CIS Corner: Ivan looks great in Garnet & Grey

Gee-Gees: We might have the OUA analogue to Randy Moss joining a loaded New England Patriots offence last season, not to overstate things.

As a faithful reader hinted at last week, 6-foot-4 wide receiver Ivan Birungi (pictured), who was a two-time Hec Crighton finalist at Acadia in 2005-06, will play his final CIS season with the Gee-Gees. The school just announced it in a press release.

The Moss comparison is hyperbole, of course. However, consider that Josh Sacobie had a sick, somewhat Bradyesque 21-to-4 TD-to-interception ratio last season, when he was working with a few first-time starters in the receiving group. It fits. Ottawa was already stacking up as a scary team.

Sacobie is as polished a passer as you'll find in the OUA, and now he's got a receiver who will always get double- and triple-coverage on important passing downs.

Birungi was a big factor in Acadia winning back-to-back Atlantic conference championships, and presuming he's fit, he'll give the the Gee-Gees a big target who, as football types say, can get separation from defenders, especially in the red zone. It's not as if the Gee-Gees had small receivers last season. Cyril Adjeity is 6-foot-2, Matthew Bolduc is 6-3. Birungi, though, might be on another level when he has to catch a pass in tight space.

The Gee-Gees have always been better than most teams at utilizing big receivers, from current B.C. Lion Adam Nicolson a couple years ago to the Tounkara brothers, Ousmane and Ibrahim, about a decade ago. They already stacked up as a solid pick to win the Yates Cup and go the Vanier against the evil empire from Quebec City, and this is just a cherry on the sundae. Denis Piché's statement is bang on: "There is the potential for something crazy this season."



Meantime, over in the Québec conference, it's been confirmed that Joseph Mroué, who was a star tailback at the U de Montréal from '03-06, is going to play his final CIS season with the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. This has been noted over at The CIS Blog.

For anyone who's wondering, yes, there are CIS football previews in the works.

Ravens: The NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks will be in Ottawa in a mere 15 days. KU's star guard Sherron Collins had knee surgery not long after the Final Four, so his minutes will be limited.

Gaels: There's some news regarding Queen's hockey coaching staff, but it's Tyler King's baby, so let him be the one tell everyone. It's semi-big news and it really should have its own post, plus it will come up on today's Offsides (that's 4 p.m. ET at 101.9 FM in Kingston, cfrc.ca elsewhere).