CIS TOP 10 (9): Carabins knock McMaster out of No.3 spot, two new teams ranked

OTTAWA – The Laval Rouge et Or (7-0) top the CIS football national rankings for the ninth time in as many media polls this season heading into a much-anticipated regular schedule finale against their archrivals.

For the ninth consecutive week, the reigning two-time Vanier Cup champions received all 30 first-place votes and a perfect 300 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel.

There is a lot of movement in the new media poll as the Calgary Dinos (6-1), who remain at No. 2 for the ninth week in a row, are the only other team to hang on to its previous position.

Following in order are the No. 3 Montreal Carabins (6-1 / up one position), No. 4 McMaster Marauders (7-1 / down one), No. 5 Guelph Gryphons (7-1 / down one), No. 6 Mount Allison Mounties (8-0 / up one), No. 7 Western Mustangs (6-2 / down one), No. 8 Saskatchewan Huskies (5-2 / up two), as well as the No. 9 Sherbrooke Vert & Or (4-3) and No. 10 Ottawa Gee-Gees (5-3), both unranked last Tuesday.

Laval (53-14 vs. McGill), Calgary (67-6 vs. UBC) and Montreal (56-8 vs. Bishop’s) were all easy winners this past weekend.

McMaster was upset 38-18 by Ottawa in a game that meant everything for the Gee-Gees, who were fighting for their playoff life, while the Marauders had already clinched first place in the OUA standings.

Other results from Top-10 teams included Guelph 41, Laurier 31 (at Laurier); Mount Allison 18, Saint Mary’s 10 (at Mount Allison); Western 43, Windsor 21 (at Western); Saskatchewan 41, Alberta 23 (at Saskatchewan); Sherbrooke 29, Concordia 0 (at Sherbrooke).

Thanks to their win over Saint Mary’s, the Mounties completed the first perfect regular season in program history and became the first AUS team go undefeated in league play since Saint Mary’s in 2001.

The playoffs get underway in two conferences on Saturday, including an AUS semifinal between Acadia (3-5) and StFX (4-4) and OUA quarter-finals that will see Western host Laurier and Ottawa travel to Windsor.

All three games are live on the web at AUStv.ca (also on Eastlink TV) or OUA.TV.

The most-anticipated contest of the weekend, however, is the regular season finale between the top-ranked Rouge et Or and the No. 3 Carabins, Saturday at 1 p.m. in Montreal (live on Radio-Canada).

While the Rouge et Or head into the duel with a 27-point cushion thanks to a 40-13 season-opening win back on Sept 6., the Carabins are still mathematically in the hunt for first place in the RSEQ standings and will want to send a message going into the playoffs.

NOTES: The 50^th TELUS Vanier Cup Tour is at the University of Montreal this Saturday for the much-anticipated duel between the Rouge et Or and Carabins… For all the information on the 50^th TELUS Vanier Cup (including ticket info) visit vaniercup.com.

FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#9)

 

Pts (1^st place)  Last week

1. Laval (7-0)               300 (30)           1
2. Calgary (6-1)           270                  2
3. Montreal (6-1)         223                  T4
4. McMaster (7-1)        217                  3
5. Guelph (7-1)           183                  T4
6. Mt. Allison (8-0)      143                  7
7. Western (6-2)           134                  6
8. Saskatchewan (5-2) 92                    10
9. Sherbrooke (4-3)     54                    NR
10. Ottawa (5-3)          23                    NR

 

Other teams receiving votes: Concordia (9), Manitoba (3), Laurier (3).

 

WEEK 9 RESULTS

 

October 24

Laval 53, McGill 14 (at McGill)

 

October 25

Mount Allison 18, StFX 10 (at Mount Allison)

Acadia 26, Saint Mary’s 17 (at Saint Mary’s)

Western 43, Windsor 21 (at Western)

Waterloo 32, York 31 (at York)

Ottawa 38, McMaster 18 (at Ottawa)

Queen’s 37, Carleton 15 (at Carleton)

Guelph 41, Laurier 36 (at Laurier)

Montreal 56, Bishop’s 8 (at Bishop’s)

Saskatchewan 41, Alberta 23 (at Saskatchewan)

Regina 56, Manitoba 41 (at Regina)

Sherbrooke 29, Concordia 0 (at Sherbrooke)

Calgary 67, UBC 6 (at Calgary)

WEEK 10 SCHEDULE (all times local)

November 1 (AUS semifinal)

14:00   Acadia (3-5) at StFX (4-4) (Eastlink TV & AUStv.ca)

November 1 (OUA quarter-finals)

13:00   Laurier (4-4) at No. 7 Western (6-2) (Rogers TV & Rogers Sports + & OUA.TV)

13:00   No. 10 Ottawa (5-3) at Windsor (5-3) (TVCogeco & OUA.TV)

November 1 (regular season)

13:00   No. 1 Laval (7-0) at No. 3 Montreal (6-1) (Radio-Canada TV & ici.radio-canada.ca)

13:00   McGill (0-7) at Concordia (4-3) (StretchTV)

13:00   No. 9 Sherbrooke (4-3) at Bishop’s (1-6) (Gaiters TV)

14:00   No. 2 Calgary (6-1) at Manitoba (3-4) (CanadaWest.TV)

14:00   Alberta (3-4) at Regina (2-5) (CanadaWest.TV)

14:00   No. 8 Saskatchewan (5-2) at UBC (2-5) (Shaw TV & CanadaWest.TV)

 

About Football Reporters of Canada

Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958, Football Reporters of Canada has been an organization of media members who have covered the Canadian Football League, serving to select the league’s outstanding players, coach-of-the-year and all-star teams through voting conducted by its members. In 2009, the FRC amalgamated with the University Football Reporters of Canada (UFRC) to give the organization greater scope in its affiliation with amateur and college football. FRC also works with the CFL and CIS to establish guidelines and working conditions for the men and women who report on the game. Selected members of FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

About the 50^th TELUS Vanier Cup

Canadian Interuniversity Sport will celebrate the 50^th TELUS Vanier Cup throughout its 2014 football season. For the first time in history, the championship game will be staged in Montreal – at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium – on Saturday, November 29, at 1 p.m. ET, live on Sportsnet and Radio-Canada.

Official TELUS Vanier Cup website (including ticket information) www.vaniercup.com