CFL.ca Staff
OTTAWA — In his first year of university football, Western Ontario running back Tyler Varga is on pace to set a CIS record for most rushing touchdowns in a campaign and could also threaten the single-season mark for most all-purpose majors.
At the halfway mark of his freshman season, Varga, a science student who turned 18 earlier this month, has already found the end zone 12 times – all rushing TDs – in only four games, including a four-major performance against McMaster in his second CIS outing on Sept. 10.
The product of Kitchener, Ont., will look to add to this total on Saturday when the No. 2-ranked Mustangs (4-0) host York (1-3) at TD Waterhouse Stadium.
The single-season CIS record of 21 touchdowns on the ground was established by St. Francis Xavier’s Paul Brule back in 1967 and was tied in 2004 by McMaster’s Jesse Lumsden, who set the OUA mark in the process. Tim Tindale holds the Western record of 16 since 1991.
Brule also holds the single-season CIS standard for all-purpose scores with 25 in 1967. The OUA and Western marks are 21 (Lumsden, 2004) and 17 (Tindale, 1991), respectively.
In addition to his CIS-leading touchdown total, Varga tops the OUA with 462 rushing yards, good for third place in the country.
After their date with York this weekend, the Mustangs will have conference games remaining against Guelph (1-3), Toronto (2-2) and Queen’s (2-2).
