meet on the national stage for the sixth time in 10 years.

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