BLOG: Crossover battles between the ‘Q’ & AUS

This Saturday,CIS football is facing its own version of David vs. Goliath with the best conference in football,RESQ playing one of the weakest conference in football,AUS. The Q to add more to the problem has three teams in CIS top ten this week Laval was at the top while University de Montreal was fifth and Concordia was ninth. The AUS conference only had one team in the top ten which is Mount Alison who was ranked eight.

Concordia Stingers vs.Saint Mary Huskies
The Concordia Stingers travel to Saint Mary’s as being the biggest suprise of the season so far. The Stingers own a record of 3-0, which is the first time since 2006 that they are 3-0.They also beat Sherbrooke last weekend in the battle for tenth place in CIS top ten poll.The Sherbrooke win was huge win for this Stingers team as it was the first time they had beaten Vert et Or in four years. The other thing the win proved was that Stingers were not a fluke as they passed their first test of the season.Now on the opposite sidelines you have The Saint Mary Huskies who have taken a step back this year and have not won a game yet. The last couple of years,The Huskies have been near the top of the AUS including last year where they finished runner ups in the AUS standings. The Huskies last week were creamed by Mount Alison Mounties by a score of 39-8.

Key stats- The Concordia Stingers started off the year with a rushing attack led by freshman,Gunner Tatum who had 192 yards in their victory over the Gaiters.The Stingers in recent couple weeks have started to pass more then running the football. The Stingers entering this matchup have average 226 passing yards a game and only 124 yards yards rushing. The Stingers on the defense side might be one of the best in CIS this season as they have already have 13 turnovers in three games.The team also has seven team interceptions which puts them number two in the country in that category.The Stingers defensive back, Kris Robertson leads the CIS in interceptions with three.The Stingers only allows their opponents to get 14 points on them per a game which put them fourth in the country in that category. The Saint Mary Huskies similar to the Concordia Stingers are a pass first team as they average 203 passing yards per a game but the huge concern for this team is that they only score 9.3 points a game. The Huskies defense is great at stopping the pass as they only allow 90 yards per a game but are not great at stopping the run as they allow 209 yards per a game.

Predication : The Stingers will win this game by a score of 40-14.I expect the Stingers to play great defense in the second half something they are known for this year under DC, Patrick Donovan.

Montreal Carabins vs.StFX X-Men The Montreal Carabins travel to StFX hosting a record of 2-1 and are also ranked number fifth in country.The Carabins have won two straight games after they open the season against Laval which resulted in a huge lost.The Carabins last week gave a beat down to the McGill Redmen(43-17#.The Carabins offense is based on their all-star duo of Gabriel Cousineau and Mikael Davidson. Cousineau last week threw for 278 yards with three touchdowns while Davidson caught one touchdown pass and had 137 receiving yards. StFX coming into this game are second in the AUS standing with a record of 2-1.The X-Men last week defeated Acadia Axemen by a score of 38-29. The X-men quarterback,Tivon Cook had a good game passing for 277 yards with three touchdowns in the win.

Key stats-The Montreal Carabins are high powered offense as they account for 435.7 yards per a game which includes 277 passing yards per a game.The Carabins defense is good at stopping the run as they only allow 121 rushing yards per a game however in the passing game they allow opposing quarterbacks to pass for 207 yards per a game. The Xmen just like the Carabins are strong on offense as they get 402 yards per a game including 228.7 passing yards per a game. The Xmen defense only allows 127 rushing yards per a game while on the passing side they allow 265 passing yards per a game. The two offenses score 30 points a game.

Predication: I expect this game to be one of the best games of the weekend as the two teams are very equal in most categories. I believe the Carabins will prevail by a score of 43-35.

Acadia Axeman vs.Sherbrooke Vert et Or

The Axeman will travel to La belle province #Quebec) being third place in the AUS standing with a record of 1-2. The Axeman have been on the decline the last two seasons after they finished first in 2011 and 2012. The Axeman last week lost to XMen in which team need to use four QB in the lost.The good news for the team was that Bobby Tropp had good game rushing the ball,he had 67 rushing yards and added two touchdowns. The Vert et Or are always near the top of the RESQ standings but this year the team has struggled and could only produce only one win so far. The Vert et Or lost to the Stingers last weekend in the battle for tenth in the CIS top ten poll. Vert et Or all -star QB,Jeremi Roch struggled against the good Stingers defense as he was picked off three times in the second quarter. Roch did end the game with good numbers,280 passing yards and one touchdown in the lost.

Key stats- The Axeman like a majority of the teams in the CIS are pass first team as they average 211 yards per a game. The Axeman on defense is a team that ranked third in the country when it comes to stopping the run,they only allow 58.7 rushing yards per a game. In the passing game,Acadia allows its opponents to pass for 223 yards per a game. The Vert et Or like University de Montreal and Laval in the Q are high powered offence as they get alot of yards in a game. The Vert et Or this year as they average 402 yards per a game which includes 287 passing yards. The Vert et Or when it comes to defense are very weak as they allow their opponents to get 436 total yards per a game and score 31 points per a game.

Predication: I just have a feeling that Acadia will pull the upset and beat Sherbrooke by a score of 30-21.

Mount Allison Mounties vs.Bishop Gaiters

Mount Allison will travel to Lennoxville to play the Bishop Gaiters. The Mounties have continued what they started last season when they won the AUS champship.The Mounties have a record of 3-0 and are ranked eight in the country. The Mounties after coming off great game last week when they creamed Saint Mary’s by a score of 39-8. Mount Allison’s running back, Chris Reid had an amazing game as he rushed for 167 yards and added two touchdowns in the victory. The Bishop Gaiters have been a huge disappointment this year after last season miracle year where they won six games and their starting quarterback,Jordan Heather won the Hec Crighton award. The Gaiters this year have yet to win a single football game and their offense without Heather has looked out of sync.The Gaiters last week played Laval and were easily beaten by a score of 72-15. The Gaiters did have the lead at one point in the first half but Laval’s QB,Hugo Richard took over the game. Richard ended the game with 407 yards and three touchdown passes.

Key stats- The Mounties are somewhat of balance offense as they only pass for 190 yards per a game and also rush for 108 yards per a game. The Mounties on defense are great when it comes to the run as they allowed their opponents to get 108 yards per a game.The Mounties are ranked seventh in run defence.The Mounties are okay at stopping the pass but they allow opposing quarterbacks to pass for 254 yards per a game.The Mounties only allows teams to score 15 points on them per a game which put them sixth in the country in that category. The Gaiters like the other teams in the Q are pass first team as they average 211 passing yards per a game.The Gaiters are not very strong on defensive side as they allow their opponents to get 486 total yards a game.

Predication: Mount Allison Mounties seem like a safe bet here. I believe the final score will be 40-15 for the Mounties.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

All content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views of Canadafootballchat.com (CFC).   CFC makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information in the blogger section or found by following any link in this section.   CFC will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information.  CFC will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information