Written by Mason Bugaresti
After an impressive 24-18 victory over the McMaster Marauders at TAAG Park, the Carleton Ravens take their 1-0 record to Varsity Stadium where they will take on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. The game kicks off on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.
The two teams last met in the 2021 season where the Ravens took home a 27-24 win off of a 109-yard performance on the ground from Nathan Carter (Ottawa, Ont.). Carleton has dominated this matchup historically, leading the all-time series 7-1. Carleton has also beaten Toronto 7 straight times, with the Varsity Blues’ last win coming at home back in the Ravens’ return season of 2013.
The Ravens opened up their 2022 regular season with a win in front of a boisterous home crowd at TAAG Park last Saturday. On the defensive side of the ball, Shaiheem Charles-Brown (Montreal, Que.) broke a school record for sacks in a game, taking down the Marauders’ quarterback four different times. Offensively, the Ravens running game led the attack with Joshua Ferguson (St. Catharines, Ont.) picking up 118 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
The Varsity Blues are coming off of a 47-25 defeat at the hands of the Queen’s Gaels. Toronto got off to a strong start against the Gaels, trailing by a narrow margin of 20-18 heading into halftime. In the second half, the Queen’s offence went to work putting up 27 points to secure a comfortable 22-point win over Toronto.
The key to the Ravens’ success in their Week 1 win over McMaster was their run game. Carleton put up 133 yards on the ground. If the Ravens want to improve to 2-0, that running game will need to be solid this Week against Toronto.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens will need to keep an eye on the Toronto passing game. Quarterback Kinsale Philip (New Westminster, B.C.) threw for two touchdowns and had a very high 17.3 yards-per-completion against the Gaels. The Varsity Blues have shown a tendency for big plays through the air, so the Ravens’ secondary will need to be on high alert in this one.
The Ravens return to TAAG Park for a clash with the York Lions on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. Come out and support the Ravens in their final tune-up game before a big clash with the powerhouse Queen’s Gaels.
Tickets are selling out fast, grab yours before they’re gone at GoRavens.ca/Tickets.
