“It’s really the same story for success that we’ve had all year – playing smart and fast. You have to stay disciplined and win the turnover battle. These are two very good football teams, and the team that makes the fewest mistakes usually wins.”
Harris Jr. is well aware of his program’s recent history with Laval as he was part of the Dinos coaching staff for all previous games against the Rouge et Or on the national stage, first as linebackers coach and then as defensive coordinator.
“This season has just shown how our whole team has that ‘next man up, nobody ever quits’ attitude. We’ve shown it the entire year, sticking together as a team and finding ways to get it done.”
On paper, Laval looks to have the advantage on defence going into the Vanier Cup, while Calgary’s offence was more explosive in the regular season and in the first three playoff rounds.
In league play, the Rouge et Or ranked second in the nation in points allowed (9.8 per game) and total yards (294.0), third against the run (91.8) and fourth against the pass (202.3). They are led by sophomore defensive end Mathieu Betts, who had 12 quarterback sacks a year ago en route to winning national rookie-of-the-year honours and added nine more this season on his way to being named the RSEQ’s most outstanding down lineman.
Where: Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, Ont.
Visiting team: Laval Rouge et Or (10-1)
Home team: Calgary Dinos (9-2)
TV (English): Sportsnet & Sportsnet 360 (pre-game show at 12:30 p.m.)
TV (French): TVA Sports (pre-game show at 12:30 p.m.)
Web (English): Sportsnet NOW
Web (French): TVASports.ca
Radio: CHYZ (Quebec City)
2016 season summary
Overall record (regular season & playoffs): 10-1
Regular season record: 7-1
Regular season standing: 2nd
Playoff record: 3-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 1): No. 1
Top 10 best ranking: No. 1 (3 weeks)
Top 10 lowest ranking: No. 4 (1 week)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (10 polls): 10
Regular season offence points (36.1 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 8th U Sports
Regular season offence total yards (460.6 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 12th U Sports
Regular season offence passing (291.9 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 11th U Sports
Regular season offence rushing (168.8 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 9th U Sports
Regular season defence points (9.8 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 2nd U Sports
Regular season defence total yards (294.0 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 2nd U Sports
Regular season defence passing (202.3 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 4th U Sports
Regular season defence rushing (91.8 / game): 3rd RSEQ / 3rd U Sports
Aug. 20 (home): Laval 36, Carleton 29 OT (preseason)
Sept. 3 (home): Montreal 24, Laval 21
Sept. 10 (away): Laval 37, Concordia 18
Sept. 18 (home): Laval 41, Sherbrooke 3
Sept. 24 (away): Laval 49, Mount Allison 4
Oct. 2 (home): Laval 61, McGill 9
Oct. 15 (away): Laval 22, Montreal 19
Oct. 23 (home): Laval 44, Bishop’s 0
Oct. 29 (away): Laval 14, Sherbrooke 1
Nov. 5 (home): Laval 39, Concordia 14 (RSEQ semifinal)
Nov. 12 (away): Laval 20, Montreal 17 (Dunsmore Cup)
Nov. 19 (home): Laval 36, Wilfrid Laurier 6 (Uteck Bowl)
2016 RSEQ individual honours
Major awards: Mathieu Betts (outstanding down lineman), Adam Auclair (rookie of the year)
All-stars offence: Vincent Alarie-Tardif (RB), Antony Auclair (FB), Samuel Lefebvre (G), Samuel Thomassin (G), Jean-Simon Roy (T)
All-stars defence: Mathieu Betts (DE), Vincent Desjardins (DT), Gabriel Ouellet (LB), Adam Auclair (DB), Gabriel Marcoux (DB), Alexander Hovington (CB)
All-stars special teams: Antony Dufour (RET)
Overall record: 4-0
Home record: 3-0
Away record: 1-0
Neutral site record: 0-0
2013 (home): 25-14 win (Vanier Cup)
2011 (away): 41-10 win (Mitchell Bowl)
2010 (home): 29-2 win (Vanier Cup)
2008 (home): 59-10 win (Uteck Bowl)
Not included in official head-to-head record:
2014 (home): 35-23 win (preseason)
2013 (home): 32-3 win (preseason)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 8-1
2013 (TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City): 25-14 win vs. Calgary
2012 (Rogers Centre, Toronto): 37-14 win vs. McMaster
2011 (BC Place Stadium, Vancouver): 41-38 OT loss vs. McMaster
2010 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): 29-2 win vs. Calgary
2008 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 44-21 win vs. Western
2006 (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): 13-8 win vs. Saskatchewan
2004 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 7-1 win vs. Saskatchewan
2003 (SkyDome, Toronto): 14-7 win vs. Saint Mary’s
1999 (SkyDome, Toronto): 14-10 win vs. Saint Mary’s
Season: 16th
Career regular season record: 112-19 (.855)
Career playoff record: 42-10 (.808)
Career overall record (season and playoffs): 154-29 (.842)
Career overall record vs. Calgary: 4-0
Vanier Cup record: 7-1
Vanier Cup wins: 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2003
Vanier Cup losses: 2011
2016 season summary
Overall record (regular season & playoffs): 9-2
Regular season record: 6-2
Regular season standing: 2nd
Playoff record: 3-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 1): No. 6
Top 10 best ranking: No. 2 (2 weeks)
Top 10 lowest ranking: No. 7 (1 week)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (10 polls): 10
Regular season offence points (36.8 / game): 1st CW / 7th U Sports
Regular season offence total yards (507.4 / game): 2nd CW / 5th U Sports
Regular season offence passing (311.5 / game): 4th CW / 6th U Sports
Regular season offence rushing (195.9 / game): 1st CW / 6th U Sports
Regular season defence points (20.9 / game): 1st CW / 9th U Sports
Regular season defence total yards (395.4 / game): 1st CW / 12th U Sports
Regular season defence passing (288.0 / game): 2nd CW / 17th U Sports
Regular season defence rushing (107.4 / game): 1st CW / 6th U Sports
Aug. 25 (Medicine Hat, Alta.): Calgary 37, Regina 13 (preseason)
Sept. 1 (away): Calgary 23, Manitoba 14
Sept. 9 (home): Calgary 35, UBC 8
Sept. 16 (away): Calgary 20, Saskatchewan 19
Sept. 23 (away): Regina 32, Calgary 27
Oct. 1 (home): Calgary 50, Alberta 15
Oct. 14 (home): Calgary 63, Manitoba 6
Oct. 22 (home): Saskatchewan 38, Calgary 35
Oct. 29 (away): Calgary 41, UBC 35 OT
Nov. 5 (home): Calgary 47, Saskatchewan 17 (Canada West semifinal)
Nov. 12 (home): Calgary 46, UBC 43 (Hardy Cup)
Nov. 19 (home): Calgary 50, StFX 24 (Mitchell Bowl)
2016 Canada West individual honours
Major awards: None
All-stars offence: Austen Hartley (IR), Ryan Sceviour (G)
All-stars defence: Jack McEwen (DT), Connor McGough (DE), Boston Rowe (LB), Robert Woodson (DB), Adam Laurensse (CB)
All-stars special teams: None
All-time head-to-head vs. Laval
Overall record: 0-4
Home record: 0-1
Away record: 0-3
Neutral site record: 0-0
2013 (away): 25-14 loss (Vanier Cup)
2011 (home): 41-10 loss (Mitchell Bowl)
2010 (away): 29-2 loss (Vanier Cup)
2008 (away): 59-10 loss (Uteck Bowl)
2014 (away): 35-23 loss (preseason)
2013 (away): 32-3 loss (preseason)
All-time record: 4-5
2010 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): 29-2 loss vs. Laval
2009 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): 33-31 loss vs. Queen’s
1995 (SkyDome, Toronto): 54-24 win vs. Western
1993 (SkyDome, Toronto): 37-34 loss vs. Toronto
1988 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 52-23 win vs. Saint Mary’s
1985 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 25-6 win vs. Western
1983 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 31-21 win vs. Queen’s
1975 (CNE Stadium, Toronto): 14-9 loss vs. Ottawa
Head coach: Wayne Harris Jr.
Season: 2nd
Career regular season record: 14-2 (.875)
Career playoff record: 4-1 (.800)
Career overall record (season & playoffs): 18-3 (.857)
Career overall record vs. Laval: 0-0
Vanier Cup record: 0-0
Vanier Cup wins: None
Vanier Cup losses: None
2015 UBC 26, Montreal 23 (TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City)
2014 Montreal 20, McMaster 19 (Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal)
2013 Laval 25, Calgary 14 (TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City)
2012 Laval 37, McMaster 14 (Rogers Centre, Toronto)
2011 McMaster 41, Laval 38 OT (BC Place Stadium, Vancouver)
2010 Laval 29, Calgary 2 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City)
2009 Queen’s 33, Calgary 31 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City)
2008 Laval 44, Western 21 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton)
2007 Manitoba 28, Saint Mary’s14 (Rogers Centre, Toronto)
2006 Laval 13, Saskatchewan 8 (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon)
2005 Wilfrid Laurier 24, Saskatchewan 23 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton)
2004 Laval 7, Saskatchewan 1 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton)
2003 Laval 14, Saint Mary’s 7 (SkyDome, Toronto)
2002 Saint Mary’s 33, Saskatchewan 21 (SkyDome, Toronto)
2001 Saint Mary’s 42, Manitoba 16 (SkyDome, Toronto)
2000 Ottawa 42, Regina 39 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1999 Laval 14, Saint Mary’s 10 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1998 Saskatchewan 24, Concordia 17 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1997 UBC 39, Ottawa 23 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1996 Saskatchewan 31, StFX 12 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1995 Calgary 54, Western 24 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1994 Western 50, Saskatchewan 40 OT (SkyDome, Toronto)
1993 Toronto 37, Calgary 34 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1992 Queen’s 31, Saint Mary’s 0 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1991 Wilfrid Laurier 25, Mount Allison 18 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1990 Saskatchewan 24, Saint Mary’s 21 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1989 Western 35, Saskatchewan 10 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1988 Calgary 52, Saint Mary’s 23 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1987 McGill 47, UBC 11 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1986 UBC 25, Western 23 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1985 Calgary 25, Western 6 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1984 Guelph 22, Mount Allison 13 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1983 Calgary 31, Queen’s 21 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1982 UBC 39, Western 14 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1981 Acadia 18, Alberta 12 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1980 Alberta 40, Ottawa 21 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1979 Acadia 34, Western 12 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1978 Queen’s 16, UBC 3 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1977 Western 48, Acadia 15 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1976 Western 29, Acadia 13 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1975 Ottawa 14, Calgary 9 (CNE Stadium, Toronto)
1974 Western 19, Toronto 15 (CNE Stadium, Toronto)
1973 Saint Mary’s 14, McGill 6 (CNE Stadium, Toronto)
1972 Alberta 20, Waterloo Lutheran 7 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1971 Western 15, Alberta 14 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1970 Manitoba 38, Ottawa 11 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1969 Manitoba 24, McGill 15 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1968 Queen’s 42, Waterloo Lutheran 14 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1967 Alberta 10, McMaster 9 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1966 StFX 40, Waterloo Lutheran 14 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1965 Toronto 14, Alberta 7 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
NOTE 2: TELUS-UL Stadium was formerly called PEPS Stadium (2009-2010 Vanier Cups)
NOTE 3: Wilfrid Laurier was formerly called Waterloo Lutheran (1966, 1968, 1972 Vanier Cups)
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