KHAN: Thoughts from the “Q”

Laval versus Montreal lived up as another classic boxing match that was only decided on the final Rouge et Or drive which ended up being turnover on downs with 14 seconds left in the game.

In-front of a sellout crowd at the CEPSUM, no question the 13th man made things uncomfortable for the Rouge et Or offense.

The Carabins were able to capitalize on the momentum and jumped out to 18-10 halftime lead, and didn’t really look back even the Rouge et Or chipped away at the deficit to make it a 22-16 final.

Carabins run game:  For the first time, since the 2011 Vanier Cup loss to McMaster, the Rouge et Or defense looked vulnerable stopping the run.

Three separate times, the Carabins offense ran the same play up the left side led by Sean Thomas-Erlington who finished with 182-yards on 16-carries. It just seemed like the star running back was already in sixth gear once he exploded through the holes.

The history between these two teams comes down to who wins the line of scrimmage. The Carabins left no doubt who was the better position group on a chilly Saturday afternoon.

CEPSUM nightmare continues: With Hugo Richard starting at quarterback for the first time since his week 2 injury. He continues to suffer nightmares at the CEPSUM. In the first half, he looked very frenetic. He rushed throws, he was flustered out of the pocket, and it felt like he was not seeing the defense throwing into double coverage.

In the second half, it was somewhat of a different tune, where Richard used his legs. However, it is concerning that he led the team with 89 rushing yards considering who he has as weapons to hand off the football to.

Thankfully for Laval if they win the next two games (Sherbrooke, McGill) they could host Montreal in Ste. Foy. Thus, avoiding another trip to Montreal in what has become an abyss of nightmare for the Rouge et Or.

Mind you, the last playoff game that Richard was involved, they lost at home to the eventual national champions, Carabins.

Finishing off: No question, this year, the Carabins have yet to put together a strong four quarter effort. Heading into the fourth quarter with a 21-10 lead, the defending champions were cruising.

However, Montreal scored a single point. On multiple drives, Laval was able to drive deep into Carabins territory. Luckily for the Carabins, their defense came up with big stops.

As November rapidly approaches, as lethal as the Carabins offense is, they need to close out games to avoid a near fourth quarter collapse in which they were in the lead position for the entire game.

One must wonder, what if they had won their game versus Sherbrooke. They would be in the driver’s seat to be the one seed, and hosting throughout the Quebec playoffs.

Play-in game

This Saturday, the Sherbrooke street brawl will add another chapter to this long history between Concordia and McGill. This time though, the winner will likely get the golden ticket to the playoffs.

Last game, the Stingers jumped out to 16-0 lead, and didn’t look back by winning 33-21.

Now, this game had a comedy errors from the officials not knowing when to throw a flag, to quick trigger whistles, and not properly applying the correct call.

If the RSEQ wants to make sure none of this happens again, they ought have the best officiating crew on hand like they did for last Saturday’s Carabins-Rouge et Or game.

Keys to the game:

Who will be able to run the football efficiently? Last game versus the Redmen, Stingers own, Jean-Guy Rimpel had a great day rushing for  135-yards on a mere 14-carries.

Since then, in three games, Rimpel totals have been very lean as he has only mustered 116-yards on 21-carries.

On the other hand, in the last three games, the Redmen have been getting heavy production from the duo of Luis Guimont-Mota, and Nicolas Khandar who have combined for 426-yards and three touchdowns.

Whichever running game can put their offense in second and short situations will go a long way to victory.

English or American:

The resurgence for both programs has been at the quarterback position. It appears Concordia has found their player to lead them in Trenton Miller. For McGill, since replacing Joel Hoel, Nicolas English has revitalize the offense.

The question for both pivots, will be nerves. As successful as they have been, they must be cognizant of situations they’re in. Minimizing mistakes, and executing their game plan.

Miller has demonstrated he has a big arm, more importantly, he is a 68-percent accurate passer. This could be an important element for him this weekend especially if the tricky winds swirl inside Molson Stadium.

With English, he plays smart. It seems he is not anxious by what is in-front of him. He might not possess a cannon arm, he simply gets it down with smart throws.

It will be fascinating to see how offensive coordinators, Matt Connell (Stingers), and Ben Groulx (Redmen) call the plays on Saturday.