Only seven games are on the schedule this week in U SPORTS football as a number of teams enjoy a well-deserved Thanksgiving break.
The Canada West conference heads into its annual league-wide pause, in addition to regular bye weeks in the OUA, RSEQ and AUS.
Week 7 action gets under way early with three contests set for Thursday night, featuring nationally fifth-ranked Wilfrid Laurier (4-1) and No. 6 McMaster (4-1). Fourth-ranked Western (6-0) takes the field on Friday evening, while No. 3 Laval (4-1) headlines the weekend’s final confrontation Saturday at 2 p.m., live on U SPORTS French broadcast partner TVA Sports.
Here’s a game-by-game look at the Week 7 matchups.
NOTE: The game between Concordia (2-3) and No. 1 Montréal (4-0) originally set for Thursday night at CEPSUM Stadium was cancelled due to public health concerns. The RSEQ conference announced the contest will not be rescheduled.
Bye Week
No. 2 Calgary (5-0), No. 7 UBC (3-2), No. 8 Regina (3-2), No. 9 Saint Mary’s (4-1), No. 10 Guelph (3-3), Ottawa (4-2), Saskatchewan (2-3), Alberta (1-4), Manitoba (1-4), McGill (1-4), Windsor (0-6).
Thursday
No. 5 Laurier (4-1) at York (1-4)
The skinny: Laurier has won 12 of 13 against York since the start of the 2003 campaign – including a 74-3 domination a year ago – with its only head-to-head blemish over that period being a 33-20 setback at Lions Stadium in 2013. Over their last 16 games versus OUA opponents dating back to the penultimate week of the 2015 regular schedule, the Golden Hawks are 1-3 against Western and 12-0 against the rest of the league. On Thursday, Laurier’s nationally fifth-ranked rushing offence (192.0 yards per game) faces York’s last-ranked run defence (232.0). Keep an eye on (Laurier): Thanks to his 18 receptions last weekend against Western, one off the single-game national record, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. leads the country with 49 catches – 13 more than any other player – and also ranks first in receiving yards (582) and all-purpose yards per game (203.4)… Keep an eye on (York): Defensive end Rossini Sandjong-Djabome leads the nation with 9.5 tackles for a loss.
No. 6 McMaster (4-1) at Toronto (1-4)
The skinny: McMaster has won 15 straight against Toronto – all in conference play – since a 30-13 road loss back on Sept. 21, 1996. The Marauders took last year’s head-to-head confrontation 32-5 on home turf. Thursday night’s matchup pits McMaster’s OUA-leading defence (11.2 points allowed per game) against Toronto’s conference-worst offence (12.8 points per game). Keep an eye on (McMaster): Fourth-year senior Dan Petermann holds the school record with 165 career receptions (19th on the U SPORTS list) and reached the 2,000-yard plateau (2,022) last Saturday against York… Keep an eye on (Toronto): Defensive back Nick Hallett ranks fifth in Ontario and 10th in the country in tackles per game (7.0).
Waterloo (4-2) at Queen’s (1-4)
The skinny: Waterloo has lost two straight following a 4-0 start, while Queen’s finally got on the board last Saturday after opening league play with four consecutive losses. The Gaels have won the last seven head-to-head duels – including 54-20 last fall – since a 14-13 loss to the Warriors on Sept. 23, 2006. Going into Thursday’s contest, Waterloo’s offence ranks second in Ontario and third in the nation with 42.0 points per game. Keep an eye on (Waterloo): Thanks to 247 yards on five catches last Saturday against Guelph, Tyler Ternowski leads U SPORTS in both receiving yards per game (166.0) and yards per catch (26.2)… Keep an eye on (Queen’s): Defensive lineman Nick Dowd is tied for seventh in the nation in sacks (4.0).
Friday
Carleton (2-3) at No. 4 Western (6-0)
The skinny: Western became the first U SPORTS team to get to 6-0 this fall, while Carleton kept its playoffs hopes alive last Saturday thanks to a thrilling double-overtime win over Ottawa in the annual Panda Game. Last year, the Ravens handed Western its only regular-season loss, winning 38-31 in the nation’s capital on Week 2, but the Mustangs got the last laugh in the playoffs with a resounding 51-24 OUA semifinal victory in London. The Mustangs’ offence currently leads the country in total yards per game (577.5) and ranks second in points scored (45.3 per game), while the Ravens’ defence tops the nation with 23 sacks. Keep an eye on (Western): Running backs Alex Taylor and Yannick Harou lead all active U SPORTS players in career all-purpose touchdowns with 30 apiece and Taylor needs 125 rushing yards to become the 37th member of the 3,000 club… Keep an eye on (Carleton): Linebacker Leon Cenerini leads the country in tackles per game (9.1) and is tied for first with 38.0 solo tackles in five contests.
Saturday
No. 3 Laval (4-1) at Sherbrooke (1-4)
The skinny: Laval is 25-0 overall against Sherbrooke since the Vert & Or returned to university football in 2003, including a 40-5 season-opening win in Quebec City on Aug. 26. Thanks to a shutout performance against McGill last Sunday, the Rouge et Or defence is now ranked first in U SPORTS allowing a stingy 9.6 points per contest. The Vert & Or’s 30-13 win at Concordia last Saturday was their first under first-year head coach Mathieu Lecompte. Keep an eye on (Laval): Held to a single sack in his first four games of the season, all-Canadian defensive end Mathieu Betts – last year’s J.P. Metras trophy winner – exploded last Sunday with 3.5 against McGill to move to within one of the school career record of 26.5, in only his third campaign with the team… Keep an eye on (Sherbrooke): Receiver Frédérick Cadieux-Boudrias had his best performance of the season last Saturday with 102 yards on four catches, including a 53-yard touchdown.
Acadia (3-2) at Bishop’s (1-3)
The skinny: Acadia won the first head-to-head contest of the season 27-10 on home turf back on Sept. 2. Before the Gaiters joined the AUS conference this fall, the two teams had split four interlock contests between 2003 and 2010. The Axemen defence currently ranks second in the country with 11 interceptions in five games, while Bishop’s quarterbacks have been intercepted six times in four contests… Keep an eye on (Acadia): Defensive back Jadin White-Frayne leads the country with five interceptions, while teammate Garvin Cius is tied for second with three… Keep an eye on (Bishop’s): Wide receiver Nathan Walker (179.0) and running back Trey Millings (155.0) both average over 150 all-purpose yards per game.
StFX (3-2) at Mount Allison (1-4)
The skinny: StFX has won six straight overall against Mount Allison, including a 37-0 shutout earlier this season (Sept. 1) and the last two AUS championship finals. Mount Allison’s last head-to-head victory was a 27-17 decision back on Oct. 10, 2015. Both offences have had similar success on the ground so far this fall, the X-Men averaging 167.8 rushing yards per game and 5.3 per carry, compared to 165.2 and 5.3 for the Mounties… Keep an eye on (StFX): Receiver Kaion Julien-Grant leads U SPORTS in punt return yards (524) and ranks third in all-purpose yards (958)… Keep an eye on (Mount Allison): Defensive back Nate Rostek leads the AUS and ranks fifth in the nation with 7.7 tackles per game.
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)
**Cancelled due to public health concerns: Concordia (2-3) at No. 1 Montreal (4-0)
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
Source: U Sports
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