PREVIEW (RSEQ 2x): Gaiters look to gobble up Redmen, Carabins visit Concordia for second place battle

Gaiters ready to gobble up Redmen

SHERBROOKE – The most important game is the next one.  Nowhere is that more important than when the Bishop’s Gaiters face the McGill Redmen in RSEQ University Football on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in Montreal. The two squads each look to keep their slim playoff hopes alive and secure their first victory of the year at Percival Molson Stadium.

Both the Gaiters and Redmen enjoyed last weekend off.  McGill last played at No. 1 Laval on Saturday, Sept. 27 where they fell 70-3. Bishop’s also stepped onto the field on Sept. 27 where they lost 26-3 to No. 8 Mount Allison to wrap up 2014 homecoming festivities in Lennoxville.

When the foes step onto the field on Thursday night they both will sit at 0-4, two wins behind Sherbrooke (2-3) who currently occupies the final playoff spot. The Vert et Or enjoy their bye week this weekend. With the Gaiters and Redmen only having four games remaining each contest is crucial.

“This is a must win for us,” said Gaiters head coach Kevin Mackey “We have had two night games already this year it’s not a big change for us.  We are used to playing at McGill at night.  It helps that we are coming off a bye week where some guys have been able to let their bumps and bruises heal.”

A season ago Bishop’s trumped McGill both times both times they met on the gridiron.  The Gaiters snuck out a 30-29 victory in Montreal then rolled to a 40-21 win on Coulter Field. Thursday night marks the lone match-up between the two squads in 2014.

With a pair of seasons in the balance the Gaiters and Redmen will kick off on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Montreal.

Photo credit:  Emery Gbodossou

(Source:  Marty Rourke, Bishop’s Gaiters Sports Information)

Carabins visit Concordia for second place battle

Montreal – The Montreal Carabins and Concordia Stingers currently tied for second in the RSEQ standings  However, after Saturday’s duel, one team will gain sole possession of the

To have a home game in the playoffs, the Carabins control their destiny. A win against Concordia and at least another win in the next two games will give the Carabins the opportunity to stage a home playoff game for the third time in five years.

“It will be a very important game, like last week’s,” said receiver Mikhail Davidson. “For us, it’s practically playoff games.”

“We showed character and this will help us reach more victories. ”

The Carabins come into this game with a string of four consecutive wins, the best since the start of the 2012 season.  Last Saturday, the Carabins won a close game, 22-16, over the Sherbrooke Vert & Or at CEPSUM.

“We know a good sequence, but we continue to work hard to start our next week off the right way,” said Carabins Head Coach Danny Maciocia. “We won our last game overcoming adversity and we can build on this experience because there will be more close games this year.”

The duel between these two Montreal teams have been somewhat uneven since 2011, the first season of Maciocia’s tenure as Carabins Head Coach. The Carabins have won the last four games with a total of 170 points to 14.  However, the Carabins face a transformed team this week.

“This is a team that obviously plays with passion, said Maciocia. “Players are disciplined in their responsibilities.”

“They believe in themselves and good things can happen in this case.”

After a furious start to the season with four wins, the Stingers suffered their first loss of the season last week at the hands of the Laval Rouge et Or 32-16.

“This is a team that impresses more each week and we will play anything less than our best football,” said linebacker Alex Cromer-Emond. “We are confident that by playing with our talent and effort, success will follow.”

“Also, it’s always exciting to play against another Montreal team.”

Similar results

The attacks from both teams have been very productive since the beginning of the year, scoring over 33 points per game. The Stingers so far have registered 174 against 166 for the Carabins. On the other side of the ball, Montreal has only conceded 80 points to their opponents.  The Stingers have conceded 83 points to their opponents.

The combination of quarterback Gabriel Cousineau and Davidson have wreaked havoc so far, scoring five touchdowns. Cousineau has amassed a total of 1,420 passing yards so far and more than 10 touchdowns. For his part, Davidson is ranked second in the RSEQ with 531 receiving yards.

The Stingers also rely on great receivers. Jamal Henry amassed 356 yards and scored four touchdowns so far, while teammate Shayne Stinson tallied 336 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Francois Dessureault was the most used and gained 913 yards while throwing eight touchdowns.

Defensively, Byron Archambault and Mikael Charland both managed a total of 31 tackles and is tied for second in RSEQ.

The meeting will take place Saturday at 13h at the Loyola Campus of Concordia University. It will also be broadcast live on CBC Here and TV waves ici.radio-canada.ca .

Photo credit:  James Hajjar

With files from Mathieu Dauphinais