Ventura Game Notes
The College of the Canyons football team is on the road this week and will go up against Ventura College tonight at Ventura College Sportsplex for what should be the deciding game for the National Division, Northern Conference Championship.
THE GAME
The College of the Canyons football team is on the road this week and will go up against Ventura College tonight at Ventura College Sportsplex for what should be the deciding game for the National Division, Northern Conference Championship. This is the 25th match up between the two schools, with the last game being played in 2012, when the Cougars lost to the Pirates 44-37 at Cougar Stadium.
THE SERIES
Canyons leads the series 16-8 and is 7-7 while on the road. Canyons has won three of the last five match ups. In their 2011 meeting at the VC Sportsplex, the Cougars earned a 36-34 victory. In 2009, Canyons also traveled to Ventura, losing 23-6 to the Pirates.
VENTURA FALLS TO SADDLEBACK
Ventura College dropped last Saturday's game to Saddleback College, 52-28. The Gauchos scored 31 unanswered points against the Ventura defense to take control of a 14-14 contest. Ventura inflicted much of the damage unto itself with five turnovers, including three red zone interceptions.
The Cougars edged Saddleback College 31-28 in the second game of the season, providing the catalyst needed to start the Cougar's current win streak.
COUGARS ENJOY BEST START SINCE 2008
The College of the Canyons program enters the Ventura contest with a 5-1 record — tops in the conference. The Cougars' 5-1 record is the program's best start since the 2008 season. That year, head coach Garett Tujague's squad went 10-0 in the regular season — the team's first in the newly created National Division, Northern Conference —and eventually won the inaugural season conference championship.
VC QUARTERBACK AMONG THE BEST
Ventura College's quarterback Brad Odeman leads the conference and is fourth in the state with 335.2 passing yards per game. Odeman has not thrown for less than 249 yards in a game and tallied a season high 438 yards and a 70.6 completion rate against Moorpark college on Oct. 5.
COC's DEFENSE TOP IN THE STATE
The Cougar defense ranks among the best in the conference, allowing just 15.5 points and 100.7 rushing yards per game. The Cougars' 15.5 ppg mark ranks the defense fourth in the state and first in Southern California. Canyons has also tallied 19 turnovers (nineinterceptions and 10 fumble recoveries), a conference-high 19 sacks and two defensive touchdowns.