FRC – CIS Football Top 10 (#6): Leading trio resumes domination

Photo credit Yan Dublet, Laval / Western Athletics / David Moll. Calgary / Sherbrooke Athletics

OTTAWA (CIS) – The Laval Rouge et Or top the Football Reporters of Canada – CIS rankings for the sixth time in as many polls this season.

The reigning Vanier Cup champions received 24 of 29 first-place nods – two more than last week – and 285 points from FRC voters to remain in front of the No. 2 Western Ontario Mustangs (264 points) and No. 3 Calgary Dinos (236). The defending OUA champion Mustangs received the remaining first-place votes.

Laval, Western and Calgary, all sporting 5-0 records, are the only remaining undefeated teams in CIS football.

Rounding out the new national poll are the No. 4 Sherbrooke Vert & Or (4-1), No. 5 McMaster Marauders (4-1), No. 6 Montreal Carabins (3-2), No. 7 Saskatchewan Huskies (3-2), No. 8 Saint Mary’s Huskies (3-1), No. 9 UBC Thunderbirds (3-2) and No. 10 Windsor Lancers (4-1).

Laval, which occupies the No. 1 position for the 62nd time in 66 polls dating back to the start of the 2005 schedule, extended its CIS-record streak to 47 straight overall wins at home on Sunday with a convincing 37-4 defeat of Concordia (2-3). The sequence began in 2004.

It was also the Rouge et Or’s 18th consecutive overall victory since a loss to Queen’s in the 2009 Mitchell Bowl, only one shy of their own CIS mark set over the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The eight-time defending Quebec champions will have a chance to match the remarkable feat on Saturday when they visit No. 6 Montreal, a matchup televised across the country by Radio-Canada at 1 p.m. ET.

The Carabins are the only Quebec team to beat Laval – three times – since 2004.

No. 2 Western easily defeated York (1-4) 48-23 thanks in large part to Nathan Riva’s four rushing touchdowns. Freshman Tyler Varga also had a major on the ground to up his CIS-leading total to 13 in only five outings.

No. 3 Calgary thumped provincial rival Alberta (0-5) 61-7. Senior Matt Walter racked up 178 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to become the Dinos’ career leader in rushing yards (3,788) and TD runs (28).

In what many considered the CIS Game of the Week, Sherbrooke downed Montreal 20-11 on home field to take sole possession of second place in the RSEQ. The Vert & Or are up one position in the new Top 10 to reach their best ranking since they returned to CIS football in 2003, while the Carabins are down two spots.

No. 5 McMaster also moved past Montreal thanks to a 46-20 home win over Waterloo (0-5).
In another Top-10 battle, this one taking place out west, Saskatchewan edged UBC 36-33 in

Saskatoon to stop a two-game skid. With the result, the Huskies move up two spots in the poll, while the Thunderbirds are down one.

Squeezed between Saskatchewan and UBC at No. 8 are the Saint Mary’s Huskies, who surprisingly lose one position in the rankings despite an 8-3 win over Acadia (3-1) in a battle for first place in the AUS.

Finally, No. 10 Windsor, the surprise team of the 2011 season, moves back into the Top 10 after a two-week absence following a 41-21 domination of Guelph (1-4). The Lancers host Queen’s (2-3) on Saturday night hoping to improve to 5-1 for the first time since they went 6-1 in conference play back in 1976.

There are only 10 games on the CIS schedule this weekend as the Canada West conference takes its traditional Thanksgiving break.

No. 1 Laval (5-0): Top 10 ranking: No change… Last week: 37-4 home win over Concordia (2-3)… This week: Visit No. 6 Montreal (3-2) Saturday at 1 p.m. ET… Heads-up: Since the start of the 2004 season, Laval is 64-3 overall against Quebec opponents with its three losses coming against archrival Montreal…

No. 2 Western (5-0): Top 10 ranking: No change… Last week: 48-23 home win over York (1-4)… This week: Host Guelph (1-4) Saturday at 1 p.m. ET… Heads-up: Western is 15-1 overall against Guelph since 1997 with its lone head-to-head loss over that period a 31-17 setback in the 2007 regular season…

No. 3 Calgary (5-0): Top 10 ranking: No change… Last week: 61-7 home win over Alberta (0-5)… This week: Bye week in Canada West… Next game: Visit Saskatchewan (3-2) on Oct. 14…

No. 4 Sherbrooke (4-1): Top 10 ranking: Up one position… Last week: 20-11 home win over then-No. 4. Montreal (3-2)… This week: Host Bishop’s (2-3) Saturday at 7 p.m. ET… Heads-up: Bishop’s Jordan Heather and Sherbrooke freshman Jérémi Doyon-Roch, both first-year starting quarterbacks at the university level, are currently ranked second and fourth in CIS passing with 1,556 and 1,384 yards, respectively…

No. 5 McMaster (4-1): Top 10 ranking: Up one position… Last week: 46-20 home win over Waterloo (0-5)… This week: Host Toronto (2-3) Thursday at 7 p.m. ET… Heads-up: McMaster is 12-0 overall against Toronto since a 30-13 conference loss to the Varsity Blues in 1996…

No. 6 Montreal (3-2): Top 10 ranking: Down two positions… Last week: 20-11 loss at then-No. 5 Sherbrooke (4-1)… This week: Host No. 1 Laval (5-0) Saturday at 1 p.m. ET… Heads-up: Montreal, which is 3-15 overall against Laval since rejoining CIS in 2002, defeated the Rouge et Or 14-13 in Quebec City on Sept. 19, 2004, 7-2 at home on Oct. 28, 2006, and 28-7 at home on Oct. 4, 2009…

No. 7 Saskatchewan (3-2): Top 10 ranking: Up two positions… Last week: 36-33 home win over then-No. 8 UBC (3-2)… This week: Bye week in Canada West… Next game: Host Calgary (5-0) on Oct. 14…

No. 8 Saint Mary’s (3-1): Top 10 ranking: Down one position… Last week: 8-3 home win over Acadia (3-1)… This week: Host StFX (1-3) Friday at 7 p.m. AT… Heads-up: Saint Mary’s is 19-0 overall at home against StFX since a 35-22 conference loss to the X-Men at Huskies Stadium on Nov. 7, 1998…

No. 9 UBC (3-2): Top 10 ranking: Down one position… Last week: 36-33 loss at then No. 9-Saskatchewan (3-2)… This week: Bye week in Canada West… Next game: Host Regina (2-3) on Oct. 15…

No. 10 Windsor (4-1): Top 10 ranking: Unranked a week ago… Last week: 41-21 home win over Guelph (1-4)… This week: Host Queen’s (3-2) Saturday at 7 p.m… Heads-up: Windsor hopes to improve to 5-1 to start the season for the first time since the Lancers posted a 6-1 conference record in 1976…

FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#6)

Pts (1st place) – Last week
1. Laval (5-0) 285 (24) 1
2. Western (5-0) 264 (5) 2
3. Calgary (5-0) 236 3
4. Sherbrooke (4-1) 203 5
5. McMaster (4-1) 163 6
6. Montreal (3-2) 136 4
7. Saskatchewan (3-2) 103 9
8. Saint Mary’s (3-1) 83 7
9. UBC (3-2) 54 8
10. Windsor (4-1) 38 NR

Other teams receiving votes: Wilfrid Laurier (21), Acadia (18), Concordia (2), Queen’s (1)

CIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)

October 6
19:00 ET Laurier (2-3) at Waterloo (0-5), SSN webcast
19:00 ET Toronto (2-3) at No. 5 McMaster (4-1), Cable 14 TV & McMaster webcast
October 7
19:00 AT StFX (1-3) at No. 8 Saint Mary’s (3-1), sportstream.ca webcast

October 8
13:00 ET Guelph (1-4) at No. 2 Western (5-0), Rogers TV Cable 13 & SSN webcast
13:00 ET Laval (5-0) at No. 6 Montreal (3-2), Radio-Canada (TV & web)
13:00 ET McGill (0-5) at Concordia (2-3), SSN webcast
13:00 ET York (1-4) at Ottawa (3-2)
14:00 AT Acadia (3-1) at Mount Allison (0-4), EastLink (TV & web)
19:00 ET Bishop’s (2-3) at No. 4 Sherbrooke (4-1)
19:00 ET Queen’s (3-2) at No. 10 Windsor (4-1)

About Football Reporters of Canada – University Division
The Football Reporters of Canada – University Division represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958 the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) have 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.

The 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 the FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

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