High-octane offences highlight Vanier Cup

For only the second time, the Queen's Golden Gaels and the Calgary Dinos will meet for Canadian university football's top prize — the Vanier Cup. The Gaels and Dinos will meet this Saturday at PEPS Stadium in Quebec City, with one looking to cap off their season in style.

The Canada West champion Dinos defeated the Saint Mary's Huskies last week in a 38–14 romp in the Uteck Bowl to punch their ticket to the Vanier Cup for the first time since 1995, when the Dinos defeated the Western Mustangs to claim their fourth national title.

Queen's on the other hand emerged from a tight contest, as they defeated Laval 33–30 in the Mitchell Bowl, and in doing so stymied the Rouge et Or from making it to the Vanier Cup in front of their hometown fans in Quebec.

For the Gaels, it will mark the team's first trip to the national championship game since 1992 when they shut out Saint Mary's 31–0.

The Dinos, who went 7–1 in the regular season, sport one of the nation's best offensive foursomes in the form of quarterback and Hec Creighton Award nominee Erik Glavic, running back Matt Walter, and wideouts Nathan Coehoorn and Anthony Parker.

Glavic, who is looking to claim his second Creighton award as the nation's top collegiate football player, was among the nations most feared offensive threats this season, passing for an average of 273.1 yards per game, and rushing for more than 60 yards per game in the regular season.

Walter was second in the nation in rushing yards with 1,103 yards in the regular season, while Parker and Coehoorn were one-two respectably in receiving yards per game in the Canada West.

For Queen's, offence was also a strength, as they ranked fourth in the nation in total offence behind Ottawa, Calgary and Western.

Gaels quarterback Dan Brannagan will be the key to the offence as second in the nation in passing yards per game this season, tossing for over 368 yards a contest.

Brannagan's favourite target all season long has been the nation's top receiver, senior Scott Valberg, whose 114.1 receiving yards per game were more than 10 yards in front of his closest competitor.

Offensive fireworks should be the storyline when the Canada West champion Dinos hook up with the OUA champs from Queen's in the 45th edition of the Vanier Cup this Saturday at 10 a.m. The game can be seen live from coast-to-coast on TSN.