U Sports recap (9): Western, Dinos remain undefeated…it’s playoff time

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Friday, Oct. 19

Regina (1-6) 6, Calgary (7-0) 58

CALGARY – The third-ranked University of Calgary Dinos put up a dominant performance in all three phases of the game Friday night, eliminating the University of Regina Rams from playoff competition with a 58-6 win at McMahon Stadium.

With first place in Canada West clinched, the Dinos put on a show offensively, with quarterback Adam Sinagra racking up another 428 yards of passing on just 20 completions. With his total, Sinagra sits just 308 yards behind Noah Picton’s U SPORTS single-season passing record, a feat he’ll look to beat when the Dinos (7-0) close the regular season next weekend at Alberta.

After Calgary took an early lead with a rouge and safety, the teams exchanged field goals. On the very first play from scrimmage after the Regina field goal, the Dinos scored the game’s first touchdown on an outstanding throw form Sinagra across the middle that was hauled in by Dallas Boath and taken 75 yards to the end zone.

After Regina responded with their best offensive drive of the game, resulting in an Aldo Galvan field goal, the Dinos offence kicked into high gear. The Dinos’ final four drives in the second half ended with a 51-yard Niko DiFonte field goal and three touchdowns.

The first score came from the 3-yard line, as short yardage quarterback Josiah Joseph tossed a touchdown to fifth-year linebacker Boston Rowe, who came into the game as a fullback. After another defensive stop, Sinagra and Boath connected again for the touchdown, this time from 27-yards out.

With time ticking down in the second half, Regina turned the ball over in their own end, and the Dinos would make no mistake punishing them for it. A trick play with just 12 seconds remaining led to receiver Justin Julien throwing a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Philpot. Those two touchdowns came just 22 seconds apart and the Dinos took a 40-6 advantage into halftime.

Saturday, Oct. 20

Acadia (4-3) 27, MTA (2-5) 11

Game recap: Acadia Athletics
SACKVILLE, N.B. – The Acadia Axemen defeated the Mount Allison Mounties 27-11 on Saturday on a blustery afternoon at Alumni Field in Sackville. 

With a strong wind at their back to start the game, Acadia put points on the board early as they forced the Mounties to a safety just a minute and 12 seconds into the game. The Mounties found themselves pinned again 7 minutes later when the conceded their 2nd safety of the 1st quarter.  Acadia extended the lead to 5-0 before the end of the quarter when kicker Jarett Saumure missed a field goal attempt. 

The Mounties got on the board early in the 2nd quarter. The Mounties recovered a fumbled punt return attempt by Acadia, giving them the ball on the Acadia 39 yard line. A short time later freshman kicker James Parker hit from 35 yards to make the score 5-3 Acadia. 

Acadia extended their lead to 12-3 with 3 minutes remaining in the half when Hunter Guenard connected with Cordell Hastings from 16 yards out. 

Acadia would pick up another single point before the half leaving the score at 13-3. 

Acadia would extend their lead to 20-3 early in the 3rd quarter when quarterback Hunter Guenard hit a streaking Glodin Mulali for a 78 yard touchdown reception. 

Acadia would strike again in the 4th quarter as Guenard hit Blake Rennick who then ran 27 yards for the major. 

Senior Josh Hicks gave the Mounties crowd something to cheer about late in the game when he scored a 66-yard touchdown on a 3rd and 15 pass play from Graham Kelly. The Mounties were successful on the two-point attempt to bring the score to 27-11.  

Senior Mounties quarterback Troy Downton was 7 of 19 for 44 yards on the day. Senior Graham Kelly was 4 of 11 for 119 yards after coming in the game in the 4th quarter. Josh Hicks led Mounties receivers with 4 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Kiel Ambursley had 58 yards on 7 carries while Chris Reid rushed for 49 yards on 9 carries. 

For Acadia, quarterback Hunter Guenard was 23 of 40 for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns. Guenard was named Subway Player of the Game for his efforts. Glodin Mulali had 5 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. 

With the loss, the Mounties have been eliminated from AUS playoff contention. 

The Mounties finish the 2018 AUS regular season with a trip to StFX to play the X-Men at 2PM on Saturday, October 27th. Acadia will host Saint Mary’s for their final game of the regular season. 

Waterloo (404) 44, Guelph (5-3) 47 OT

Game recap: Guelph Gryphons

GUELPH, Ont. – Instant classic. That’s the most appropriate description of what the fans at Alumni Stadium witnessed on a memorable final day of the OUA football season. With a series of heartbreaking losses in their recent past, not to mention their playoff lives on the line, the Guelph Gryphons flipped the script and defeated the Waterloo Warriors 47-44 in a double overtime thriller Saturday afternoon.

Fifth-year kicker Gabe Ferraro connected on a 42-yard field goal, the 91st of his distinguished career to tie the U SPORTS record for most makes ever, and rookie defensive lineman Tavius Robinson stripped the ball on Waterloo’s subsequent passion in the second overtime to ensure that Guelph (5-3) plays at least one more week. And the opponent in that upcoming home OUA playoff matchup? The very same Warriors.

Head coach Todd Galloway called the dramatic win “fitting.”

“We’ve had a lot of close ones this year,” said Galloway, referencing the Gryphons’ three losses by a total of four points. “Through the guys’ perseverance and how much heart they’ve shown, we’re starting to come out on the other side of these close ones, which is nice to see.”

“It definitely feels a lot better,” added relieved fifth-year linebacker and OUA tackles leader Luke Korol. “Losing those games was a punch in the mouth. But those games happen – and they make you better.”

Guelph’s fourth-year quarterback Theo Landers completed 11 of 22 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while rookie running back Jean-Paul Cimankinda reeled off 167 yards and touchdown on 16 rushes. Landers once again relied on his two favourite targets, Kian Schaffer-Baker and Kade Belyk, who each had four grabs and a score, while registering 94 and 48 yards respectively.

The two receivers were also responsible for another big play when Belyk flipped a ball to Schaffer-Baker on a reverse that went for 53 yards to the house, giving Guelph an 18-9 lead late in the second quarter.

The two teams met in Waterloo last year and produced an offensive slugfest, with Guelph eking out a 53-49 win. But Saturday’s game was even better, especially considering what the two teams were battling for. Like they did in the 2017 matchup, the rivals separated by less than 30 minutes traded knockout punches. The Gryphons took a 34-30 lead at 4:32 of the fourth quarter when Landers hooked up with Schaffer-Baker on a 17-yard touchdown.

Waterloo’s star quarterback Tre Ford had an answer. Ford rushed in from a yard out to regain the lead for his team but Ferraro sent the game to overtime on a 32-yard field goal with no time left on the clock, leaving him one short of the U SPORTS record held by University of Calgary kicker Johnny Mark, who made 91 field goals from 2011 through 2015.

In overtime, Ford found Gordon Lam for a four-yard touchdown catch. Advantage Waterloo. But Cimankinda used his 225-pound frame to bust one in from the six-yard line, forcing a second extra session. That’s when Ferraro tied Mark and the towering 6-8 Robinson, who is making a name for himself in the trenches, got the strip of the season to secure the biggest win for the team this year.

“They continue to make unbelievable football plays,” Galloway said of the defensive unit. “That’s a great offence over there that we played today, with a lot of weapons to contain. We knew that we were just going to try and limit what they do. You can’t stop everything. And I was proud of those guys.

“Once again, they came up big when it mattered.”

Guelph did what they could to mimic Ford in practice all week but the dynamic second-year man was destined to have his way. He finished the day with an eye-popping 30 completions on 38 attempts, 396 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, with 73 rushing yards and another score on the ground.

“That kid’s an incredible athlete but he’s also a great quarterback,” Galloway said. “You have to pick and choose what you think you want to take away that day, whether it’s his legs or his arm. We just tried to play disciplined football and limit him as much as we could.”

Ford got Waterloo on the board first with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Mitch Kernick at 5:06 of the first quarter. After Schaffer-Baker’s great running touchdown, Ford connected with receiver Richmond Nketiah just seven seconds before the half. In the third quarter, he threw two touchdown strikes to Tyler Ternowski, the second giving Waterloo a 30-24 edge, with more fireworks to come.

Guelph’s own offence wasn’t too bad either. Korol said the O played “incredible.”

But what resonated most was the resolve of the whole team. Korol said that it’s ingrained in the Gryphon culture to play for veterans and he was touched by how the younger players committed to stepping up to see the game through.

It was the same for him in his first few years with the program.

“Our team has shown so much coming back in games, showing that drive and heart,” Korol said, noting how exciting it was to secure a playoff berth. “Our team has had so much respect for the vets. Knowing that if we did lose that game we could potentially be out, they dug deep. Our whole team did. They said, ‘We want to win this for you,’ and that means so much.

“I feel like that’s a really important part of the program.”

The two teams get to do it all over again next Saturday at Alumni Stadium. And while it may have been fun for the spectators, Guelph’s coaching staff knows the week of preparation will be long and busy.

“We definitely have to watch the film and learn from the mistakes we made,” said Galloway. “We have to finish better when we get the opportunity. We’ve got to try and turn them into a one-dimensional offence and not let the run game going.

“When they can get both phases of that offence going, they become pretty tough to stop.”

York (3-5) 31, Toronto (0-8) 15

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team dropped a 31-15 decision to the York Lions in the 49th annual Red & Blue Bowl on Saturday, October 20 at Varsity Stadium.

TORONTO STATS:

Second-year quarterback Vince Luccisano got the start for Toronto, going 5-for-19 for 72 yards, while rookie David Maecker came in in the third quarter and went 5-for-10 for 82 yards. Will Corby capped off an impressive sophomore campaign with eight receptions for 114 yards, while Maxwell Gyimah rushed seven times for 44 yards and one TD.

Fourth-year defensive back Nick Hallett led all players with a season-high 10 tackles. Damoy Robinson had eight tackles and one sack, while fellow fourth-year veteran Lamar Foyle also had eight tackles and a half sack in the loss.

GRADS:

The Varsity Blues honoured graduating players Connor Ennis, Wade Zanchetta, Ryan Grandell, Patrick Pankow, Jordan Sidsworth, Cole Goodfellow, Wacey Schell, Lamar Foyle, Nick Hallett and Carter Gladman in a special pre-game ceremony.

1993 VANIER CUP CHAMPIONS:

The Blues also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 1993 Yates and Vanier Cup championship team in a special halftime presentation.

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 TwitterInstagramSnapChat and Facebook for the latest and greatest in Varsity Blues intercollegiate athletics.

McMaster (5-3) 17, Windsor (1-7) 5

Game recap: Lancers Athletics

The Windsor Lancers took to the field for the last time this season facing off against the McMaster Marauders in the 2018 edition of Senior’s Day. The Lancers not only wanted to send their seniors with a win, but also play spoiler to the 4-3 McMaster squad trying to make the playoffs. Unfortunately the Lancers couldn’t quite accomplish it, falling 17-5.

Game Stats
Daniel Metcalfe led all tacklers with 13, including two sacks, while McMaster was led by Noah Hallet with eight tackles.

McMaster’s Jordan Lyons had a day rushing picking up 184 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Jacob Savoni led the Lancers with 78 yards on the ground.

Neither quarterback had a game to remember, Sam Girard went 14-26 for 124 yards. Jackson White going 5-13 for 70 yards, each signal caller tossed a pick as well.

GAME FLOW
The first half was a slugfest with virtually no passing game and runs being paid for with heavy contact.  Both teams struggled to gain any sort of offense while the defenses pinned their ears back and attacked. Later on the weather became a factor as wind and rain swirled down onto Alumni Field. The weather led to a host of issues, including three missed field goals in the first half. With the wind howling and the rain pouring both teams went to the locker room in a 0-0 tie.

In the second half it was more of the same early as both teams struggled mightily to gain any sort of consistency or momentum. The first break in the deadlock came towards the end of the third quarter when a strip sack of Sam Girard set up the Marauders 18 yards promptly converted in the form of a Jackson White touchdown run.  Both teams traded field goals before a blocked punt set up Jordan Lyons touchdown run to seal the game.

Prior to the game the Lancers recognized their graduating seniors during the coin toss. The Lancers said thank you to Matt Gayer, Clark Green, Courtney Ellis, Lucas Moore, Drew Desjarlis, Kaeden Walls, Mike Dorsey, JoJo Sarfo-Boetang, Evan Martin, Donte Palma, Marvin Gaynor, and Kolt Smith.

Ottawa (6-2) 27, Queen’s (3-5) 22

KINGSTON, Ont. (October 20, 2018) – The Queen’s Gaels saw their season come to an end after a 27-22 loss to the Ottawa Gee-Gees during the Gaels homecoming weekend and Think Pink game.

HOMECOMING
It was great Fall homecoming day for football at Richardson Stadium and a near capacity crowd of 7,055 were on hand. The homecoming festivities saw the Tricolour Guard parade the field at halftime while students and alumni alike cheered and saluted on their way past.

GRADUATING SENIORS
Prior to kick-off, the Gaels honoured their graduating senior players with a special presentation.

THINK PINK
Queen’s partnered with the AMS ReUnion Street Festival and the Canadian Cancer Society for Think Pink Day as Gaels fans added pink to their Tricolour outfits. Donations were also accepted by the Canadian Cancer Society throughout the game.

GAME FLOW
Things got off to a slow start as the two teams traded punts early on in the opening quarter. Ottawa’s offence was finally the first to get going and they found the scoreboard on a Sawyer Buettner 10-yard pass to Carter Matheson for a touchdown.

Early in the second quarter, the Gee-Gees offence forced a Gaels fumble into their own end zone. Francis Perron jumped on the loose ball for Ottawa and they held an early 14-0 lead.

After a field goal from Nick Liberatore to get Queen’s on the board, the Gaels blocked a Gee-Gees punt and recovered the football setting up another strike from the Queen’s kicker. After Ottawa tacked on a late field goal, Queen’s was down just 17-6 at halftime.

Nate Hobbs connected on a big catch-and-run play to Matteo Del Brocco for a 71 yard gain down to the Ottawa 1-yard line. Hobbs kept for himself and scored his ninth rushing touchdown of the season.

Down 20-15 Ottawa connected on a 37-yard field goal and followed up with a Buettner two-yard rushing score to extend their lead to 27-15.

Queen’s was able to score one more time as Hobbs hit Chris Osei-Kusi over the middle of the field for a 30-yard touchdown.

That was as close as the Gaels would get however as the Gee-Gees spoiled the Gaels homecoming with a 27-22 win.

MUST-SEE MOMENT
Hobbs found the reliable Chris Ose-Kusi for a highlight reel touchdown.

FINAL SAY
I thought we did a great job of managing the third, we came out and scored to get it close but just once again we disintegrated a few times with a few dreadful series in the fourth quarter. I hope that our graduating seniors enjoyed their time and become dedicated alumni for Queen’s in the future and I wish them tremendous success. I am proud of the team, they fought hard and represented Queen’s well.

BY THE NUMBERS
9 – Nate Hobbs finished the season with nine rushing touchdowns to finish second in the OUA in that category.
52 – Zackary Kealey ended the year with 52 tackles which puts him 6th in the OUA.
4 – This marks the Gaels’ fourth loss this season that have come within a single score.

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Wilfrid Laurier (4-4) 13, Western (8-0) 46

LONDON, Ont. – Fourth-year lineback Fraser Sopik totaled three solo tackles and five assisted tackles on homecoming weekend to help lead the Western football team to a 46-13 blowout over the Laurier Golden Hawks in TD Stadium.

With the win, the Mustangs finish the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record to remain atop the OUA standings as they head into the postseason with a first round bye. The Golden Hawks’ loss officially removes them from playoff contention, ending their season with a 4-4 record and a seventh place finish in the OUA division standings.

“Of course, it feels good to be able to go undefeated in a season and it’s something to be proud of, but obviously we’re not done yet,” said Mustangs quarterback Chris Merchant. “We know we have a long road ahead of us, but we’re enjoying the win right now, especially against a great team like Laurier who came in here two years ago and ruined our season. A lot of the guys on this team know what it feels like to be champions, so we won’t be happy with anything less.”

“It feels good to get a win and end our season with the record we have, especially on homecoming, but that end goal is still looming over us,” said Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall. “I think the key message is to just take it one game at a time. Our approach is always one week at a time, one practice at a time, so we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”

Sopik, who has led Western’s defence all season long, proved dominant once again in shutting down the opposing offence throughout the day. On the other side of the ball, Merchant led the way for the purple and white offensively, throwing for 251 passing yards and leading the team with 97 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Harry McMaster also had a strong game for the Mustangs, receiving for 160 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

“We made a lot of mistakes today offensively, but our defence and our special teams bailed us out throughout the entire game,” said Marshall. “Fraser’s the best defensive player in the country, hands down. He’s special and he makes tons of plays for us every year. But I also have to give credit to coach Gleason and the rest of our defensive coaches who came up with a great game plan just as they did against Ottawa last week.”

“We didn’t play our brand of football in the first week of the season, but ever since then, we’ve been on a tear,” said Sopik. “Our young guys are playing incredible football right now and the veterans have been as consistent as always, so I like where we are as a team heading into the playoffs.”

After securing a first-place finish against Ottawa last weekend, Western entered their homecoming weekend with much lower stakes than Laurier as the Golden Hawks looked to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win over the defending Vanier Cup Champions.

However, Western quickly proved why they sit atop the OUA standings, as Merchant connected with Malik Besseghieur for a long completion to put the purple and white in the red zone, where running back Cedric Joseph would punch in the touchdown to give the Mustangs the early 7-0 lead. However, a strong defensive presence throughout the remainder of the quarter along with a pair of field goals from Laurier trimmed the lead down to 7-6 heading into the second.

Western’s offence continued to struggle to begin the second quarter, as Merchant threw his fifth interception of the season in the Mustangs opening drive of the frame. Both teams failed to find the end zone midway through the quarter until a weather delay forced both teams to return to the locker room for the required 20 minute time period. However, the delay seemed to get Western’s offence back on track, as Merchant connected with McMaster for the touchdown to make it a two-possession game.

The Golden Hawks countered quickly with 45-yard completion to put themselves in the red zone, but an incredible effort from the Mustang defence held Laurier at the one-yard line for three straight downs. However, Western would fumble the ball on the ensuing possession on their own one-yard line, leading to the Laurier touchdown and a slim 17-12 Mustang lead heading into halftime.

It was the Mustangs who found the end zone first to begin the second half, as Merchant once again connected with McMaster for a 61-yard touchdown to extend the Mustangs’ lead to 25-13 heading into the fourth quarter.

Western put the game away early in the fourth, as the defence shut down Laurier’s third-down drive on their own ten-yard line to give Merchant the opportunity to rush in for the touchdown on the ensuing possession. Merchant added yet another touchdown to his rushing total on the day later in the frame, running in a 74-yard touchdown to extend the lead for the purple and white. The defence continued to dominate for the remainder of the frame, leaving the Golden Hawks scoreless for the entire second half as the Mustangs cruised to the eventual 46-13 victory.

“The undefeated streak is nice in the regular season, but it’s a whole lot better to have it in the playoffs,” said Marshall. “Our goal is the Yates Cup and then the Vanier. We don’t really think about winning streaks. They’re nice, but we have higher goals.”

“Getting into the record books with our winning streak is a cool thing to talk about, but it’s not something we’re concerned about,” said Merchant. “We’re always thinking about our weekly goal and that’s just to win the next game so we’re going to be focused on that. We’re only concerned with winning each playoff game, one game at a time. Worrying about the winning streak isn’t apart of that mindset.”

Following a perfect 8-0 regular season, the Mustangs will enjoy a well-deserved break as they earn a bye through the first round of the Yates Cup Playoffs and await their opponent in the second round.

StFX (5-2) 12, Bishop’s (0-8) 11

LENNOXVILLE, Que. – St. Francis Xavier kicker Keiran Burnham booted through a 31-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining to lift the X-Men to a 12-11 victory over the Bishop’s Gaiters in AUS Football action on Coulter Field on Saturday.

The win clinched second place in the conference for StFX and gave them the Bigg Bowl for the second consecutive year while Bishop’s season ends at 0-8.

How it Happened
StFX tallied 12 points without scoring a touchdown.  Burnham was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, connecting from 24 yards in the third quarter and again on the game winner.

A Bishop’s conceded safety was the only score in the first quarter. Things heated up in the second. After StFX conceded a safety, Gaiters’ pivot Mathieu Demers (Lévis, Que./Cégep LImoilou) connected with receiver Melvin Palin (Quimper, France/Cégep de Victoriaville) for a 37-yard touchdown.

Bishop’s conceded another safety but held a 9-4 advantage at the break.

Burnham’s 24-yard field goal was the only points in the third stanza.

The X-Men gave up another two points early in the fourth frame and Bishop’s led 11-7, then crunch time provided fireworks.

With 1:40 remaining, Bishop’s defensive back Jordan Ngantsi (Ottawa, Ont., Cumberland Panthers) broke-up a pass in the back of the end zone and the Gaiters took over.

Bishop’s was not able to move the sticks on the ensuing drive and they made the decision to give up another two points. They held an 11-9 lead.

The X-Men turned to their all-Canadian receiver Kaion Julien-Grant and he made the Gaiters pay on a 33-yard catch and run that set-up the eventual 31-yard field goal winner.

Game MVP’s
For Bishop’s, linebacker Keagan Hughes (West Kelowna, B.C./Okanagan Sun (BCFC)) was named Subway Game MVP. He recorded 10.5 tackles.

Jordan Sochnolotiuk earned player of the game honours for StFX.  He rushed 22 times for 105 yards.

Bigg Bowl
The Bigg Bowl was donated in 2002 by the family of H. R. Bigg and is awarded after competition between the StFX X-Men and Bishop’s Gaiters in university football competition. With the Gaiters’ move to the AUS, one of the annual matchups between the team is designated as the Bigg Bowl game.

All time StFX now holds a 4-1 mark over the Gaiters when the Bigg Bowl is on the line.
2002 – StFX 22, BU 7
2004 – StFX 50, BU 17
2009 – BU 33, StFX 12
2017 – StFX 27, BU 14
2018 – StFX 12, BU 11

Bishop’s is 1-7 against StFX all-time.

Coach Cherif’s Corner
“I think our guys fought hard against a very good team, we just didn’t have enough to finish,” said Gaiters head coach Cherif Nicolas. “What’s important now is to get on the recruiting trail and start looking ahead to next year.”Social Corner
Stay up-to-date with everything Bishop’s Gaiters at www.gaiters.ca or on social media using @BishopsGaiters and #GaiterNation.

McGill (2-5)  31, Concordia (2-5) 19

MONTREAL — Defensive back Benjamin Carre picked off an errant pass to snuff out a Concordia scoring drive and ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown midway through the final quarter as McGill rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Stingers 31-19 in RSEQ university football at Concordia Stadium, Saturday.

It was only McGill’s second victory in seven games this season but clinched a playoff berth for the Redmen. With one game left to play, McGill could finish either third or fourth in the five-team Quebec conference. It’s only the sixth time in 16 years that the Redmen have qualified for post-season play since winning the Dunsmore Cup league championship in 2002.

Concordia led 17-2 after the opening quarter and upped that to 19-2 midway through the second stanza before McGill mounted their miracle comeback. They narrowed the gap to 19-15 by halftime, then outscoring the Stingers 9-0 in the third and 7-0 in the final quarter.

“Was it part of our game plan to fall behind 19-2, no it wasn’t, but it was part of our game plan to keeping fighting until the final whistle,” said McGill head coach Ronald Hilaire. “I’m really proud of the way we battled. We had to face some serious adversity in the first quarter when we kind of shot ourselves in the foot with mistakes and fumbles but we overcame that and persevered until we ultimately took the lead and never looked back.”

Trailing 19-17 late in the third quarter, McGill pivot Dimitrios Sinodinos was credited with the winning score when his two-yard TD run on a gutsy quarterback sneak put his troops ahead 24-19 at the 13:25 mark.

But the Stingers appeared poised to retake the lead midway through the final stanza when quarterback Adam Vance was picked off by Carré at the McGill 10-yard-line. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound defensive back ran it back 100 yards to take the wind out of Concordia’s sails and silence the hostile crowd. It was the civil engineering junior’s second INT returned for TD this season and the third of his career. He also collected four solo tackles in the contest.

“Carré is a constant worker and always strives to be the best he can be,” Hilaire offered. “I’ve been tough on him this year because he’s always looking for the big play but sometimes takes risks to make that play and tries to do too much. He’s got a lot of character and I can’t be more proud of what he has accomplished.”

Sinodinos, a 21-year-old sophomore from Laval, Que., completed 16 of 33 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and an interception. His TD strike was a seven-yard toss to senior Remi Bertellin, which ignited the McGill comeback, reducing the 17-point deficit to 19-9.

Kicker Findlay Brown contributed eight points to the victory, with a 2-for-3 performance in field-goals, making from distances of 31 and 12, reducing the Concordia lead to 19-15.

The Redmen offence was sparked by junior Donavan Martel, an explosive 5-foot-8, 192-pound running back, who rushed 15 times for 109 yards. He added 35 yards on two catches. It was the first time over the century mark by a McGill ball carrier in nine games, dating back one year exactly, when Daniel Adesegun had 100 yards on 13 carries in a 35-27 win over Sherbrooke on Oct. 21, 2017.

“Martel is very coachable and I was very happy to see him have his best career game at this level,” noted Hilaire. “He had numerous plays where he made a long gain out of what appeared to be nothing. It was a great opportunity that he had in his hands and he took full advantage of the situation.”

Vance, who ranks second in the conference in passing, was limited to only 186 yards in the air. He was 19-for-38 passing with two picks and one TD.  His lone major was a 19-yard strike to Yanic Lessard which put the Stingers ahead 10-0 only four minutes into game.

The only other Concordia TD came on a 70-yard fumble recovery by Sam Brodrique that put his side ahead 17-2 late in the second quarter.

McGill’s defence was a key factor in the win, collecting three quarterback sacks and forcing Concordia into conceding a pair of two-point safeties. Aside from Carré’s aforementioned exploits, Jean-Philippe Hudon, a 22-year-old kinesiology junior from Levis, Que., was a driving force with 9.5 tackles, eight of them solos. The 5-foot-7, 181-pound defensive back was also credited with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass knockdown.

The vistors were full marks for the win, with a 22-15 margin in first downs and a net offence of 298, compared to Concordia’s 236. But the Stingers shot themselves in the foot with a plethora of penalties. They were flagged 23 times for a whopping 215 yards of real estate, compared to McGill, which had 11 penalties for 105 yards. The game featured 15 turnovers, including eight by Concordia, which had two on interceptions, one on a fumble and five on downs. McGill threw only one pick but lost four fumbles and turned it over twice on missed third-down situations.

McGill (2-5) now holds the all-important head-to-head tie-breakers over both fourth-place Concordia (2-5) and fifth-place Sherbrooke (1-5). The Redmen would finish third if they either upset the Montreal Carabins at Molson Stadium next week or if Concordia loses their final game at Sherbrooke. Both games are slated for 2 p.m. kickoffs on Oct. 27. If the Stingers win, then the Redmen must defeat Montreal to finish third.

REDMEN RAP: Carré is one shy of the conference single-season record for most interceptions resulting in a TD. Concordia’s Max Caron had three in 2011. He is two shy of the mark for most in a career (five) by Concordia’s Kris Robertson, who played between 2009 to 2014… The 100-yard pick was the third longest return in Quebec conference history, shy of the 111-yard effort by Tom Europe of Bishop’s in 1992 and the 105-yarder by McGill’s Loris Lucchetta against Concordia in 2000.

Manitoba (3-4) 4, Saskatchewan (4-3) 27

SASKATOON – In a crucial Canada West clash, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team clinched a spot in the playoffs as they picked a monumental victory over the Manitoba Bisons by a score of 27-4, at Griffiths Stadium inside Nutrien Park in Saskatoon, SK. on Oct. 20.

The Huskies took over the game in the second half, as they shutout the Bisons in the final two-quarters of play and registered 25 unanswered points.

A trio of fifth-year athletes stood out for Saskatchewan in their final regular season game on home turf.

Quarterback Kyle Siemens threw for 262 yards and one touchdown, and also set a career high in rushing yards in a single game with 84 yards, with 42 of those yards coming on a big run of the third quarter which is also currently the longest carry of his career.

“He played how I knew he would. He is the leader of this football team, and he knows that. He came out and played a great game,” Flory said.

Fellow fifth-year Tyler Chow was instrumental in the ground game, as his powerful running style took a toll on the Bisons in the second half. Chow totalled 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground while adding three receptions for 26 yards and a receiving touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, Tristian Koronkiewicz had a day as registered three tackles, a tackle for a loss and a sack. In his final regular season game at Griffiths he also recovered a fumble and ran it back for the first U SPORTS touchdown of his career, sealing the victory for the Huskies.

“I’m really proud of Tristian, the way he has responded this season and the game that he had today,” Flory said. “He absolutely deserves all the accolades he gets for what he’s done for this football team.”

For the Bisons, Victor St. Pierre Laviolette ran the ball eight times for 108 yards, and Des Catellier threw the ball well before exiting with an injury, hitting for 142 yards through the air.

The victory moved the Huskies to 4-3 on the season and clinched a playoff spot for the program, as they will return to the postseason after missing out on the big dance one year ago.

Meanwhile, for Manitoba, the loss drops them to 3-4 on the season, and their playoff fate will be decided in the final week of the regular season.

After a Huskies punt on the opening drive of the football game, the Bisons offence went to work. Catellier connected with Lyles for a 38-yard reception, setting up Manitoba at the one-yard line. However, the Huskies defense stood strong, with Tom Whiting making a massive tackle on Lyles to bring up third down.

On the ensuing play, Catellier spotted Macho Bockru in the corner of the end zone. However, he stepped out of bounds before catching the ball, resulting in a ten-yard penalty. Brad Milkouff stepped up and nailed an 18-yard field goal to cap a 14 play, 82-yard drive, to give the Bisons a 3-0 lead.

On the ensuing Bisons drive after a Huskies punt, Koronkiewicz brought pressure and took down Catellier on first-down for a loss of ten yards. The sack ultimately led to a safety, as the Bisons elected to play field position and run the ball out of the back of the end zone to make the score 3-2.

Siemens and the Saskatchewan offense started to find their groove and orchestrated a drive late in the second half. Colton Klassen had carries of 15 and 14 yards on slotback reverses. Siemens then spotted Jesse Kuntz for receptions of 14 and 11 yards, setting up the Huskies inside the two-yard line. However, Manitoba responded with a goal-line stop of their own, holding strong and shutting down the Huskies on three straight carries.

The Huskies defence would score the next points in the game when Tom Whiting made another monster defensive play, as he was able to wrap up Catellier on the blitz, recording a safety for the Huskies and making it a 4-4 game.

The tied score-line would carry into halftime, as the two programs were engaged in all-out defensive battle. Through two quarters, the Huskies racked up 173 total yards, while the Bisons recorded 135 total yards of their own.

On the first Bisons drive of the second half Catellier connected to Trysten Dyce for a nine-yard reception, but Tom Whiting made a crucial tackle on Lyles to get the defence off of the field.

The Huskies appeared to have carried their late first-half momentum over into the fresh quarter, as Tyler Chow went back to work, grinding out long runs. However, the drive was stalled after Siemens spotted Carter Dahl over the middle of the field near the first-down sticks, Shae Weeks forced a fumble for the Bisons, which was recovered by Chris Larsen.

After the Huskies defence forced a Bisons punt, Siemens took off for a 42-yard carry, as he squeaked through a hole in the middle of the field and made the most of the open space, setting up the Huskies inside the red zone.

From there Siemens would connect with a fellow-fifth year, as Chow leaked out of the backfield, snagged a reception and snuck into the end zone to give the Huskies the 11-4 lead capping a seven-play, 107-yard drive.

The Bisons started to move the ball up the field, as Catellier and Bockru connected for a chunk of 11 yards and then Victor St. Pierre Laviolette rifled off a 20-yard carry. However, the drive was stopped in its tracks when Riley Pickett made his way into the Bisons backfield and brought down Catellier for a loss of six yards.

The ground game of the Huskies began to take over in the fourth quarter, with Klassen ripping off a 32-yard scramble, which was followed up by a ten-yard rush from Tyler Chow.

With Saskatchewan set up inside the red zone, Chow would do the rest, as he punched in his second major of the day to give the Huskies a 19-4 lead.

After Catellier exited the game with an injury, Jamie Ybarra stepped in at quarterback for Manitoba; however, Saskatchewan’s defence continued his dominant play. After a botched snap, Koronwiewicz made a play to remember in his final regular season game at Griffiths Stadium, scooping up the fumble and running it back 39 yards to the house, to put the Huskies up 27-4.

The two programs will conclude their regular seasons in week eight, as Saskatchewan travels south to take on the Regina Rams on Oct. 20. The Huskies will look for a victory and a Thunderbirds loss to host a home playoff game.

Meanwhile, Manitoba will take on UBC in Winnipeg as they fight for their playoff lives in front of a home crowd.

Both games can be watched live on canadawest.tv.

Alberta (2-5) 11 , British Columbia (4-3) 30

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds staked out a healthy first half lead and never looked back en route to a 30-11 victory over the visiting Alberta Golden Bears (2-5) Saturday afternoon at Thunderbird Stadium. UBC’s second straight win improves the ‘Birds to 4-3 while clinching a postseason berth for the fourth consecutive season.

The Bears’ loss officially eliminates Alberta from the Hardy Cup playoffs.

UBC quarterback Michael O’Connor was on fire all game long, finishing with 427 yards and two touchdowns. The fourth-year quarterback completed 16 consecutive passes to start the game, setting a new team record. O’Connor ended the game 30-for-35 with no interceptions.

“The O-line did a very good job keeping Mike on his feet,” said UBC head coach Blake Nill of his veteran quarterback who he can’t say enough positive things about. “He’s had a tremendous year. If you look at his completion percentage and then look at how many dropped passes he’s suffered, he’s had a pretty good year. He’s carrying a big reputation but I think he’s living up to that.”

Trivel Pinto was a force for UBC once again as well with 198 receiving yards, a touchdown, and 294 all purpose yards.

While it was a good afternoon for the T-Birds, they weren’t able to get rolling offensively until late in the opening frame. On UBC’s second drive, O’Connor looked for Pinto downfield and he hooked up with the fourth-year receiver deep in Alberta territory. But after the catch, the ball came loose and a fortuitous bounce off Bears running back Troy Hansen’s leg led to a turnover.

After forcing the Bears to punt, O’Connor quickly moved the ball with back-to-back first down passes to Sharique Khan and Trey Kellogg. After a penalty put the ‘Birds into the red zone, O’Connor found Pinto for a 13-yard touchdown on the final play of the quarter, the receiver’s fourth major score of the season.

The Pinto show continued in the second quarter. On their first possession of the frame, O’Connor hooked up with old faithful for a 22-yard catch to put the ball inside the five-yard line. On the very next play, Khan, who featured prominently early for the T-Birds, punched it in for his first career Canada West touchdown. Khan finished the day with 151 combined yards on offence, 89 of them on receptions out of the back field, UBC’s second highest receiving total behind Pinto.

“Sharique coming in was our seventh running back,” explained Nill. “Just the way the football gods are working, we’ve certainly had our difficulties this year but I remember watching him last year and thinking ‘this kid’s going to be a player'”.

The Greg Hutchins convert gave the ‘Birds a 14-0 lead just a few minutes into the second.

On their ensuing possession, the Bears gambled on third and two at the T-Birds’ 21-yard line. But Jonathan Rosery scampered for another first down to keep the visitors’ drive alive. UBC’s defence, as they so often have throughout the course of the season, stepped up with a couple big stops to force the Bears into a 30-yard field goal, cutting the ‘Birds’ lead to 11.

Ben Hladik, Bashiru Sise-Odaa, and Jaxon Ciraolo-Brown each had five total sacks for the ‘Birds.

Up 19-3 at the half, UBC traded punts with Alberta to start the third quarter. Then on the ‘Birds’ second possession of the half, O’Connor threw his second touchdown pass of the game, hooking up with rookie receiver Nick Pollitt for the 17-yard score, his first as a Thunderbird. After the successful convert, UBC’s lead was increased to 27-3.

As UBC kept putting points on the board, the Bears just couldn’t respond. That is until the final play of the third when Alberta quarterback Brad Baker connected with Daniel Bubelenyi for a massive 104-yard catch and run. The two-point conversion attempt failed and the ‘Birds got the ball back to start the fourth with an 18-point lead.

With the Golden Bears desperate to put points on the board, Baker was intercepted by rookie defensive back James Vause with half a quarter to go. It was another UBC first as the Saskatoon native recorded his first career Canada West pick. But the young DB wasn’t done yet as with just under two minutes remaining and the Bears on their last gasp, Vause picked off Baker for a second time to really put the game on ice.

Baker threw for 307 yards and a touchdown along with two interceptions, completing 20 of his 39 pass attempts.

Bubelenyi was the Bears’ leading receiver with 111 yards, 104 of them coming on his massive touchdown catch.

Having sewn up a Canada West playoff berth, the ‘Birds now turn their attention to locking up a home spot which they can do with a victory next week against the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg.

“We got three days to get better again for a big game in Manitoba,” added Nill. “We’re lucky to be in the position we’re in when we’re playing for a home playoff game which can mean a lot and we just got to continue to want to get better.”

The Golden Bears close out their season at home against the Calgary Dinos next Saturday.

Sunday, Oct. 21

Sherbrooke (1-6)  0, Laval (8-0) 53
With files from: Laval Rouge et Or
Québec City, October 21, 2018 – Memorable Day for the Rouge et Or Football: Thanks to a 53-0 win against Sherbrooke Sunday in front of 11,405 spectators at TELUS-Laval University Stadium, Glen Constantin’s team completes the seventh perfect season of his story and Hugo Richard becomes the RSEQ record holder in career touchdown passes for a quarterback.

This is the first time in five years that Laval is undefeated in the regular season. The last three times, in 2008, 2010 and 2013, the Rouge et Or won the Vanier Cup.

Hugo Richard wasted no time in his hunt for records: He made two touchdown passes in the first half, his 68th and 69th career, which allowed him to match and then eclipse the record held until -the former quarterback of Sherbrooke’s Vert & Or, Jérémi Roch, since 2015. Laval’s pivot added another 70th before the end of the match. He did not stop there, having passed the 10,000-yard career mark, and became the first quarter in Quebec’s football history to score 30 touchdowns and complete more than 60 passes. of touchdowns.

“I’m happy to have these records set, but now we’re focusing on the playoffs,” Richard said after the historic meeting. The record of 60 touchdowns and 30 touchdowns is the best. “The touchdowns are important, of course, but I like to run with the ball especially near the end zone. But I’m happy with the other records too! “, he added.

Head coach Glen Constantin sees more than records when told about his quarterback “Much more than records, this is his career record that I retain. He was our starter from the beginning of his career, a rare fact, and very few quarterbacks have won so many university wins. ”

Sherbrooke defended itself early in the game, conceding its first points at the very end of the first quarter, via a 28-yard field goal from David Côté. The latter had missed a placement a little earlier for the first time this season. The valves opened in the second quarter. The Rouge et Or scored 22 points. In addition to Richard’s two touchdown passes, David Côté added two more goals to his record and Sherbrooke conceded a safety touchdown. The Rouge et Or has picked up again in the second half. Richard completed another touchdown pass before scoring a major over a 7-yard run. Richard’s afternoon work ended after this feat. He was replaced by Samuel Chénard, who scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter. Hugo Richard finished the match with 23 passes completed in 29 attempts, for 291 yards of winnings.

Next meeting

The Rouge et Or will be on leave next week. He will start the home playoffs for the RSEQ semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 3 against an opponent that remains to be determined. Tickets for this match are on sale at reservatech.net or 418 656-FOOT (3668).

Stats

Attack

Quarterbacks: Hugo Richard: 23/29, 291 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 touchdown. Samuel Chénard: 4-4, 36 yards, 1 touchdown.

Rangers: Christopher Amoah: 10 runs / 80 yards, Vincent Breton-Robert 10 runs / 76 yards, Hugo Richard 6 runs / 34 yards, one touchdown, Samuel Chénard: 2 runs / -1 yards, one touchdown.

Recipients: Jonathan Breton-Robert: 7 catches / 51 yards, Vincent Forbes-Mombleau: 5 catches / 99 yards, 1 touchdown. Marc-Antoine Pivin: 5 catches / 86 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Defensive

Plated: Émile Chênevert 3.5 (3 solo) / Kean Harelimana 6.5 (6 solo), Maxym Lavallée 2.5 (2 solo)

Bags of the quarter: Vincent Desjardins 0.5 Samuel Maranda-Bizeau 0.5

Interceptions: none

Special units

Placements: David Côté: 3 successful kicks (28, 21, 16) 1 missed (32)

Kicks off: Dominic Lévesque 3 kicked, 46.7 yards average

Source: usports.ca

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