U Sports Top 10 (6): 1 newcomer heading into Thanksgiving

Credit: James Hajjar

There are no changes in the top half of the U SPORTS football national rankings heading into Thanksgiving weekend.

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The Montreal Carabins (4-0) lead the way for the fourth straight week after receiving 12 of 19 first-place votes and 182 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel. All remaining first-place nods once again went to the Calgary Dinos (5-0), who tallied 171 points to stay clear of the Laval Rouge et Or (4-1 / 151 points) in second position.

The fourth-ranked Western Mustangs (6-0 / 142) and No. 5 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (4-1 / 109) also stay put following their much-anticipated head-to-head battle, won by Western.

Rounding out the sixth media poll of the campaign are the No. 6 McMaster Marauders (4-1 / 79 / up one position), No. 7 UBC Thunderbirds (3-2 / 79 / down one), No. 8 Regina Rams (3-2 / 60 / up one), No. 9 Saint Mary’s Huskies (5-0 / 41 / up one), as well as the previously unranked Guelph Gryphons (3-3 / 10).

McMaster earned the tie-breaker for sixth spot over UBC thanks to a greater number of higher-placed votes.

Top-ranked Montreal is coming off a bye and gets back on the field Thursday night for a home tilt against crosstown rival Concordia (2-3).

Calgary continued to roll last Friday in Canada West action and now has a two-game lead atop the conference standings following a convincing 31-17 road win over No. 7 UBC.

Laval defeated McGill for a second time this fall, this time by 34-0 on home turf, while in the other top-10 matchup of the past weekend, Western downed Laurier 29-13 at University Stadium in Waterloo in a rematch of last year’s Yates Cup won by the Hawks in London.

Other results from top-10 teams this past week included McMaster 32, York 2 (at McMaster); Regina 50, Saskatchewan 40 (at Saskatchewan); Saint Mary’s 22, StFX 21 (at StFX); Guelph 53, Waterloo 49 (at Waterloo).

Only eight games are on the national schedule on Thanksgiving weekend as Canada West heads into a conference-wide break, in addition to regular bye weeks in the OUA, RSEQ and AUS.

Besides the Montreal-Concordia confrontation on Thursday evening, other top-10 teams in action include No. 3 Laval visiting Sherbrooke (1-4) Saturday at 2 p.m. Eastern Time (TVA Sports); No. 4 Western hosting Carleton (2-3) Friday at 7 p.m. ET (Rogers Sports Preview & OUA.TV); No. 5 Laurier at York (1-4) Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (OUA.TV); No. 6 McMaster at Toronto (1-4) Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (OUA.TV).

NOTES: Sportsnet and TVA Sports are once again the official broadcasters of the U SPORTS football semifinals and final in 2017… The Mitchell Bowl (RSEQ at Canada West) and Uteck Bowl (OUA at AUS) are set for Saturday, Nov. 18, while the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup follows on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m. ET at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton… For all the information on the 53rd Vanier Cup (including tickets) visit vaniercup.com.

 

U SPORTS TOP 10 (6)

Rank School Season Votes (pts) Previous
1 Montreal (4-0) 182 (12) 1
2 Calgary (5-0) 171 (7) 2
3 Laval (4-1) 151 3
4 Western (6-0) 142 4
5 Laurier (4-1) 109 5
6 McMaster (4-1) 79 * 7
7 UBC (3-2) 79 6
8 Regina (3-2) 60 9
9 Saint Mary’s (5-0) 41 10
10 Guelph (3-3) 10 NR

* McMaster edges UBC for 6th place based on number of higher-placed votes.
Other teams receiving votes: Ottawa (8), Saskatchewan (5), Waterloo (3), Concordia (3), Carleton (2).

Week 6 results

September 29

  • Alberta 36, Manitoba 25 (at Manitoba)
  • Regina 50, Saskatchewan 40 (at Saskatchewan)
  • Calgary 31, UBC 17 (at UBC)

September 30

  • Saint Mary’s 22, StFX 21 (at StFX)
  • Acadia 33, Mount Allison 14 (at Acadia)
  • Carleton 33, Ottawa 30 (2OT) (at Ottawa)
  • McMaster 32, York 2 (at McMaster)
  • Queen’s 54, Windsor 10 (at Windsor)
  • Western 29, Laurier 13 (at Laurier)
  • Guelph 53, Waterloo 49 (at Waterloo)
  • Sherbrooke 30, Concordia 13 (at Concordia)

October 1

Laval 34, McGill 0 (at Laval)

Week 7 schedule

October 5

  • Waterloo (4-2) at Queen’s (1-4), 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT (OUA.TV)
  • No. 6 McMaster (4-1) at Toronto (1-4), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (OUA.TV)
  • No. 5 Laurier (4-1) at York (1-4), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (OUA.TV)
  • Concordia (2-3) at No. 1 Montreal (4-0), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

October 6

  • Carleton (2-3) at No. 4 Western (6-0), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (Rogers Sports Preview & OUA.TV)

October 7

  • StFX (2-3) at Mount Allison (1-4), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (Bell Aliant Fibe TV1 &AUStv.ca)
  • Acadia (3-2) at Bishop’s (1-3), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (AUStv.ca)
  • No. 3 Laval (4-1) at Sherbrooke (1-4), 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT (TVA Sports)

Source: U Sports

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