In the week leading up to the biggest home game in their 26-year collegiate football existence, the University of Regina Rams quarterback situation is uncertain.
Noah Pelletier, who began the season as a backup, has started every game since injury brought him off the bench early in the first game back in August. He’s still suffering the after-effects of a vicious hit to his left non-throwing shoulder on a botched field goal try late in the Hardy Cup championship win over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
He's listed as probable for Saturday after throwing without pads Wednesday at practice and had lots of company to share the quarterback reps with in Regina.
“It’s up in the air for sure between the three,” head coach Mark McConkey said.
The "three" he's talking about include Pelletier, who is recovering from a supposed shoulder sprain on his left non-throwing shoulder; Trey Jones who's been backing up Pelletier since Week 2, and 2023 Canada West Rookie of the Year Owen Sieben, who entered the season as the team's starting quarterback only to be concussed in the first half on opening night during a win in Calgary and hasn't played since.
Jones is the only Rams quarterback certain to dress. Sieben hasn't yet been cleared medically but might be in time for kickoff and one has to think the Rams would dearly love to have their original QB1 back in charge of an offence tasked with helping its star-studded defence pull what would be arguably the biggest upset in Regina Rams history.
With Pelletier’s status for the big game an open question, McConkey hasn’t ruled out the possibility of dressing three quarterbacks, something the team has not done all year.
“After that, we're looking at a young guy pulling a red shirt to go and we’ve got Keegan Kaytor, who’s played receiver and can always go back there,” McConkey said.
Carter Casey out of Saskatoon and Conner Kerr out of Weyburn are the red-shirted quarterbacks who may draw in, but both would lose a year of eligibility to do so. So would Sieben.
“The board's wide open right now, to be honest. We haven't got that far,” McConkey said.
“They're all taking reps, so we get to watch the film and see who is running the offence the best and gives us our best chance to win. And that's who we're going to go with.”
Very difficult decisions all crammed into the one week of the year where the Rams have the eyes of Regina's entire football fan base squarely on them.
Listed as probable for Saturday’s Mitchell Bowl against the Laval Rouge et Or at Mosaic Stadium, Pelletier took some of the first-team reps at practice Wednesday and appears to be in fine spirits ahead of what might be the biggest starting assignment of his life.
“SC joints on my left shoulder. So, not the biggest deal. Thankfully, it's on the opposite side,” Pelletier said.
“It's starting to feel a lot better. Obviously, it could be a little bit more day-to-day if it wasn't such an important game. It’s something that's not going to get worse. I’m dealing with the pain and I have great support around me, with all the athletic therapists. They’re doing everything they can to get me ready.”
McConkey won’t put a percentage on how likely it is that Pelletier will be able to go but sounds confident he’ll have his same quarterback from this entire playoff run by kickoff come Saturday.
“He was throwing out there with no pads on,” McConkey said.
“I think he'll play. It's just now a matter of how does it feel? How long is he going to go? But he says it's got a lot better. The game was Saturday, it's gotten a lot better in that short time. We’ll see what he can do in the next few days to really see how it feels Saturday morning, and then make our decision from there.
For his part, Pelletier has no doubt he’ll be ready to face a Laval defence that has surrendered 20 points or more only twice all season.
“I should be ready to go,” Pelletier said.
Saturday’s Mitchell Bowl can be heard live on 620 CKRM starting with an extended pregame show at 1:30 p.m. and kickoff at 2 p.m.
