CIS Playoff Previews & Predictions: THE VANIER CUP!!! Can Montréal repeat?!?

Back when the temperatures still danced around 30 degrees, over 2000 young men from coast to coast embarked on a journey that will come to an end this Saturday. Twenty-seven teams, one goal…..to be playing this weekend in Quebec City for the 51st Vanier Cup. Sure some had a more realistic shot than others (ok, A LOT MORE), but that’s what the preseason is all about.

Unfortunately there can only be one, and the UBC Thunderbirds and defending champion Montréal Carabins earned the honours, surviving the three month battle royale know as the CIS football season. For the second straight year les Carabins defeated arch-rival Laval on enemy soil to advance from the Q, aka the SEC of the North. After advancing from the Q, Montréal proved too much for the Guelph Gryphons handling them 25-10 in last weekend’s Mitchell Bowl.

UBC served notice early in the postseason, blowing out last year’s other Vanier Cup combatant, Manitoba. The Thunderbirds hammered the defending CanWest champs 52-10 and followed up with an impressive 34-26 win over the nation’s number one team Calgary. The T-Birds, as expected cruised in the Uteck bowl winning 36-9 ove AUS champ StFX.

With the game also brings to a close a fun season of trying to predict the up and down game that is Canadian college football. After going 2-0 last week in relatively one-sided semifinal games, my season mark stands at 67-17….so either I will finish 68-17 or 67-18. Considering the start I had I am okay with either. Enjoy the big football weekend, see you next season!

51st COUPE VANIER CUP:

 

#4 MONTRÉAL CARABINS (9-2) vs. #6 UBC THUNDERBIRDS (9-2) – Saturday Nov 28th 13h00 Stade TELUS-Université Laval, Quebec City, QC.

BY THE NUMBERS :

• Regular season scoring offense:                       MONTRÉAL: 29 ppg          UBC: 35.1 ppg

• Regular season offense total yards:                  MONTRÉAL: 395.4 ypg     UBC: 450.6 ypg
  

• Regular season passing yards:                         MONTRÉAL: 245.6 ypg     UBC: 307.1 ypg
  

• Regular season rushing yards:                          MONTRÉAL: 149.8 ypg     UBC: 143.5 ypg
  

• Regular season scoring defense:                      MONTRÉAL: 13.6 ppg      UBC: 29.9 ppg
  

• Regular season defense total yards:                 MONTRÉAL: 332.1 ypg     UBC: 494.6 ypg
  

• Regular season defense passing yards:           MONTRÉAL: 238.6 ypg     UBC: 324.1 ypg
  

• Regular season defense rushing yards:            MONTRÉAL: 93.5 ypg       UBC: 170.5 ypg
  

 

THE MATCH UP: Hollywood couldn’t ask for a better match-up than the 51st edition of the Vanier cup. Talk about contrasts! East versus west, french versus english, wild west versus smash-mouth, size versus speed and I could go on and on.

UBC is arguably the hottest team in the country, winners of seven straight and after looking a little shaky early in the season they have been downright dominant on the defensive side of the ball giving up a total of 45 points in three playoff outings. Very impressive under any circumstances, but absolutely amazing when you factor that two of those games were against CanWest rivals Manitoba and UBC, who averaged 38.5 and 58.9 ppg respectively during the 2015 regular season. Led by tackling machine Taylor Loffler and linebacker Terell Davis (who may be the best athlete on the field this weekend) the UBC defense has undergone a resurgence and seem to be getting better each week.

Thunderbird pivot Michael O’Connor has been everything they hoped he would be and plays with a poise that belies his youth. It also doesn’t hurt the 19 year-old QB that he has an explosive quartet of receivers, all of whom can turn a routine five yard hitch into a 60 yard touchdown in the blink of an eye.

Montréal Quarterback Gab Cousineau will attempt to become the first QB since Western’s Jamie Bone to lead his team to back to back Vanier Cups and he’ll do so behind one of the nation’s best offensive lines. The Carabins front overpowered the Gryphons in the Mitchell Bowl, in a game that wasn’t as close as the 25-10 score might indicate. Tackles Gustave Sylvestre and Marc Glaude make up the edges of the line, while guards Rémi Giguère and Jason Raymond, along with center Jean-Christophe Labrecque, anchor the middle.

On the other side of the ball, a case can be made that this is the nation’s best defense. The Carabins defense have been lights out all season, holding the opposition to less than 15 points a game and under 100 yards rushing as well. The defensive front is huge and can take over a game by collapsing the pocket, clogging run lanes and tying up the oppositions offensive linemen. Linebackers Jonathan Boissonneault-Glaou and Jean-Christophe Touchette can range from sideline to sideline, especially when uncontested. Just how good have they been in the playoffs? After gaining 517 yards in eight regular season games, running back Sean Thomas Erlignton has rushed for 581 yards in only three playoff games!

MONTRÉAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: LB Jonathan Boissonneault-Glaou, LB Jean-Christophe Touchette, CB Zacary Alexis, FS François Hamel, DL Junior Luke, LB Malko Zepeda, QB Gabriel Cousineau, OT Marc Glaude, RB Sean Thomas Erlington, REC Regis Cibasu, REC Louis-Mathieu Normandin, P Félix Ménard-Brière

UBC PLAYERS TO WATCH: DB Taylor Loffler, QB Michael O’Connor, LB Terrell Davis, LB Mitch Barnett, RB Brandon Deschamps, RET/REC Trivel Pinto, WR Alex Morrison, SB Will Watson, SB Marcus Davis, DB Dominique Termansen, OL Alec Pennel, K/P Quinn van Gylswyk

WHY MONTRÉAL WILL WIN: The Carabins manhandled Guelph last weekend and probably could have hung fifty on the OUA’s best defense had they been so inclined exploiting a big discrepancy in size up front. The difference may be even greater this weekend as UBC gives up a huge size disadvantage between the trenches. If the Carabins offensive line take over, as they have been doing the Carabins are virtually unstoppable

WHY UBC WILL WIN: The UBC defense has plenty of talent with potential CFLers Taylor Loffler and Dominique Termansen leading the secondary and linebackers Mitch Barnett and Terrell Davis as good as any. Offensively  receivers Trivel Pinto, Alex Morrison, Will Watson and Marcus Davis should be able to exploit a youthful Carabins secondary if O’Connor is given the time to pass.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN: The Carabins offensive line is the definition of beast mode. Look for Montréal pound away at UBC and pull away in the second half.

FINAL SCORE: MONTRÉAL 38 UBC 22

Record Last Week: 2-0  Overall Record This Season: 67-17