OUA Week 2 Power Rankings: Western Dominates as Windsor Pulls Off Upset

Week 2 of the OUA football season delivered everything from dominant performances to shocking upsets. Western returned from its Week 1 bye and immediately made a statement, while Windsor produced one of the biggest surprises of the week by knocking off Laurier.

Here are our OUA Week 2 Power Rankings.

1. Western Mustangs — 1-0

After sitting out Week 1 with a bye, the Western Mustangs came out swimming — or perhaps more accurately, storming — in their season opener.

Western absolutely dismantled York, winning 78-7 in one of the most lopsided games of the season.

Quarterback Jerome Rancourt was outstanding, completing 24 of 28 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 49 rushing yards on five carries, showing he could hurt York with both his arm and his legs.

The Mustangs’ receiving game was led by Nik Shewchuk, who hauled in five catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Western was just as dominant on the ground, piling up 317 rushing yards as a team.

The defense also made its presence felt, recording three interceptions and three sacks.

After one game, Western looks like a team that is going to be very difficult to stop.

Week 2 takeaway: Western didn’t just win — they sent a message to the rest of the OUA.

2. Ottawa Gee-Gees — 1-1

Ottawa took care of business against Toronto, defeating the Varsity Blues 44-3.

Quarterback Josh Janssen led the way through the air, throwing for 335 yards and four touchdowns, although he did have one interception.

The rushing attack was also productive, with Camara contributing 90 rushing yards.

Robin Collioud led the offensive production with two touchdowns and 99 yards, while Devanugh Blackwood caught seven passes for 81 yards and a touchdown.

Kicker Zachary Copeland was nearly perfect, converting three of four field-goal attempts, including a long of 39 yards, while also making all five of his extra-point attempts.

Defensively, Elia Lini led the way with 9.5 tackles. Tassike Gaston recorded a sack, while Denny Ferdinand came away with the team’s lone interception.

Ottawa did exactly what it needed to do against Toronto: dominate from start to finish.

Week 2 takeaway: A complete performance on both sides of the football.

3. McMaster Marauders — 1-1

McMaster’s defense came alive in its home opener against the Guelph Gryphons.

Quarterback Lucas Barresi completed 27 of 45 passes for 281 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown or an interception, but he also contributed on the ground with a rushing touchdown.

Running back Micah DuChene carried the ball 17 times for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Through the air, Nathan Denkers led McMaster with five catches for 66 yards, while Shane Wismer caught seven passes for 62 yards.

Michael Horvat went one-for-two on field goals and one-for-one on extra points.

But the story of the game was the defense.

Sean Underhill added another interception to his resume, while Juan Vasquez led the pass rush with 1.5 sacks. Ryan Broome and Christian Chukwuali II each recorded two sacks, with Domeric Limanni and Mason Said adding half a sack apiece.

McMaster made life miserable for Guelph all afternoon.

Week 2 takeaway: The Marauders’ defense showed that it can be a major problem for opposing offenses.

4. Queen’s Gaels — Bye Week

Sometimes you don’t move up or down because of what happens on the field.

Queen’s had the week off, so the Gaels remain at No. 4 heading into the next week.

Week 2 takeaway: Rest, recover and get ready for the next one.

5. Windsor Lancers — 1-1

What a way to bounce back.

After losing to McMaster, Windsor pulled off what I would consider one of the biggest upsets of Week 2, defeating Laurier 48-37.

Quarterback Kareame Cotton completed 21 of 33 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

But the real story was Windsor’s rushing attack.

Weather Mombo absolutely exploded, rushing seven times for an unbelievable 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Yes — 200 yards on seven carries.

Not to be outdone, Tyson Charles carried the ball 10 times for 180 yards and a touchdown.

Windsor also got a rushing touchdown from Brendan Talbot, who had three carries for 10 yards.

Through the air, Matteo Trifon caught six passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, while Colby Ginn added the other receiving touchdown on four catches for 22 yards.

Kicker Alex Patrinos missed his lone field-goal attempt but converted all four extra-point attempts.

The Windsor defense also contributed with three sacks and an interception.

Week 2 takeaway: Windsor’s rushing attack was absolutely ridiculous. Mombo and Charles combined for 380 rushing yards.

6. Waterloo Warriors — 1-1

Waterloo survived a back-and-forth battle against Carleton, eventually coming away with the victory.

Quarterback Nick Orr completed 29 of 51 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 11 times for 62 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Ethan Miller led the rushing attack with 16 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown.

The receiving game was led by Evan Basalyga, who caught eight passes for an impressive 132 yards.

Riley Webster provided the Warriors’ lone receiving touchdown, finishing with five catches for 80 yards.

It wasn’t always pretty, but Waterloo found a way to get the job done.

Week 2 takeaway: Waterloo showed some offensive firepower and, more importantly, found a way to win a close game.

7. Laurier Golden Hawks — 0-2

This is what happens when Tayshaun Jackson doesn’t have his usual impact.

Laurier lost a wild one to Windsor, falling 48-37.

Quarterback Will Russell threw for 263 yards and four touchdowns on 24-of-42 passing, but he also threw an interception.

The biggest issue was the lack of production from Jackson.

Jackson managed only five carries for 32 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and failing to score a rushing touchdown.

Laurier did get strong production from its receivers. Ryan Hughes caught 12 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns, while Jace Atkinson added six catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Marcus Reypa made one of three field-goal attempts and converted four of five extra points.

Jackson did provide a huge special-teams play, returning a 128-yard missed field goal for a touchdown, but even that wasn’t enough.

The biggest concern, however, was the defense. Laurier recorded only 38 tackles, one sack and one interception.

When you give up 48 points, your offense has to be nearly perfect — and Laurier’s wasn’t.

Week 2 takeaway: Laurier needs to find a way to get Jackson more involved while also fixing its defense.

8. Guelph Gryphons — 1-1

After scoring 28 points in Week 1, Guelph’s offense struggled mightily against McMaster, managing only 11 points.

Quarterback Tristan Aboud completed 15 of 31 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Caleb Sargeant had a solid day on the ground, carrying the ball eight times for 84 yards, but he was unable to find the end zone.

Guelph’s biggest offensive play came when Aboud connected with Ethan Gawre for an 80-yard touchdown. Gawre finished with three catches for 119 yards and the touchdown.

Tre Thompson was perfect on his lone field-goal attempt and also converted his extra-point attempt.

Defensively, though, Guelph couldn’t generate enough pressure. The Gryphons finished with 48.5 tackles, no sacks and no interceptions.

Against a McMaster team that was flying around defensively, Guelph simply couldn’t get enough going.

Week 2 takeaway: The offense took a step backward, while the defense failed to create turnovers or pressure.

9. Carleton Ravens — 0-2

Carleton put up plenty of passing yards but couldn’t do enough to defeat Waterloo.

Quarterback Elijah Barnes completed 25 of 41 passes for an impressive 386 yards and a touchdown, although he did throw one interception.

The major problem was the rushing game.

The Ravens’ entire rushing group produced only 50 yards.

That puts an enormous amount of pressure on the quarterback and passing game.

Receiver Dante Spaaccini led the way with five catches for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Carlton Thai was perfect on his kicking opportunities, going two-for-two on field goals and two-for-two on extra points.

Defensively, however, Carleton struggled to make an impact. The Ravens recorded 57.5 tackles, but no sacks and no interceptions.

Week 2 takeaway: 386 passing yards are impressive, but Carleton needs to find a rushing attack and create more plays defensively.

10. Toronto Varsity Blues — 0-2

After losing a close 28-12 game to Windsor in Week 1, Toronto’s offense seemingly forgot to show up against Ottawa.

The Varsity Blues were crushed 44-3.

Quarterback Kalev O’Donoghue completed 17 of 27 passes for 169 yards and threw one interception.

Omarion Martin carried the ball 12 times for 68 yards but failed to score.

Toronto’s leading receiver was Denayden Lee-Daniel, who caught four passes for 48 yards.

The special teams unit didn’t score a field goal or extra point, while Oskar McPhie recorded Toronto’s lone interception.

As a team, Toronto finished with only 54.5 tackles.

There simply wasn’t enough production anywhere on the field.

Week 2 takeaway: After a respectable Week 1 showing, Toronto took a major step backward.

11. York Lions — 0-2

I honestly don’t know what to say about this game.

Western defeated York 78-7, producing one of the most lopsided results we’ve seen in OUA football.

York gave up 17 points in the first quarter, 21 in the second, another 21 in the third and 19 in the fourth.

That’s 78 points.

Offensively, York managed just 175 total yards, including 156 passing yards and only 19 rushing yards.

Quarterback Maurice Sodja completed 19 of 26 passes for 156 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Rex Walker rushed six times for 31 yards and no touchdowns, while Nathan Walker actually finished with negative rushing yards.

Through the air, Zack Smith caught eight passes for 44 yards, while Jayden Shallow caught four passes for 28 yards and York’s lone touchdown.

The defense spent far too much time on the field, and against an offense as explosive as Western’s, that eventually became impossible to overcome.

Week 2 takeaway: York needs to regroup quickly. Giving up 78 points is a massive red flag, and the Lions will need a much stronger performance on both sides of the football moving forward.

The Week 2 Storylines

Western is officially on notice. After a bye, the Mustangs came out and scored 78 points. That’s not just a win — that’s a statement.

Windsor’s rushing attack was insane. Weather Mombo and Tyson Charles combined for 380 yards on the ground. That is the kind of production that can completely change a team’s season.

Laurier has questions to answer. The Golden Hawks are 0-2, and their defense has to improve if they want to climb back up the rankings.

And finally, York has to find answers immediately. Giving up 78 points is something that cannot simply be brushed aside.