U Sports GOTW [Tuesday – STATS] RECAP (2): Western wins in OT, Blues weather the storm

Monday, Aug. 4

(photo credit: Martin Bazyl)

Toronto (19), Windsor (12)

Source: Toronto Varsity Blues

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team notched their first win of the season, 19-12, over the Windsor Lancers on Labour Day Monday at Varsity Stadium.

After a short lightning delay before the start of the game, the two teams were delayed for 1.5 hours at the 7:55 mark of the first quarter. Due to City of Toronto bylaws, OUA policies and, with the agreement of both head coaches, the game was called at 11:30pm, with 6:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t think this has ever happened here,” said Varsity Blues quarterback and Washington State transfer Connor Ennis. “It was definitely a learning experience but we handled the adversity well and a win is a win. It’s good to be 1-1 moving onto next week.”

STATS

Ennis went 9-for-15 for 138 yards and one touchdown, while fifth-year running back Kaleb Leach rushed 14 times for 63 yards in the victory.

Sophomore receiver Nick Stadnyk made four catches for 67 yards, while rookie Jaykwon Thompson had three receptions for 46 yards and one major.

Third-year defensive back Lamar Foyle led all players with 10 tackles, while Nick Hallett added 9.5 tackles on the night. Third-year defensive back Jordan Gillespie ended the night with five tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception for a touchdown.

“Jordan’s interception was huge,” added Ennis. “He jumped in and took it to the crib. The defence, especially the last two weeks, have played really well. They equalize our mistakes offensively and they are dominating out there.”

GAME ACTION

Once action resumed after the lightning delay, the first quarter ended scoreless.

The Blues opened the scoring early in the second quarter as Ennis connected a 28-yard strike with Thompson for his first touchdown as a Varsity Blue.

A Toronto single, as a result of a Brittley Mokube tackle in the Lancers end zone, put the Blues up 8-0 at halftime.

Fifth-year Blues punter TJ Morton added another single early in the third quarter but the Lancers finally got on the board four minutes later with a 22-yard field goal from fourth-year kicker Clark Green.

U of T was up 9-3 at the end of the third quarter.

After an Ethan Shafer 12-yard field goal put the Blues up 12-6, Gillespie came up with a pick six on a Windsor 3rd & 4, returning the ball 42 yards for the major.

The Lancers marched back down the field and quarterback Colton Allen connected a seven-yard pass with Daynar Facey to make it 19-12 at the conclusion of the game.

The Varsity Blues (1-1) are back in action next Saturday, September 9th as they travel to take on the Waterloo Warriors (2-0) at 1 p.m.

For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite U of T athletes and teams, please visit www.varsityblues.ca. Don’t forget to follow us on TwitterInstagramSnapChat and Facebook for the latest and greatest in Varsity Blues intercollegiate athletics.

 

BOX SCORE

(photo credit: Brandon VandeCaveye)

Western (41), Guelph (34) – OT

Source: Western Mustangs

LONDON, Ont. – Despite kickoff being delayed by more than two hours due to lightning, Monday’s home opener didn’t disappoint as the Western Mustangs won an overtime thriller over the Guelph Gryphons by a 41-34 score at TD Stadium.

It was a wild game at TD Stadium that, along with weather delays, featured multiple lead changes and eventually needed extra time to decide a winner. Stevenson Bone provided the final points of the evening, diving in from the one yard line to put the Mustangs up, while the defence shut down the Gryphons on their first overtime possession to secure the win.

Chris Merchant led the Mustangs offence in the victory, topping the charts of the Mustangs both in the air and on the ground. The Calgary native completed 27 of 41 passes for 378 yards, all career highs, with one touchdown and one interception, while also rushing for 92 yards and two majors.

Malik Besseghieur was Merchant’s favourite target in the win, catching nine passes for 69 yards, while Brett Ellerman and Harry McMaster led the Mustangs receiving corps with 105 and 94 yards respectively.

James Roberts countered with a strong game of his own for the Gryphons, connecting on 20 of 28 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Zeph Fraser hauled in eight catches for 143 yards to lead the Gryphons in both categories, and was followed by Jacob Scarfone with six receptions for 99 yards.

Things started out strong for the Mustangs, capping off their first drive with a 26-yard field goal from Marc Liegghio, but the Gryphons tied things up with a field goal of their towards the end of the first quarter.

The Gryphons controlled the play in the second, recording another field goal from Ferraro to take the lead before James Roberts connected with Fraser to put Guelph up by 10. A nine-yard field goal from Liegghio closed out the half on a positive note for the home side to cut the Guelph lead to 16-6.

Western came out strong in the second half with Merchant picking up the Mustangs first major of the day on a six-yard touchdown run less than three minutes into the quarter. Another rushing touchdown from Merchant, this one from 14 yards out, along with two conceded safeties from the Gryphons put Western up 24-16 heading into the final quarter.

Just as Western started off the third quarter with a quick score the Gryphons did the same in the fourth, capping off a 93-yard drive with a 21-yard pass from Roberts to Fraser before successfully adding a two point convert to tie things up at 24-24.

The Gryphons didn’t wait long before striking again as Johnny Augustine rattled off an 81-yard touchdown run less than three minutes later to put the visiting side up 31-24.

Both kickers traded field goals to keep things seven points apart before Merchant found Besseghieur on a four-yard pass to tie the game at 31-31 and eventually send the game to overtime.

In the extra frame the Mustangs took possession first and didn’t waste time, scoring on their first drive on a one-yard run from Bone to take the lead. Western’s defence then secured the win by forcing the Gryphons to go three-and-out to make it a 41-34 victory for the Mustangs.

Next up for the Mustangs is a matchup with the rival McMaster Marauders on Saturday, September 9. Game time is set for 1 p.m., and fans can tune in live on OUA.tv and CHRW Radio 94.9 FM, or on Newstalk 1290 CJBK with Tom McConnell and legendary Mustangs coach Larry Haylor calling all the action.

BOX SCORE

 

Ottawa (14), Queen’s (13)

Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees

Until late in the fourth quarter of the Gee-Gees football Home Opener, it looked as though the team’s offensive struggles were going to cost them their first loss of the season.

Instead, it was a play on special teams that led them to a 14-13 win over the Queen’s Gaels. With 1:46 left in the game, third-year defensive back Jackson Bennett saved the day with a 99-yard kickoff return for the game’s only touchdown.

Just like their win against Guelph the week prior, the team executed in key moments and relied heavily on their defence to seal the win.

The play was similar to the first time Bennett had the ball in his hands in his rookie season, when he ran a kick back 101 yards for a touchdown at Toronto.

“The crease just opened and I saw daylight,” said Bennett, who also had 5 tackles and a pass break up on defence. “Back in my first-year at Toronto, I remember celebrating with [Tyler] McLaren and back in the end zone this time we did the same thing.”

When it mattered most, the Gee-Gees defence held strong and closed out the win. Defensive end Alain Pae, a Master’s student from the Czech Republic, came up big time in the game.

Pae led the defence with 4 of the team’s 9 sacks in his second ever Canadian football game after playing American rules in Europe. Two of his sacks were on the last two plays of the game.

“We’re a new unit, and with time we’ll be even better,” said Pae. “Our offence needs time, and with a rookie QB we need to support him … After Jackson’s touchdown we knew needed to keep going and stop them. We returned back to the game and finished them.”

First-year quarterback Alex Lavric, started his first game ever for the Gee-Gees after playing for the second half of last week’s game. The Mississauga, ON native was able to control the offence well at times, but was hindered by a strong Queen’s defence, weather conditions, and a multitude of penalties that derailed drives. He finished with 225 yards on 19-28 passing, 7 of those passes were caught by third-year receiver Carter Matheson, who finished with a career-high 105 yards.

“We played a lot of young kids,” said Gee-Gees head coach Jamie Barresi. “The thing that I’m most proud of is the fact that they were really fighting. It was close, the defence kept us in it, and the special teams made a play. We’re not far away from being an explosive team again.”

Although his offence has yet to find the end zone against two strong defences, Barresi is optimistic about the play of his young quarterback.

“We’re holding him back a little bit and despite my play calling, he managed to overcome,” joked Barresi. “He did pretty well, I was proud of him.”

At the end of the game, team MVPs were named in the honour of former Gee-Gee and Gael Mike O’Connor who passed away tragically in 1995. For Ottawa, the MVP was running back Bryce Vieira and for Queen’s, it was kicker Kurtis Schaefer.

The team will now have a short week of preparation before taking on the winless York Lions in Toronto on Saturday. They will take to the road again the following weekend and play McMaster before their next home game.

As of now, the team will take their two unorthodox wins and try to build towards more well-rounded performances in the future. The pieces seem to be there for the Gee-Gees, they just need to figure out how to put it all together.

“The most important thing is this game coming up,” said Barresi. “We can’t be talking about Mac, or Windsor, or Carleton. This is the game right now, we need to focus on that and iron out a lot of the things we did.”

Kickoff at York is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be live streamed on OUA.tv

BOX SCORE

Waterloo (52), York (8)

Source: Waterloo Warriors

Last week, rookie cornerback Tyrell Ford (Niagara Falls/) grabbed headlines as the Waterloo Warriors football team snapped a 16-game losing streak. This week, it was twin brother Tre’s turn to steal the show in Waterloo’s home opener.

Rookie quarterback Tre Ford (Niagara Falls/) rushed for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns, adding another 50 yards and a touchdown through the air, leading the Warriors to a 52-8 victory over the York Lions on Saturday afternoon at Warrior Field. The victory was Waterloo’s first home triumph since a 48-29 win over the Windsor Lancers on October 20, 2012.

“That’s what I expected when I came in,” said Tre. “I wanted to turn the program around. Everybody is getting their job done, and I’m just trying to get mine done too.”

The win – the first at home for Head Coach Chris Bertoia – moves the Warriors to 2-0 on the young season. Platooning at the pivot position with Ford, veteran Lucas McConnell (Waterford/) also had a spectacular day: the veteran went 10-16 for 140 yards and a touchdown pass, while also rushing for a 5-yard major.

Meanwhile, the Lions suffered their second straight lopsided defeat, as they fell to 0-2. Quarterback Brett Hunchak tossed for 233 yards on 14-28 passing, with a pair of interceptions. Receiver Adam Adeboboye was his favourite target, catching 9 balls for 173 yards, but the game was won on the ground – Waterloo outrushed York 274 yards to 47. The loss also ruined a prolific stat line from Lions defensive lineman Rossini Sandjong-Djabome, who registered a pair of sacks and 8 tackles – including five tackles in Waterloo’s backfield.

While the Waterloo offense certainly fired on all cylinders, the Warriors defensive attack proved to be the difference. The Warriors held an opponent out of the end zone for the first time since a 12-0 loss to Laurier in 2012, and dating back to last week, Waterloo’s opponents have not scored a major in six straight quarters.

“Our defence stood on its head today,” said Bertoia. “How we stopped the run was fantastic. I’m really proud of our defensive effort.”

The linebacking trio of Kurtis Gray (Waterloo/), Michael Reid (Sault Ste. Marie/), and Brandon Corelli (Sault Ste. Marie/) were a nightmare for the Lions to handle. They combined for 13.5 tackles, two pass breakups, and Corelli’s third-quarter interception that turned the tables back in Waterloo’s favour after the Lions had gained some momentum. Corelli returned the pick 45 yards, and two plays later, Ford ran it in from 21 yards to pad the Waterloo lead.

“It’s a great feeling, I’m just happy for our guys,” said Corelli. “We’ve worked hard for this for years.”

Before Corelli’s big play on defence, the Warriors used an explosive second quarter to seize control of the game. With a stiff westward wind at their backs in the opening frame, the Lions used advantageous field position to jump to a 6-0 lead – an advantage that would have been wider, had the Warriors defence not stepped up deep in their own territory to force a pair of field goal attempts.

“We have to credit our coaching staff,” said Corelli. “They gave us a great gameplan, rallying to the football, and trying to get as many hats on the ball as we can. Its just bend, don’t break for us. We bent, but we never broke.”

When the field flipped in the second quarter, so, too, did the Warriors’ offensive gear. Waterloo scored in all four second-quarter possessions, as a 9-yard Ford scamper and a 6-yard Ford-to-Blair McKay (Waterford/) pass sandwiched two Caleb Girard (Waterford/) field goals, giving the Warriors a 22-6 lead heading into the half.

The Warriors picked up where they left off in the third quarter, as Mitch Kernick (Elmira/) scored a nine-yard receiving major on a broken play to extend the Waterloo lead. The Corelli pick and subsequent Ford touchdown made the score 36-8 after three quarters.

McConnell added a rushing touchdown early in the fourth, and Dion Pellerin (Abbotsford/) punched one in on a 3rd-and-1 play to make it 50-8 in the late stages. A conceded safety from York rounded out the scoring, putting the finishing touches on Waterloo’s first home win in nearly five years.

The Warriors will now look to move to 3-0 for the first time since the 2007 season when they host the Toronto Varsity Blues for the annual Black and Gold Day, where thousands of Frosh will descend on Warrior Field. Kickoff is slated for 1pm on Saturday, September 9.

BOX SCORE

 

Sunday, Aug. 3

McMaster (23), Carleton (9)

Source: McMaster Marauders

It was no secret that the McMaster Marauder football team would lean on the defense early in the OUA season, so it was no surprise that the defense powered Mac to an important 23-9 road win over Carleton.  The win puts the Marauders at 1-0 t start OUA conference play.

The Mac defence forced a fumble early and Mitch Garland returned it all the way to the Raven 3-yard line.  On the ensuing series a pair of McMaster rookies connected as quarterback Andreas Dueck hit Tommy Nield for the major score.  The teams then swapped safeties to give the Marauders a 9-2 lead after the first.

In the second quarter Carleton added a field-goal before McMaster scored on its best drive of the night, when a long run by Jordan Lyons saw him stripped on his way to the endzone and Mitch O’Connor corralled the loose ball for the Mac touchdown.

The Maroon defense then took over,  sacking the Raven’s quarterback Mike Arruda in the endzone for a safety,  before Marauder Robbie Yochim picked off an Arruda toss and returned it for a touchdown just before the half.  The score at halftime saw the McMaster advantage at 23-7.

Second-half action saw both teams struggle to find any offensive flow, and numerous penalties killed promising drives on both sides.  The Marauders conceded a third safety touch in the third quarter while the final stanza was scoreless. McMaster’s defense only surrendered 3 points on the evening, as the other six Carleton points came from safety touches conceded by Mac punter Adam Preocanin.

The Marauders will now prepare for the home opener on Saturday, September 9th when they host the Western Mustangs.  Kick-off is set for 1-pm at Ron Joyce Stadium and tickets can be purchased online at marauders.ca

BOX SCORE

 

 

Saturday, Aug. 2

 

PARTY ON THE A! AxemenPrideHasNoEqual?️ #AXEup

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Acadia (27), Bishop’s (10)

Source: Acadia Axemen

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Cody Cluett‘s (Cole Harbour, N.S.) record tying 36 completions in a single game was the key in the Football Axemen’s 27-10 victor over the visiting Bishop’s Gaiters.

Cluett completed 36 of 44 attempts for 302 yards in the air as the Axemen rebounded from a season opening loss to Mount Allison in Sackville, N.B. last weekend.

Acadia opened the first quarter at the 2:49 mark with a 21 yard touchdown pass from Cluett to Ben Meek (Peterborough, Ont.) to give the Axemen a 6-0 lead after the convert was missed.

Brandon Jenning’s (St. Albert, Alta.) first quarter, 33 yard field goal extended the Acadia lead to 9-0 heading into the second frame.

A five-yard reception by Dale Wright (Markham, Ont.) for Acadia’s second touchdown of the first half, pushed Acadia into a 16-0 advantage with 4:15 remaining in the second quarter. Just over a minute later, a team safety was added, giving Acadia an 18-0 lead heading into halftime.

Nearly two minutes into the second half, Gaiters’ Vincent Dube (Montgamy, Que.) nailed a 32 yard field goal to give Bishop’s their first points of the game.

Wright scored his second and Acadia’s final touchdown of the afternoon on an eight yard run in the third frame, pushing the lead to 25-3.

With five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Trevon Millings (Chomedy, Que.) closed the gap to 25-10 on a 25-yard pass reception from Dylan Tucker (Campbell River, B.C.). Bishop’s capitalized on a fumbler recovery on the Acadia 25 and with no delay scored their first and only touchdown of the game.

A team safety with 1:38 remaining in the game, gave the Axemen a 27-10 win after regulation time.

Named the Subway Player of the Game, Cluett’s performance tied a record of 36 completions set by former Axemen pivot Keith Lockwood on September 22, 207 versus McGill in Montreal.

“We just stuck with the process we’ve known all year. We know we didn’t come and play as well as we could have last week. We obviously wanted to bounce back and every day in practice we got a little bit better and sticking with what we were doing,” noted Cluett after the game.

Eugene McMinns (Nassau, Bahamas) led the way for the Axemen receiving core with seven catches for 64 yards. Cordell Hastings (Calgary, Alta.), Caleb Ryder (Moncton, N.B.), Ben Meek added 49, 47 and 42 yards respectively.

Cluett was appreciative of his receivers following the game. “It makes it easy when you have guys like that running around catching the ball. I just have to put it in a spot and they will go and run and catch it for me. Those guys making plays makes it really easy for me,” said Cluett.

While the air-attack was impressive, senior running back Cameron Davidson (Kentville, N.S.) spear-headed a ground attack with 145 net yards on 24 carries. Gaiter Trevon Millings had a team high 74 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Defensively, the Gaiters Arnaud Dandin (Paris, France) posted nine solo tackles and three assisted while second year Axemen linebacker Bailey Feltmate (Moncton, N.B.) had 13 solo tackles and two assisted.

The Gaiters head home to host the 1-0 Saint Mary’s Huskies next Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. (ET), while the Axemen travel to Antigonish, N.S. to take on the 1-1 StFX X-Men next Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (AT).

NOTES: Acadia and CFL Hall of Famer, Bob Cameron, was present at today’s game. Cameron is second in the AUS record book with 35 completions in a single game in 1977.

Today’s game was the first for the Bishop’s Gaiters, the newest addition to the AUS Football Conference. Bishop’s had no exhibition games prior to the game at Acadia.

BOX SCORE

 

Friday, Aug. 1

Calgary (55), Alberta (26)

Source: Ben Matchett; Assistant Athletic Director (Communications)

EDMONTON – Adam Sinagra tossed for 426 yards and four touchdowns to lead the fourth-ranked University of Calgary Dinos to a 55-26 win over the Alberta Golden Bears Friday night at Foote Field.

Sinagra, a third-year pivot from Pierrefonds, Que., completed 27 of 33 passes in an efficient performance, helped out by an offensive line that gave him plenty of time to work through his reads. He sparked the Dinos to a string of 30 unanswered points through the second and third quarters as Calgary stretched its dominance over its provincial rival, which has dated back to the 2008 season. It was the 10th straight game where the Dinos scored more than 50 points against the Golden Bears.

“We knew it was going to be a tough start for both teams, the first game of the year,” said Dinos Head Coach Wayne Harris. “We got a big stand from the defence and the offence really kept rolling after that. It was great to see the guys execute and respond inI thought the offensive line had an outstanding game tonight, it reminded me of how much time they used to give Andrew Buckley a couple years ago. That’s a huge difference-maker, and Adam was able to continue to find receivers that worked hard to get open.”

Sinagra’s target on the night was Dallas Boath, who hauled in 142 yards on eight catches before sustaining a leg injury in the third quarter. Boath had a couple of highlight-reel catches, including a 40-yard major late in the second quarter as Calgary broke the game open.

Michael Klukas scored a pair of TDs for the Dinos on a three-yard end-around run in the second along with a 40-yard catch in the third. Jeshrun Antwi had a 12-yard TD reception, while Hunter Karl and Jacob Izquierdo also pulled in majors for the defending Canada West champion Dinos.

The Bears’ scoring came largely from a pair of big plays: Ed Ilnicki found a hole and ran for an 83-yard touchdown to end Calgary’s 30-0 run in the third qurater, while Nathan Rowe caught a Ben Kopczynski pass and took it 109 yards to the end zone, tying the longest reception in U SPORTS history. Alberta quarterback Brad Baker completed 14 of 31 passes for 196 yards in a losing cause.

The Dinos open their home schedule next Friday night, Sept. 8, when they host the Regina Rams for KICKOFF, wrapping up UCalgary’s fall Orientation Week. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at McMahon Stadium, live on TELUS Optik TV.

BOX SCORE

 

Regina (36), UBC (20)

Source: Regina Rams

REGINA, Sask. – The University of Regina Rams opened up the Canada West schedule with a convincing win in a battle of top-ten teams, taking a 36-20 victory over UBC on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium.

After a quiet first quarter, the No. 5-ranked Rams (1-0) scored twice in the first half of the second with a Kyle Moortgat touchdown reception and a short Atlee Simon rush for a major and never looked back. The Rams led 16-4 at the half, and took complete control in the third after a Mitch Thompson touchdown catch and a Tyler Vieira plunge from one yard out to go up 33-6 late in the quarter.

The usual suspects drove the Regina offence in the win. Noah Picton completed 23 of his 35 pass attempts for 335 yards and two touchdowns, while Mitchell Picton was the game’s leading receiver with six receptions for 120 yards. Cole Benkic and Polis Koko both had interceptions for the Regina defence, while linebacker Nick Cross – the first Rams rookie to start a season opener right out of high school since Jamir Walker in 2008 – led all players with 7½ tackles including a sack and also had a pass breakup.

Simon, who finished with 14 carries for 63 yards, became the University of Regina’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns. He entered the season tied with Rams legend Neal Hughes with 17, but pulled ahead of Hughes with his second-quarter rumble from two yards out.

No. 7-ranked UBC (0-1) scored its first major early in the fourth quarter after a huge 57-yard punt return by Stavros Katsantonis gave the Thunderbirds the ball at Regina’s 43. Five plays later UBC was in the end zone after a Shane Noel run from a yard out, but the Rams forced punts on the next two possessions to end any hopes of a late comeback. Marcus Davis hauled in a 23-yard pass from Cole Meyer in the final minute to finish off the scoring.

Michael O’Connor was 14-for-25 and finished with 155 passing yards for UBC, while Ben Cummings rushed 15 times for 71 yards. Will Maxwell and Payton Lagrange both had big interception returns for the visitors, with Lagrange returning a pick 50 yards in the second quarter and Maxwell returning one 30 yards on Regina’s first possession of the second half.

The Rams will now prepare for a big Week 2 road game next Friday at No. 4 Calgary, which also won its season opener on Friday night with a 55-26 victory at Alberta. UBC will be back on the West Coast next weekend with a Saturday home game against UBC.

BOX SCORE

 

Saskatchewan (44), Manitoba (23)

Source: Saskatchewan Huskies

WINNIPEG – The University of Saskatchewan Huskies held off a third quarter charge by the No. 10 ranked University of Manitoba Bisons for a 44-23 win to start the 2017 Canada West football season Friday night at Winnipeg’s Investors Group Field.

Saskatchewan held a 21-point lead heading into the final half. The Bisons found their offensive stride scoring 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to pull within three entering the final 15 minutes.

Running back Jamel Lyles got the Manitoba unanswered scoring run started with a four-yard dash into the end zone at 8:57, just over two minutes later Theo Deezar connected with Shai Ross on a 30-yard touchdown pass. The Bisons’ closed the quarter with a Brad Mikoluff 46-yard field goal.

But Saskatchewan’s defence forced a two-and-out to start the fourth quarter and the Huskies never looked back. The Huskies added a Sean Stenger 22-yard field goal, a 16-yard Evan Kopchynski touchdown and a nine-yard Chad Braun touchdown in the final frame to seal the win.

It is the first win for Saskatchewan in Winnipeg in three seasons and the first in new Huskies’ head coach Scott Flory’s career.

The Huskies opened the scoring quickly in the game when Kyle Siemens connected with Kopchynski on a 28-yard pass just 3:04 in.

Manitoba hit two field goals in the second quarter, but the rest of the offence was Saskatchewan.  Stenger hit field goals from 21-yards and 12-yards, while Mitch Hillis and Siemens added majors for the Huskies for the 27-6 lead at half.

Fourth-year Siemens was masterful in the game completing 31-of-40 passes for 419 yards and four touchdowns.  He connected with fifth-year receiver Hillis for 120 yards and Kopchynski for another 92. Colton Klassen led the Huskies’ on the ground with 136 yards.

Ben Whiting was strong defensively for the Huskies tallying five tackles, one forced fumble and one breakup. Brad Kotania led the team in tackles with seven, while Brooks Falloon added another six.

Manitoba quarterback Deezar completed 18-of-31 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown. Ross led the receiving corps with 74 yards and Lyles led the Bisons on the ground with 81-yards.

Brock Gowanlock led the Bisons defensively with nine tackles and one sack.  James Mau added another 6.5 tackles for the team.

Saskatchewan hosts the Alberta Golden Bears in the Alumni Association Homecoming Game September 8 at Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park, while Manitoba travels to Vancouver to meet the UBC Thunderbirds.

BOX SCORE

 

Laval (50), McGill (14)

Source: McGill Redmen

MONTREAL — Quarterback Hugo Richard passed for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for two more as the No.1-ranked Laval Rouge et Or overwhelmed McGill 50-14 in RSEQ football at Percival Molson Stadium, Friday.

It was the second win in as many starts and the 13th straight victory for the defending Vanier Cup champions, dating back to last season. Laval generated 520 yards of net offence compared to 284 by McGill. The Redmen actually led 7-3 after the opening quarter but Laval exploded for 24 points in the second stanza, primarily on three touchdowns in the final two minutes, to take a 27-7 lead into halftime. The visitors then outscored the Redmen 15-0 in the third and 8-7 in the final frame.

Richard completed 28 of 34 passing attempts for 324 yards and rushed seven times for 46 yards. Trailing 7-6 late in the second quarter, Richard put his troops ahead 13-7 with a three-yard TD scamper at 12:37, followed quickly by a 12-yard TD strike to receiver Etienne Moisan at 14:21 and a two-yard quarterback keeper just 34 seconds later. After the intermission, Hugo came out and wasted no time, hooking up with Jonathan Breton-Robert for another 12-yard TD toss just 82 seconds into the third quarter to go ahead 34-7 and snuff out any hopes of a Redmen comeback.

Richard’s virtuoso performance ruined an impressive busier-than-a-bee effort by McGill offensive captain Remi Bertellin, a fleet-footed receiver from France, who tallied a pair of TDs and registered a game-high 203 all-purpose yards. The 23-year-old economics senior racked up 112 yards on six receptions, including TD strikes of 23 and 25 yards from quarterback Frederique Paquette-Perrault. Bertellin added 91 yards on five kickoff returns and punted eight times for an average of 35.1 yards.

Paquette-Perrault, a sophomore, was 14-for-29 passing for 273 yards but was picked off twice.

A three-yard TD run by Christopher Amoah put Laval ahead 41-1 midway through the third quarter. Kicker David Cote added 17 points, primarily of a 4-for-4 effort in field-goals. He connected from distances of 15, 37, 42 and 24 yards. rounding out the scoring for the Rouge et Or was 28-yard punt single by Dominique Levesque and a safety conceded in the final quarter.

The game featured 21 penalties and a plethora of kicking, with 15 punts and nine kickoffs. McGill was flagged 13 times for 95 yards, while Laval was caught eight times for 70 yards of real estate.

Laval (2-0) play their bitter rivals next week when they return to Montreal to confront the Carabins (1-0) in a much-anticipated matchup on Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. McGill (0-1) will travel to Sherbrooke (0-2) for a key showdown against the winless Vert & Or on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.

REDMEN RAP: Sophomore WR Jeremy Sauvageau was second on the Redmen with 84 all-purpose yards, collecting 71 on two catches and 13 on three punt returns… Sophomore LB Alex Pare registered a game-high nine total tackles, including eight solos and two assisted… Fellow linebackers David Polynice and Antoine Mongeau registered eight total tackles apiece… Junior LB Kamba Katchelewa had one knockdown and rookie LB Jean Exume was credited with one fumble recovery.

 

BOX SCORE

 

StFX (37), MTA (0)

Source: StFX X-men

Antigonish, NS – The StFX X-Men didn’t disappoint their fans in their home opener as they shut down the Mount Allison Mounties 37-0 Friday night at Oland Stadium.

Powered by five field goals from Jonathan Heidebrecht (Camrose, AB) and two touchdowns by Subway player of the game Kaion Julien-Grant (Toronto, ON), they X-Men rebounded from a 38-23 loss at Saint Mary’s last week to improve to 1-1 on the season.

The Mounties also sit at 1-1 in the AUS standings.

StFX took an early 9-0 lead after Heidebrecht booted three field goals in the opening quarter, splitting the uprights from 20, 43 and 42 yards out. X-Men running back Jordan Socholotiuk (Fort McMurray, AB) had a long 40 yard run to set up the first field goal.

The kickers exchanged field goal misses in the second quarter as Heidebrecht hit the upright on a 13-yard attempt and Ryan Lambert (Grimsby, ON) missed a 30-yarder for the Mounties.

Josh Millar (Ottawa, ON) connected with X-Men All-Canadian receiver Julien-Grant at 2:40 of the second quarter for a 35 yard touchdown and his first major score of the 2017 season. The X-Men missed the two-point conversion attempt as they increased their lead to 15-0.

Heidebrecht kicked a 28 yard field goal with under a minute to play in the second quarter to give the X-Men an 18-0 lead at half.

The X-Men scored two majors in the third quarter. Millar hit Julien-Grant with a 34 yard pass for his second touchdown of the night. As the X-Men were set-up on the Mounties one-yard line on 3rd and goal, Socholotiuk leaped over the pile for the TD score.

Jakob Loucks (Cornwall, ON) looked to have found Malik Richards (Brampton, ON) in the end zone as he slid down on the catch but the reception was ruled incomplete. The Mounties then turned over on downs on the ensuing play to keep the momentum in StFX’s favor.

The home squad held onto the 32-0 advantage after three quarters.

The fourth quarter saw Heidebrecht boot his fifth field goal of the game, this time from 37 yards. Mount Allison conceded a safety with under two minutes to play to round out the scoring.

Millar was 21 for 31 with 269 yards for the X-Men and Julien-Grant was his favorite target with five catches for 107 yards. Dejaun Martin (Scarborough, ON) also had five receptions, netting 38 yards.

Julien Grant added six returns and 129 yards on special teams for 243 all-purpose yards. Socholotiuk led all X-Men rushers with 122 yards on 16 carries.

Heidebrecht had 17 points on the night.

For the Mounties Loucks was 15-30 with 176 yards. Richards was the top receiver with 6 receptions for 97 yards and Chris Reid (Brampton, ON) ran for 71 yards on nine carries as the Mounties offense struggled throughout the evening.

The StFX defense was anchored by Travis Akers (Whitby, ON) and Dylan bell (Brockville, ON) who had six and five tackles, respectively. Freshman Jalen Burley (Winnipeg, MB) and Matthew Mendes (Halifax, NS) each had a sack in the game for the X-Men.

Skylar Butler (Herring Cove, NS) had 10.5 tackles on the night for Mount Allison and Nathan Vaikla (Pickering, ON) had 8.5. Defensive back Devante Sampson (Mississauga, ON) with 7.5 tackles and two break-ups was the Mounties player of the game.

Next on the schedule for the X-Men is a home game next Saturday, September 9th when they host Acadia at 2:00 pm. The Mounties are heading into a bye weekend.

GAME NOTES:

  • The X-Men were without two key starters – defensive end Kyle Forde (Toronto, ON) and offensive lineman Sam Gan (London, ON), who were both injured in the game last weekend at Saint Mary’s.
  • There was a touching pre-game ceremony in honor of former X-Men running back Ashton Dickson, who tragically lost his life this past June. Both the X-Men and Mounties lined the field in honor of Dickson and the captains of each team presented Ashton’s mother and girlfriend with flowers and a framed #8 jersey. The Clan Thompson Pipe Band performed Amazing Grace to a silent StFX crowd in respect and honor of the All-Canadian running back and 2015 AUS most valuable player.

BOX SCORE

 

Thursday, Aug 31

Concordia (23), Sherbrooke (22)

With files from: Sherbrooke Vert et Or

It was not until the very last play of the game to know the outcome of the opening game Thursday evening August 31st at the stadium outside the University of Sherbrooke. Unfortunately for the Vert & Or and their 9911 fans and football fans, it was Concordia who had the last word with a score of 23-22. It was a 23-yard field goal from knock-out goalkeeper Andrew Stevens, while there was no time left on the board, which put an end to this 21st clash between the two.

In front of the second best crowd in the history of the team, the verdict is hard to swallow for the Vert et Or, who had managed to fill a deficit of 10 points in the fourth quarter to take advantage 22 -20, with less than two minutes to play.

The American receiver Jermer Braswell succeeded in his return to the UdeS stadium thanks to an inspired game. He was a threat to the Stingers all night and had 116 yards on six passes from quarterback Alex Jacob-Michaud. No. 87 also made his first major in the Vert & Or uniform. It was in the fourth quarter, on a game of 22 yards. The other touchdown of the game for the Greens came from Jacob-Michaud, on a 10-yard race. The youngster ran well on a few occasions during the evening, but experienced some difficulties in aerial play, reaching his targets 14 times in 31 attempts for 240 yards of winning, in addition to undergoing two interceptions. The kicker Pierre-Antoine D’Astous has for his part managed two field goals.

The first part of the match was frankly not very edifying on either side, they clearly lacked rhythm and scored very few points. It was 4-3 and 10-3 for the Stingers at the end of each of the first two quarters.

Failure to contain the ground play of the Stingers hurt the Vert & Or. The Stingers’ backer accumulated no less than 151 yards on 28 races and also scored a touchdown. Quarterback Stingers Trenton Miller led an attack that raised 438 yards, as well as getting 29 first games, more than double the Vert & Or.

“It’s a mystery to me this aspect of our defensive game tonight. We rely on veterans on the defensive front and we knew they would have that strategy. Yet we were unable to stop them, “said the head coach of the Vert & Or, Mathieu Lecompte.

“We were well prepared to face the Stingers’ ground game, but we lacked performance, concentration and we may have wanted to do too much individually. We are definitely a better team than our record shows after two games and I trust the guys to bounce, “said one of the captains of the Vert & Or, Alexandre Chevrier. The latter dominated the tackles in the camp of the Vert & Or with a match of 11.5 tackles, of which eight in solo and one tackle for loss.

After losing to Laval 40 to 5, it’s a second setback in 5 days that complicates this 15th anniversary season start for the Sherbrooke troupe, who had to resign themselves to watching the post-match fireworks with a bitter taste in the mouth …. The men of Lecompte will have the opportunity to recover in about ten days, while they will evolve again at the house. The Vert & Or will receive the Redmen of McGill University on Saturday, September 9th, at the Stade de l’Université de Sherbrooke. The match will also be held at 7 pm.

BOX SCORE

 

Source: U Sports (Box Scores)

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