CIS game Monday RECAP [5]: Rams and Ravens win big, Dinos celebrate 50th

(Feature image: University of Calgary Dinos)

Sunday, Oct. 2

With files from: Laval University (Photo credit: Mathieu Bélanger)

McGill (9), Laval (61)

 

MCG vs. LAVAL at QUEBEC,QC 20161002 at 13:13
McGill 9	Laval 61

 

Saturday, Oct. 1

Source: Matt Gutsch, U of A Golden Bears

Alberta (15), Calgary (50)

The University Alberta Golden Bears football hung tight with the CIS No.5 ranked Calgary Dinos for three quarters on Saturday afternoon at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, but ultimately fell 50-15 to remain winless on the season.

 

Alberta vs. Calgary at Calgary, AB 10/1/2016 at 3:37 pm
Alberta 15	Calgary 50

 

Source: Regina Rams

Saskatchewan (29), Regina (37)

The No. 4-ranked University of Regina Rams improved to 4-1 on the season and improved their winning streak to four games with a 37-29 win over visiting Saskatchewan on Saturday afternoon in Canada West action.

The game was the first to be played at the new Mosaic Stadium, with the announced crowd of 16,500 setting a new Canada West attendance record in any sport. The Rams avenge their only loss of the season with the win, as they suffered a two-point overtime loss in Week 1 to the Huskies in Saskatoon.

“Overall I thought the guys played pretty well besides a few penalty issues, and they were able to stay focused all things considered,” Rams head coach Steve Bryce said. “We really enjoyed the big-game atmosphere at the new stadium, and I really hope that we hooked some of them and we’ll see some of them out for our next home game against UBC.”

Rams quarterback Noah Picton completed 29 of his 42 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns, throwing two majors apiece to Mitchell Picton and Ryan Schienbein. Schienbein finished as the game’s top receiver with career highs in both receptions (13) and receiving yards (189), while Picton had seven catches for 85 yards. Atlee Simon had his best game of the year for the Rams, finishing with a game-high 114 rushing yards on 23 carries.

Nicholas Dheilly led the Rams with 7.5 tackles and also brought down Saskatchewan quarterback Kyle Siemens once to pull into sole possession of the Canada West lead with four sacks on the season. Danny Nesbitt had a pair of interceptions to become the first Rams player with multiple picks in a game since Kirby Kezama in the 2012 Hardy Cup game, while Jeff Propp added his second interception of the year.

Siemens was 23-for-43 for Saskatchewan (2-3) and finished with 265 passing yards including a five-yard touchdown to Colton Klassen in the first quarter. Tyler Chow had 17 carries for 63 yards and a pair of majors, while Chad Braun had four catches for a team-leading 83 yards.

Spencer Krieger and Eric Thakurdeen both had interceptions for the Saskatchewan defence.

Nesbitt’s first pick of the game set up the game’s first score. The Rams finished off a quick four-play, 45-yard drive with a 11-yard touchdown pass to Schienbein for the first points at the new stadium. Saskatchewan responded immediately with what would be the longest scoring drive of the game, going 87 yards in eight plays and tying up the game with the short reception by Klassen.

Daniel Scraper‘s 29-yard field goal on the final play of the first quarter put the Rams back ahead, but Saskatchewan took their only lead of the game midway through the second after Thakurdeen’s interception set up the Huskies with great field position. Six plays and 27 yards later, Chow punched it in from two yards out to put Saskatchewan up 15-10 including a Sean Stenger rouge on the ensuing kickoff.

But the Rams – and specifically Mitchell Picton – struck twice in quick succession before halftime. Picton grabbed his eight touchdown catch of the year to finish off a 77-yard drive with just over two minutes left in the half, and then caught his ninth of the season from 25 yards just 91 seconds later on a drive that also featured a 30-yard completion to Simon.

Regina took a 24-18 lead into half after another Stenger field goal on the last play of the second quarter, and scored 13 consecutive points in the third to put some distance between the two teams. Picton found Schienbein up the seam for a 60-yard touchdown five minutes into the third and a single, a safety, and a field goal gave the Rams a 37-18 lead heading into the fourth.

That would be all the Rams would need, though Saskatchewan made things plenty interesting after a late Chow touchdown and another Stenger kickoff single made the score 37-29 with under four minutes to go. Saskatchewan got the ball twice in the final minutes of the game, but Nesbitt’s second interception put an end to the first drive and a failed Saskatchewan gamble on third and 21 sealed the win for the Rams.

With the Canada West bye week upcoming, both teams will return to action two weekends from now. Saskatchewan will host UBC (3-2) on Oct. 14, while the Rams will hit the road for a matchup with Alberta (0-5).

NOTES: Noah Picton moved past Mark Anderson for second place on the school’s all-time list in touchdown passes … Picton has 39 career passing touchdowns but has some work remaining to catch former Rams pivot Teale Orban, who holds the Canada West record with 76 … Picton also joins Orban and Marc Mueller as the only Rams ever to collect at least 6000 career passing yards …Mitchell Picton now needs only two touchdown receptions to tie Jason Clermont’s school record of 11 set during the 2001 season.

 

 

With files from: Montreal Carabins (Photo credit: Yves Longpré)

Montreal (27), Sherbrooke (20)

The Carabins had a hot Saturday afternoon in the Eastern Townships with a win against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or 27-20. Already without several regulars, the Blues have held up despite the slaughter of injured players throughout the game to remain unbeaten with a fifth consecutive victory.

The receiver, Regis Cibasu (Administration, HEC Montreal), broke the tie when there was only 35 seconds remaining in taking a pass from Pierre-Luc Várhegyi (Administration, HEC Montreal), completing a 53-yard major. Linebacker Frederic Chagnon (Administration, HEC Montreal) then got an interception.

The Blues trailed for much of the game, but the defensive held them in the game giving the offense all the time they needed to recover.

“It was a game of two halves, said head coach Danny Maciocia UdeM. In the first half, I did not recognize the team was dressed in blue and white. We talked at halftime, came back with a very quiet group, knowing that if we played to our level, we could get a win, and that’s what we did. ”

The first 30 minutes was controlled by the Green and Gold. Although Montreal garnered more offensive yards than Sherbrooke. In the first quarter, a fumble led to the Blues hit to David Savard on an overhead for eight yards. Then, following the touchdown, quarterback Jean-Christophe Bourque-St-Hilaire in the second quarter, Sherbrooke players recovered another ball left free by Montrealers, allowing them to add three points on the board, all on an score of 28 yards by Mathieu Hébert. The only points of the Blues were generated by two field goals by Félix Ménard-Brière (Landscape Architecture) about 28 yards, then David Deschamps (Advertising) on 33. Returning to the locker room 19-6 at halftime.

After halftime, the Carabins stole the ball in Green and Gold and Alex Cromer-Émond (Medicine) jumped on the free ball. Special teams took advantage of this change to convert a third score, the second of the game for David Deschamps, this time 30 yards. The Green and Gold then added a point with a simple, bringing the score to 20-9 after three.

Montreal then led by offensive Várhegyi, who replaced Samuel Caron (Civil Engineering, Polytechnic) following an injury earlier in the game, went close to the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Les Bleus however, did not managed to break through the defensive front and David Deschamps completed the sequence with his third kick of the duel of 22 yards.

That’s when the offensive pressed. With 10 minutes to go, and not falling behind as a possession, Várhegyi completed a touchdown pass to rookie Simon Losier-Tremblay (Administration, HEC Montreal) for a distance of six yards, followed by conversion two points Cibasu. It was a tie 20-20. Finally, Várhegyi completed the comeback with a superb accurate pass, again to Cibasu.

After a difficult first half of meeting, the Carabins defense turned the corner, forcing the Vert et Or to not collect a single point in the last 30 minutes. Among the leaders include the performance of Mathieu Dupuis (industrial Relations) and Jonathan Boissonneault-Glaou (mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic), each having collected two sacks.

On the offense, Várhegyi completed all his passes but one (14 15) and accumulating 182 yards. Despite the adversity the team encountered the whole game, he was satisfied with the result. “These are things that we never want to see. I always want to make my contribution, but not necessarily in those circumstances. I’m glad to see how we responded despite all these injuries. “Regis Cibasu has again been in sparkling totaliant 134 yards on eight catches.

The Carabins will benefit with a break and a perfect record to resume action Saturday, October 15 at 14h. They will face the Laval University Laval CEPSUM. Montreal won the first battle of Highway 20 in the opening game this season, 24-21.

 

Montreal vs. Sherbrooke at Sherbrooke, Qc 20161001 at 14:00
Montreal 27	Sherbrooke 20

Bishop’s

Concordia

2:00 PM EDT

 

Ottawa (23), Carleton (43)

The Carleton Ravens captured Pedro the Panda and halted no. 7 ranked Ottawa’s undefeated start to the season with a 43-23 victory in the Panda Game, presented by Air Canada on Saturday. TD Place was packed with 23,329 fans, many of whom spilled onto the field from the south side stand to celebrate with the Ravens at the end of the game.

Following a 10-10 first quarter which featured strong play from Bryce Vieira and a 20-yard touchdown by Kalem Beaver, the Ravens slowly pulled ahead. Several Ottawa drives looked promising before being halted for field goals, while Carleton took advantage of the special teams unit and an interception deep in Gee-Gees territory to dominate field position. Ottawa had 29 total first downs [compared to 26 for Carleton] but were limited to two touchdowns.

Tunde Adeleke of the Ravens returned the first missed field goal of Lewis Ward’s season for a touchdown with ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to put Carleton solidly in front, 40-16.

“That was more or less the dagger right there but there were other things that were telltale prior to that,” noted Gee-Gees head coach Jamie Barresi. “We’re much better than this – we’ve shown it before and I have higher expectations.”

The Gee-Gees had a golden opportunity in the second half to close the gap after Parker Bolton flushed Carleton quarterback Jesse Mills out of pocket to force an interception by Ricard Lubin at the Ottawa 50. The momentum quickly swung back in favour of the Ravens as the defence came up with a third consecutive two and out.

“We got the play calls that we needed,” added Gee-Gees quarterback Derek Wendel, who emphasized execution as the issue. “We didn’t break tackles and we needed to make big plays like we have every week so far.”

Carleton, now 4-2 on the season, was led by receiver Nate Behar with 138 yards and two touchdowns as well as running back Jayde Rowe who collected 130 yards on 27 attempts. Ottawa was able to handle Rowe early but he was a force in the middle portion of the game. The defensive backs on both teams were consistently draped closely to their receivers, making every catch a difficult one.

Wendel finished with 339 yards passing while Bryce Vieira netted 113 rushing yards along with five catches for 39 yards. “Bryce ran all over the field here and the o-line really stepped up in the run game. That will be good to build on next week,” said Wendel. “Going into the fourth quarter we stepped it up and I think it gives us some momentum for next week. I know we can make plays – we need to keep working towards the team that we know we can be.”

 

uOTTAWA GEE-GEES vs. CARLETON RAVENS at OTTAWA 10/1/2016 at 1:00PM
Ottawa 23	Carleton 43

Source: Toronto Varsity Blues

Toronto (30), Windsor (51)

Despite career-high performances from three veterans, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team dropped a 51-30 decision to the Windsor Lancers on Saturday, October 1 at Alumni Stadium.

TORONTO STATS:

Fifth-year quarterback Marcus Hobbs notched went 23-for-39 for 314 yards, all career-best performances, and threw for one TD. He also rushed seven times for 14 yards and two majors on the day.

Fourth-year receiver Anthony Naccarato made 10 catches for 152 yards, also both career-highs, and added a TD, while fourth-year linebacker led all players with 11.5 tackles in the loss.

Third-year running back Alex Malone led the Blues on the ground, rushing 17 times for 108 yards, while Rahul Madan made four receptions for 71 yards.

Fifth-year linebacker Adrian Bernard was right behind Mokube, matching his career-high 10 tackles, while Michael Leslie notched 7.5 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one break up.

Fourth-year running back Kaleb Leach added five kick returns for 109 yards.

GAME FLOW:

U of T opened the scoring with a missed field goal for the single point early in the first quarter. Tarrence Crawford put the Lancers up, capping off a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a three-yard rushing TD.

Windsor missed their field goal on their next drive to build an 8-1 lead, but the Blues answered back as Malone rushed U of T down the field and Hobbs capped it off with a one-yard rushing major. The two teams were deadlocked at 8-8 after the first quarter.

The Lancers took the lead for good early in the second. Fourth-year quarterback Casey Wright hit Jeff Masson with a 16-yard TD pass and went onto find Cassell Jones for a 53-yard major. Blues kicker Ryan Grandell made a 28-yard field goal and punter TJ Morton forced the Lancers to take a knee in the end zone as Toronto headed into halftime down 22-12.

After another single for Toronto, Wright extended the Lancers lead with a four-yard rushing TD early in the third quarter. The Blues answered back though, as Hobbs found Naccarato for a 45-yard gain and hit him again with a 12-yard touchdown reception to bring the Blues within nine (20-29) midway through the third quarter.

On the ensuing drive, Windsor’s Nick Vincent capped off a six-play, 86-yard drive with a 20-yard run for the score. The Lancers conceded a safety and another Morton punt went through the back of the end zone as the Blues trailed 36-23 going into the fourth quarter.

Toronto brought the game within reach early in the fourth quarter. Hobbs connected another long ball with Naccarato to set up his second rushing major and bring the Blues within six (30-36).

However, the Lancers sealed the win with a one-yard rushing TD and two point conversion from Crawford and Jones added his second major of the game off a 35-yard pass from Wright.

WINDSOR STATS:

Wright went 17-for-30 for 253 yards and three touchdowns. His favourite target was Jones who ended the game with six receptions for 119 yards a two majors. Crawford led all players with 28 carries for 184 yards and two majors, while Vincent rushed nine times for 94 yards and one TD in the win.

Daniel Metcalfe and Frank Renaud led the Lancers with 7.5 and 8.5 tackles, respectively.

The Varsity Blues have a tight turn around as they host the Laurier Golden Hawks in the Turkey Bowl this Thursday, October 6 at Varsity Stadium. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale here.

For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite U of T athletes and teams, please visit www.varsityblues.ca. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for the latest and greatest in Varsity Blues intercollegiate athletics.

TORONTO VARISTY BLUE vs. WINDSOR at Windsor, ON 10/1/2016 at 1:05
Toronto 30	Windsor 51

Source: Queen’s Gaels

Queen’s (54), Waterloo (20) 

Gaels running back Jonah Pataki (Wallaceburg, Ont.) ran all over the Warriors on Saturday with 133 yards and three touchdowns as Queen’s (2-3) defeated Waterloo (0-6) 54-20 to move into a tie for a playoff spot in the OUA.

GAME FLOW
After the Gaels won the toss and deferred, Waterloo and Queen’s traded quick two and outs as the game got off to a slow start.

On the next Waterloo drive Mike Moore (Mississauga, Ont.) picked up a loose fumble after the Gaels sacked Waterloo quarterback Lucas McConnell and the Gaels took over at the Waterloo 54. Pataki followed up an eight yard rush with a 33-yard run into the endzone for the first touchdown of the game.

After another stalled Warriors drive the Gaels took over on offence again. They moved the chains with a big passing play from Nate Hobbs (Mississauga, Ont.) to Chris Osei-Kusi (Brampton, Ont.) for 30-yards down to the Warrior 25. Gaels kicker Nick Liberatore (Dartmouth, N.S.) connected from 17-yards out for a field goal to give the Gaels a 10-0 lead which is where things landed at the end of the quarter.

In the second, the Queen’s offence continued to churn as Hobbs hit Alex Zuyls (Toronto) on a 40-yard pass and Pataki followed up on the next play with a 13-yard scamper into the endzone for a touchdown.

After Waterloo got on the board with a 14-yard McConnell pass complete to Tyler Ternowski, the Gaels saw the OUA Special Teams player of the week Nicholas Fraser-Greene (Mississauga, Ont.) display his defensive prowess soon after. Fraser-Greene picked off McConnell and took it 68-yards to the Waterloo seven yard line. From there Hobbs found Rudy Uhl (North Vancouver, B.C.) for another Gaels touchdown.

At the half Queen’s held a 27-10 lead over Waterloo.

Early in the second half Hobbs connected with Osei-Kusi for a 40-yard catch and run. This set up an eventual Liberatore field goal from 11-yards out to make it 30-10 Gaels.

After Hobbs kept it himself for a touchdown, Pataki landed his third on the ground for the day. The two teams traded touchdowns and a field goal the rest of the way and the Gaels claimed the victory 54-20.

Osei-Kusi finished with five catches for 106 yards on the day while Hobbs went 19 of 28 for 274 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a score as well. Defensively, Moore had three solo tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

FINAL SAY?
“A lot of guys got to show what they are capable of today and that will help us moving forward,” said offensive lineman and captain Emilio Frometa after the game. “We know that we have the capacity to be a complete team and each game, today included, shows that we are making strives towards that.”

BY THE NUMBERS
3 – Three teams are currently tied for the final playoff position in the OUA at 2-3, York, Windsor and Queen’s
Double – Two games in a row for both Osei-Kusi and Pataki reaching 100-yard marks
4/4 & 6/6 – It was a perfect day for Liberatore as he connected on all four field goal attempts and all six extra points.

UP NEXT
Queen’s will travel to McMaster next Friday to take on the Marauders under the lights at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton. Kick-off is set for 7pm.

 

Queen’s Gaels vs. Waterloo Warriors at Waterloo 10/1/2016 at 13:07
Queen’s 54	Waterloo 20

 

Source: Western Mustangs (Photo Credit: Christian Bender)

Laurier (26), Western (45)

Chris Merchant threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns, while the defence held Laurier’s league-leading rushing attack to a season low 140 yards as the Western Mustangs defeated the Golden Hawks 45-26 on Saturday afternoon at TD Stadium.

“They are a good football team,” said coach Marshall after the win. “I’m happy with the outcome, we knew they would be tough defensively, and we had to pull a lot of stuff out of the hat to score some points. I thought defensively, other than the big plays, we played a great game.”

With the win the Mustangs are now 5-1 on the year and take over sole possession of first place in the OUA. Laurier moves to 4-1 this season and the loss puts the Golden Hawks into a tie for second place in the standings.

Coming into Saturday’s game the Golden Hawks had dominated on the ground, with Eric Guiltinan averaging just over 160 yards per game, however the Mustangs held the London native to a season-low 36 yards on 15 carries.

While the purple and white limited the Laurier running game, the Mustang defence was tested all day long as Laurier quarterback Micheal Knevel was unafraid to take shots deep down the field. The Mustangs secondary, however, was more than up for the challenge, knocking down or deflecting a number of well-placed throws by Knevel, who finished the day with 243 yards and two touchdowns on 11-for-30 passing.

“We are doing really well,” said defensive back Malcolm Brown about the defence’s performance. “We are coming together as a whole and we are doing everything we need to. We’re communicating out there, and if we see something we don’t recognize we communicate really well and adjust on the fly. I feel like we’re doing really well as a whole.”

Philippe Dion led Western in tackles with 10, while John Biewald picked up two sacks and Brown added a touchdown, taking back a punt that was blocked by Fraser Sopik.

Merchant led the offence once again, throwing for 360 yards on 21-for-29 passing with three touchdowns. The three majors gives the quarterback 12 on the year, good for second in the OUA.

“Chris is really settling into the offence, settling into the system,” said offensive linemen Sean Jamieson. “Coming in as a first year guy is pretty tough… I think he has done a great job getting better every week and adjusting to the game plan. He’s been great at developing each week into a better player.”

Receiver George Johnson had another huge game for the Mustangs, hauling in four passes for 130 yards and one touchdown. Harry McMaster and Alex Taylor were the other two Mustangs to find the end zone, with McMaster hauling in a five-yard pass, while Taylor had both an 18-yard reception and 17-yard run that resulted in majors.

After neither offence was able to get things going in the opening minutes, the Mustangs were the first team on the board a little over six minutes in, with Merchant hitting Johnson on a 35-yard touchdown pass.

Western made it 14-0 before the end of the quarter, however it was the special teams unit putting points on the board, as for the third time this season the Mustangs scored on a blocked punt. Sopik broke through the line to make the block, followed by Brown picking up the ball and taking it back 22 yards for the score to give Western a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

Laurier didn’t wait long before firing back with a touchdown of their own, as Rashari Henry capitalized on a Mustangs fumble and returned it 33 yards to give the Golden Hawks their first score of the game.

The scoreboard would remain at 14-7 for the majority of the quarter before Merchant recorded three 20 plus yard throws to put the Mustangs in scoring position. In the red zone, Stevenson Bone took over and threw a six-yard touchdown over the top to David Mackie to extend the Mustangs lead to 21-7 at halftime.

Laurier came out firing in the second half, scoring less than three minutes in on deep pass from Knevel. The 41-yard strike was hauled in by receiver Brentyn Hall, who came down with it in traffic to cut the Mustangs lead to 21-14 and record his first career CIS touchdown.

After that Laurier score, however, the Mustangs offence took over, adding a pair of touchdowns and a field goal to their lead before the third quarter was up. Taylor sliced his way into the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown with five minutes left in the frame, and Merchant found McMaster for a five-yard touchdown to increase the Mustangs lead to 38-14.

Just as they had in the second and third quarters, the Golden Hawks scored less than three minutes into the fourth, this time on a 13-yard run from Kurleigh Gittens Jr., however it wouldn’t be enough as the two teams each added one more touchdown in the quarter to set the final score at 45-26 for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs now head into their bye week over Thanksgiving before they play Ottawa and McMaster. The Mustangs travel to Ottawa on the 15th of October to play the Gee-Gee’s before coming home to round out their season against McMaster at Homecoming on October 22.

“The break comes at a great time for us,” said Marshall. “We said at the start of the season that Thanksgiving is the best break time. This is a good time for us to rest up. We’ve had some tough games, and we’ve got two tough games to play down the stretch.”

 

Laurier Golden Hawks vs. Western Mustangs at London, Ontario 10/1/2016 at 1:15 PM
Laurier 26	Western 45

Source: McMaster Marauders 

Guelph (15), McMaster (27)

The No. 8 McMaster Marauders used 16 third-quarter points to get past the Guelph Gryphons 27-15 during McMaster`s homecoming at Ron Joyce Stadium.

The Marauders improved their overall record to 4-1 as one of four teams atop the OUA standings. Western holds a 5-1 record with their win over Wilfrid Laurier today in OUA football action, while McMaster, Ottawa and Laurier all hold identical 4-1 records. Guelph`s record drops to 2-4, placing the Gryphons alongside York, Windsor and Queen`s, who all have two wins.

Chris Pezzetta of Burlington, Ont., punched in a touchdown midway through the third quarter and ended up as the game’s top rusher, compiling 143 yards on 20 attempts. He was just 12 yards shy of his career high.

Asher Hastings of Regina tossed a touchdown to go along with 199 yards passing. He finished 22 for 34 with one interception. Guelph`s quarterback James Roberts of Cambridge, Ont., finished with 247 yards passing, a touchdown and an interception.

Johnny Augustine of Welland, Ont., was the top running back for Guelph, posting 109 yards in the loss.

Mike Kashak of Courtice, Ont., led the way defensively for the Marauders, recording five total tackles. Defensive back Robbie Yochim of Kelowna, BC, had an interception and a pass breakup for McMaster in the win. The Gryphons top defensive player was Nick Parisotto of Guelph, Ont., who recorded eight total tackles

Roberts and receiver Jordan Terrio of Niagara Falls, Ont., were the two touchdown scorers for the Gryphons. Roberts on a one-yard rush in the second quarter and Terrio adding a consolation score on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Roberts with 25 seconds to play.

McMaster kicker Adam Preocanin of Burlington, Ont., had three field goals in the game, converting from 30, 16 and 40 yards.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED: Down 7-5, the Marauder offence roared to life in the third quarter scoring 16 points in five minutes. McMaster tied the game on a conceded safety from Guelph. The offence then orchestrated a six-play, 75- yard drive capped by a Pezzetta one-yard touchdown. After a Gryphon punt, Hastings found Vandervoort in the endzone for a 10-yard touchdown reception, putting the score at 21-7 with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter.

HOMECOMING: The annual McMaster homecoming game was once again a sold out with 5,427 Marauder faithful packing Ron Joyce Stadium. It was the second sellout for the Marauders this season with the first coming on the opening day frosh week game against the Carleton Ravens (Aug. 28).

100 PLUS: Pezzetta`s 143 yards rushing today marked the second time this season he has broken the 100 yard marker.  He rushed for 117 yards against Toronto back on September 5th on Football Day in Hamilton at Tim Hortons Field. It also marked the sixth time he has rushed for over 100 yards in his career, with his best total coming against Queen`s in 2014 with 154 yards.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT: Heading into the game, Guelph was the least penalized team in the OUA with 8.4 penalties per game. Today, the Gryphons tallied 18 total penalties for 125 yards, which factored into the Marauders win. For their part, McMaster were penalized 10 times for 72 yards.

UP NEXT: It will be a quick turnaround for McMaster (4-1) as they host the Queen’s Gaels this coming Friday (October 7) at Ron Joyce Stadium. Earlier today, Queen’s (2-3) defeated the Waterloo Warriors 54-20 and are on a two-game winning streak. In their last meeting, the Marauders dropped the Gaels 28-19 at Ron Joyce Stadium back on September 27, 2014.

QUOTABLE: Chris Pezzetta, McMaster running back (Fifth year senior)

Pezzetta on the success of the run game…
“It makes it easy when the offensive line is getting movement and pushing guys around. It gave them confidence, gave me confidence and gave the team as a whole some confidence. Seeing those run totals going up, it’s a sign that we’re getting better as a team every week.”

Pezzetta on early struggles…
“There were a couple of unfortunate penalties at bad times, and we had a guy go down, so personnel was a bit messed up in that first half. Once we got that figured out in the second half, we were able to roll a bit and start moving the football and finishing drives. That’s what we need to do moving forward is to finish drives and get into the end zone.”

Pezzetta on their rivalry with Guelph…
“Every time we play Guelph, it’s a fun game, and we always want to come out firing. That didn’t really happen, and it took us a little while to get going. But I always get jacked up to play Guelph, and when it’s Homecoming with your friends and family in the stands, that makes it all the better.”

QUOTABLE: Greg Knox, McMaster Head Coach
Knox on the second half offensive outburst…
“It was a wake up call. We struggled with our execution in the first half, and certainly the message at half time centred around waking up a little bit. I’m proud of them for the way that they responded. Defensively, I think they were tough all day. I don’t like letting a team walk down and score at the end, but with the young guys playing, that’s sometimes what will happen, and that’s what we want to see is our younger players getting opportunities.”

Knox on the run game…
“We can do it, and I think we committed to it. We called an excellent game in the second half, and kept Guelph on their heels, and that’s really what I want it to look like.”

Knox on Asher Hastings…
“Asher is doing everything that we’re asking him to do. The stats and all of that stuff is just fantasy football and it has no place in our plans. It’s about winning football games, and every one has a role. I think Asher is doing a great job from a leadership perspective, and I think the season’s going to only get better for all of us as it goes on.”

Knox on the rivalry with Guelph…
“It was the combination of Homecoming and wanting to really get up to play Guelph today. They’ve been strong of late as a program. What I saw today is a level of intensity and focus that I’ve been asking for. Overall, whether it’s Guelph or Homecoming, my expectation is for it to look that way every week.”

Knox on veteran running back Chris Pezzetta
“He’s a great kid, and I think pride is a good word for what we feel for him. Hopefully, he’s feeling pretty proud for himself.”

 

Guelph Gryphons vs. McMaster Marauders at Hamilton, Ontario 10/1/2016 at 1:07pm
Guelph 15	McMaster 27

Saint Mary’s (17), StFX (37)

Led by a five-touchdown passing performance by quarterback Tivon Cook (Scarborough, ON), the first place StFX X-Men (3-1) scored a 37-17 victory over the visiting Saint Mary’s Huskies (1-3) Saturday afternoon in AUS football action.

The game, in front of 5,600 fans at StFX Stadium, served as part of Homecoming 2016 festivities.

The X-Men jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter, starting with a touchdown on their opening offensive possession.

Keyed by three catches from Christian Ridley (Dubai, UAE), including a 25-yard TD grab from Cook, the X-Men led 6-0. With the Jonathan Heidebrecht (Camrose, AB) point after, which capped off the eight-play, 65-yard drive, the blue and white were up 7-0.

“It was awesome. We drove down the field; we were pretty dominant on that drive,” Cook said, after the game, when asked how that opening score helped set the tone for the game.

“It gave everyone the confidence that we could keep doing it – again and again.”

After a 45-yard kick-off return from Andreas Robinson (Dartmouth, NS), the Huskies started their second series, which ended after Saint Mary’s receiver Shomari Murdock-Reid (Toronto, ON), near midfield, coughed up the ball after a hit from X-Men defensive back Paolo Lach-Edwards (Hamilton, ON). StFX defensive back Nathaniel Fermin(Pickering, ON) made the recovery.

On the ensuing drive, the X-Men doubled their advantage, with Dejaun Martin (Scarborough, ON) corralling a 31-yard touchdown pass from Cook, on a second-and-two play. With the Heidebrecht conversion, StFX led 14-0, less than 10 minutes into the contest.

Starting on their own nine-yard line, the Huskies tried to engineer some offense, but they were stymied by the X-Men defense, including a tandem tackle by defensive linemen Kay Okafor (Enugu, Nigeria) and Kyle Forde (Ajax, ON).

After a first-down connection between Cook and first-year X-Men receiver Chuck Wall (Hamilton, ON), the Huskies stiffened on defense and forced a StFX punt. The key play came from Tresor Mafuta (Montreal, QC) and Jadarius Ceaser (Montreal, QC), who stuffed X-Men running back Jordan Socholotiuk (Fort McMurray, AB) for a loss.

After the X-Men defense forced a Saint Mary’s two-and-out on offense, Kaion Grant (Toronto, ON) returned the Brian Hope (Port Coquitlan) punt 25 yards to the Huskies’ 43-yard line.

On the next play, Cook threw a bomb to Ridley for a 43-yard touchdown, giving the X-Men a 21-0 lead.

At the start of the second quarter, the X-Men defense held the Huskies to a two-and-out, keyed by a combined sack by Kadel King (London, ENG) and Mete Konya(Osnabrueck, GER).

On the next Saint Mary’s possession, Lach-Edwards (Hamilton, ON) intercepted a deflected Erdmann pass.

A short time later, King helped end another Huskies’ possession with a tackle-for-loss of running back Derek Pisani (Newmarket, ON).

The Huskies got the ball back, after the X-Men offense stalled. On the possession, Ceaser came up with a sack of Cook.

After the X-Men special team unit almost blocked a Hope punt, the home team started from the Huskies’ 32-yard line, after a Martin return and no yards’ penalty against Saint Mary’s. The Huskies defense stiffened and forced a two-and-out for the StFX offense.

With the Huskies trying to cut into the X-Men edge, Hope had his 39-yard field-goal attempt blocked by defensive back Justin Holland (Parksville, BC). Lach-Edwards scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the Saint Mary’s 24-yard line.

On a second-and-16 play, Cook went up top and connected with Grant for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone. With the Heidebrecht point after, the X-Men led 28-0.

In the final two minutes of the first half, off a broken play deep in the X-Men zone, Mafuta intercepted Cook and made the short return – five yards – for a touchdown.

The X-Men blocked the Hope point-after attempt, keeping the score 28-6, which was the margin at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, the Huskies converted a third-and-two, on a Pisani four-yard carry. During another third down attempt, linebacker Curtis Urlacher(Peachland, BC) stuffed Pisani, and the X-Men took over on downs.

On a third-and-one, from the X-Men 40-yard line, Cook gained first-down yardage on a quarterback sneak, but the Saint Mary’s defense held up and, eventually, forced StFX to punt.

On the next X-Men possession, defensive back Robinson lowered the boom on Martin, knocking the ball loose and causing an incompletion on a second-down play.

Late in the third quarter, with the Huskies starting at their own seven, the X-Men forced a two-and-out, highlighted by a Forde tackle of Pisani, in the backfield, for a loss of one yard. Penned deep in their own end, Hope conceded a safety, when he went back to punt, giving StFX a 30-6 lead, which they carried to the fourth quarter.

In the opening two minutes of the final stanza, the X-Men engineered a three-play, 63-yard scoring march. After a pair of rushes by Albert Banahene (Calgary, AB), Cook threw a 40-yard TD pass to a wide open Martin, who sped by his defender to get open. With the Heidebrecht point after, StFX led 37-6

The Huskies tried to rally, on their next possession, with Lerone Robinson (Vancouver, BC) making consecutive receptions, followed by a first-down scramble by Erdmann. After the drive sputtered, Hope kicked a 36-yard field goal to cut the X-Men advantage to 37-9.

In the final two minutes of regulation, Erdmann hooked up with Robinson for a 35-yard pass-and-catch touchdown. After the Saint Mary’s quarterback connected with Djordje Petrovic (Brantford, ON) for the two-point conversion, the visitors trailed 37-17.

X-Men defensive back Hayden Peters (Inverary, ON) snuffed out the final Saint Mary’s series with an interception of Erdmann.

Another strong offensive effort from the X-Men was keyed by the play of the offensive line.

“They had a hell of a game today – their pass blocking was amazing. I wasn’t feeling any pressure all game,” Cook said. “The receivers also caught the ball very well today. It was just a great game all-around for our entire team.”

Offensively, StFX outgained Saint Mary’s 424-320, in total yards, and held a 22-15 edge in first downs.

Along with his quintet of passes for major scores, Cook – the Subway player of the game – finished 19-for-33 for 305 yards.

Ridley was the top receiver for the X-Men, with seven catches for 118 yards, while Martin added five for 82 yards. Both snatched a pair of TD catches. On the ground, Socholotiuk rushed for 55 yards, on 21 carries, while Banahene collected 45 yards on 11 rushes.

For the Huskies, Erdmann finished 22-for-43 for 230 yards, with Robinson his top receiver, collecting 117 yards on seven receptions. Leo Mantuila (Edmonton, AB) was the team’s top rusher with eight carries for 54 yards.

On defense, King led the X-Men with 8.5 tackles, six solo and five assisted, while Gordon Whyte chipped in five solo and six assisted, for six total tackles.

For the Huskies, Emmanuel Agbozo (Surrey, BC) and Aidan Panchyshyn (Edmonton, AB), his team’s player of the game, led the way with nine (five solo) and seven (five solo) tackles, respectively.

Cook talked about playing in front of the large and supportive home crowd on Homecoming weekend. “It was amazing. I am definitely going to remember this for a long time. It was such a great atmosphere, so many fans, so many people cheering. It was just a great time, all-around, especially when you win,” he said.

Both teams return to action Friday, Oct. 7, with the X-Men hosting the Acadia Axemen, while the Mount Allison Mounties will visit Halifax to face the Huskies. Kick-off for both match-ups is 7 p.m.

 

SMU vs. STFX at Antigonish, NS 10/1/2016 at 2:07 PM
Saint Mary’s 17	StFX 37

Acadia (12), Mount Allison (20)

The Mount Allison Mounties celebrated Homecoming with a 20-12 win over the Acadia Axemen at Alumni Field on Saturday.  On a day where the Mount Allison community celebrated the completion of Phase 2 of the Alumni Field project, the hometown crowd was also treated to rookie Head Coach Scott Brady’s first AUS win.  Phase 2 of Alumni Field included the completion of a new score clock, flags at the field, a new press box and new bleachers.

The game started slowly on offense with neither side putting up points in the first quarter.  Penalties also seemed to quiet any offense that was trying to emerge in the early going.  The Mounties struck first, 5 minutes into the 2^nd quarter when kicker Ryan Lambert hit from 37 yards to give the Mounties a 3-0 lead.  Acadia put their first points on the board 5 minutes later when they forced the Mounties to a safety, bringing the score to 3-2.

Mount Allison would stretch their lead to 6-2 before halftime when a nine play, 63 yard drive ended with Lambert’s 2^nd field goal, this time from 34 yards.

Acadia struck first in the 2^nd half, driving 54 yards on 6 plays for their only major of the day. The touchdown came when Sabastian Robinson scored from 1 yard out.  This gave Acadia a 9-6 lead at the midway point of the 3^rd quarter but the Mounties would respond right away to regain the lead.  Fifth year Mountie Michael Bohan took the ensuing kickoff back 38 yards to midfield to give the Mounties great field position.  Mounties freshman QB Jakob Loucks then took over and drove his Mounties into Acadia territory.  All-Canadian running back Chris Reid capped the drive with back-to-back runs, first for 9 yards and then from 6 yards to find the end zone.  The Mounties took a 13-9 lead and would never trail in the game again.

Acadia closed to within 1 point early in the 4^th quarter with a field goal to run the score to 13-12.  But less than two minutes later the Mounties got a huge play on special teams to stretch their lead.  With Acadia backed up in their own end rookie linebacker Aidan McKenna blocked the Acadia punt, sending the ball rolling into the Acadia end zone.  Fourth year Mountie Quinn LeBlanc quickly jumped on the ball and the Mounties cashed in their 2^nd TD of the day.

Acadia would have one last chance at the end of the game but as the final throw was knocked down in the end zone the celebration started for the home crowd.

Freshman QB Jakob Loucks continues to impress for the Mounties, earning Subway Player of the Game Honours.  Loucks was 26 of 40 for 238 yards passing.  Loucks also had 76 yards rushing on 8 carries during the game.  For Acadia, Cody Cluett was 27 of 46 for 298 yards on a day where the Axemen only had 17 rush attempts.  Sophomore receiver Maleke Richards had 10 catches for 112 yards while Dakota Brush added 7 catches for 80 yards.

Defensively the Mounties were led by Damian Halstead and Kyle Horsman who had 8.5 tackles each on the afternoon.  Horsman currently leads the AUS in tackles.

The Mounties, who sit in a tie for 2^nd place at 1-3, now travel to Saint Mary’s this coming Friday, October 7^th for the 2^nd of 3 meetings with the Huskies this year.

 

ACADIA vs. Mount Allison at Sackville, NB 10/1/2016 at 2:05PM
Acadia 12	Mount Allison 20

Friday, Sept. 30

Recap by: Jeremy Laurie/UBC Thunderbirds (Photo credit: Bob Frid/UBC Thunderbirds)

Manitoba (50), UBC 53

After four nail-biting overtimes, UBC emerged victorious in Friday night’s epic showdown between the Thunderbirds football team (3-2) and the visiting Manitoba Bisons (2-3) at Thunderbird Stadium. It took a combined five touchdowns and three field goals in overtime alone to decide the 53-50 victory, which gives the ‘Birds two crucial points heading into their final three games of the season.

The existing school record of 729 total offensive yards, set in 2004, was shattered as UBC logged a 753 total-yard performance on Friday night. UBC receiver Trivel Pinto, who split time as a defensive back on Friday, tied the school record with his three touchdowns.

Running back Ben Cummings and quarterback Michael O’Connor both made significant contributions to UBC’s spectacular yard count. Cummings was dominant throughout the night, recording an impressive 246 rushing yards, while O’Connor totalled 463 passing yards.

Cummings explained that he felt especially driven in the second half, wherein he logged the majority of his rushes and ran in a touchdown.

“I just felt hungry, especially coming out in the second half. [We] needed to make a statement, so I did what I could,” he said.

Pinto’s game-winning touchdown and the thrill of quadruple overtime amounted to what he described as one of the best games of his life.

“The winning touchdown [is] something you dream about as a kid. I’ve never been in a game like this before. This is just crazy,” explained Pinto.

Longtime Bisons head coach Brian Dobie, whose team pummelled the ‘Birds in the pre-season, acknowledged that UBC showed their full potential in what he labelled as one of the most exciting contests of his illustrious career.

“I’ve been in two or three overtimes, but [none] like that one. It was crazy. I’ve coached for 42 years and without a doubt that was a top-10 game. [We] lost in a heartbreaker, and the big key is moving forward. It was a great game,” he said.

The Thunderbirds held onto a narrow 3-0 lead heading into the second, with a clutch interception from Stavros Katsantonis 6:08 denying the Bisons a potential first TD. The Bisons would eventually find the scoreboard early in the second, as quarterback Theo Deezar found ShaI Ross in the endzone.

Patience paid off as O’Connor sniped the ball to Trivel Pinto in the back corner of Manitoba’s endzone late in the second, securing UBC’s first touchdown. The Bisons responded in the final minutes of the first half, securing the 19-13 lead.

Cummings ran four consecutive rushes totalling 89-yards to give UBC their second touchdown at 11:06 in the third. The Bisons again responded with a TD, finding the 30-23 lead with only 11-minutes remaining.

With 4:32 remaining Cummings carried the ball to the to the 3-yard line, and then dashed his way into the end zone. Greg Hutchins‘ extra point tied things up at 30 apiece with under five minutes remaining, forcing overtime.

O’Connor lobbed a 27-yard pass to Pinto, giving UBC the first touchdown of OT. The Bisons would respond shortly after, and a long field goal for each team tied things back up at 40-all. After the Bisons once again replied following Will Watson‘s touchdown in triple overtime, they opted for a successful field goal on their final drive. UBC took advantage of the opportunity, and O’connor found Pinto with a 35-yard pass for the game-winning points.

Head coach Blake Nill was impressed with his team’s ability to execute big-time plays in such a close contest.

“There [were] a lot of big plays. On this night we just made more than they did, and we deserved to win that game.”

UBC will head east to Saskatchewan for an important matchup against the Huskies on Friday, October 14 at 6 p.m. On the same night, Manitoba will play at Calgary.

 

Manitoba vs. UBC at Vancouver, B.C. 9/30/2016 at 6:00 pm
Manitoba 50	UBC 53

 

 

 

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