On paper, it might not look like much of a contest.<\/p>\n
The Queen\u2019s Gaels will be up early Saturday morning to hit the road for an afternoon game against the Ravens at Carleton in a match-up of an undefeated contender for the national title and a host team looking for its first win of the season.<\/p>\n
According to U Sports rankings, the defending Yates Cup champions are slotted as No. 5 in the national rankings coming off their decisive 49-22 victory over the University of Waterloo in their home opener at Richardson Stadium last weekend. A late score by the Warriors in garbage time made the score and the statistical lines look closer than the run of play in the contest.<\/p>\n
On the strength of that performance and a somewhat less impressive win over the University of Toronto at Varsity Stadium on Aug. 31, Queen\u2019s has been tapped as the No. 2 team in Ontario University Athletics football this season, behind only Western.<\/p>\n
Given that there\u2019s been some significant turnover at key positions from last season\u2019s championship lineup, there\u2019s every reason to believe that the 2026 Gaels\u2019 best football is ahead of them.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Ravens (0-3) were soundly beaten at Guelph 60-15 on Saturday. Carleton\u2019s common opponent with Queen\u2019s is Waterloo, the Warriors having travelled to the capital and edged the Ravens 24-20 in Week 2 \u2014 hard to find any foundation for an upset in those outcomes.<\/p>\n
Many at a distance would suspect that the Gaels\u2019 greatest threat would be knowledge not of the results so much as the schedule that lies ahead: Next week the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (3-0) are booked into Richardson Stadium.<\/p>\n
Last weekend, the Gee-Gees scored a 20-18 upset of Laurier on the Golden Hawks\u2019 home field. The preseason No. 2-ranked team in the country, Laurier was missing a few key players due to injury, but nonetheless, the win marks Ottawa as a threat to make a run deep into fall.<\/p>\n
In his press availability Thursday, Queen\u2019s head coach Steve Snyder stressed that the Ravens pose immediate threats that his team can ill afford to look past, despite recent past performances and the look of the standings. (Although, if you wanted to drill down a little deeper, it would be worth noting that the Carleton knocked off Ottawa 20-14 in the schools\u2019 annual Panda Game last fall.)<\/p>\n
Snyder touted Carleton\u2019s air corps, which even in the three losses has averaged more than 350 yards per game, ranking third in the OUA. \u201cThey have some playmakers, for sure,\u201d Snyder said. \u201cThey have some dangerous guys and they\u2019ve developed an exceptional chemistry in their passing game. Their quarterback (Elijah Barnes) is a young guy that I got to work with at the East-West Bowl. What stood out to me is the confidence he has and the natural ability he has \u2014 a big, fast, skilled kid with a massive arm and a great understanding of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given that the defensive secondary has been the area of the Queen\u2019s defence that has seen the most turnover from the championship run, the Ravens\u2019 strength might line up to test some new talent making the transition to the collegiate game.<\/p>\n
Snyder also alluded to Carleton representing something of an unknown quantity for this year\u2019s team. \u201cWe haven\u2019t played at Carleton since 2021,\u201d the coach said. \u201cWe saw them in a controlled scrimmage last season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snyder did allow that the Gaels made major strides from Week 1 to the home opener. \u201cThe end goal is for us to get better and there\u2019s room for improvement,\u201d Snyder said. \u201cThat\u2019s where our focus is. We were a better team (against Waterloo) than we were in Week 1. We are progressing.\u201d<\/p>\n
One area where the Gaels seem closer to a finished product is their passing game, led by fifth-year quarterback Alex Vreeken. Through the first two games, Vreeken is averaging an OUA-best 395 yards passing per game, 70 yards clear of second-place Western QB Jerome Rancourt. On the passing-efficiency stat line, Rancourt has a bare edge over the Gaels pivot in second place, 188.8 to 182.2.<\/p>\n
To this point in the season, Vreeken has spread the rock across the lineup \u2014 against U of T, 10 different receivers caught passes \u2014 and Snyder enthused about the quarterback\u2019s ability to stretch opponents\u2019 coverage, buying time rolling out of the pocket.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlex has certainly developed,\u201d Snyder said. \u201cHe came in as a talented passer and now he\u2019s just an exceptional quarterback and a great leader. He\u2019s throwing the ball at a very high level right now. I really hope the Kingston fans are enjoying this because this is a pretty serious arm talent we\u2019re witnessing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The kickoff a TAAG Park is scheduled for 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
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