CIS football Friday roundup

Source: Lori Forbes, Saint Mary's Sports Info

The Saint Mary’s Huskies defeated the Acadia Axemen 14-11 on Friday night in front of 3175 fans at Huskies Stadium in Halifax. The highly anticipated 2012Loney Bowl rematch kicked off the Atlantic University Sport football season.

Melvin Abankwah (Etobicoke, Ont.) amassed 229 all-purpose yards while Dave Sabourin (Ottawa, Ont.) and Mike Dawes (Winnigeg, MB.) combined for 95 yards rushing on 30 carries to lead the Huskies offensively.

Subway Player of the Game, Rob Jubenville (Oshawa, Ont.) registered 6.5 tackles and 1 sack and Jonathan Lange had 6 tackles for a Huskies defense that stood tall in the second half propelling Saint Mary’s to a huge win at the Stadium.

The defending conference champion Axemen accumulated 257 total yards, compared to only 142 for Saint Mary’s and were in control of field position for most of the contest. But a game changing turnover on special teams in the second quarter gave the Huskies 1st and goal on the Acadia three yard line.

Two plays later, Ben Rossong (Sackville, N.S.) connected with Abankwah in the deep corner of the end-zone for a Huskies touchdown to give the home squad a 9-7 halftime lead they would not relinquish.

Taylor Renaud (Winnipeg, MB.) led Acadia offensively with 127 yards on 7 receptions including an electrifying 82-yard catch and run for a touchdown in the first quarter that would prove to be the only major score for Acadia. Evan Brown (Hubley, N.S.) was solid in his Axemen debut replacing two time AUS MVP Kyle Graves at Quarterback, passing for 227 yards and completing 18 of 34 passes.

Both teams will enter the QUFC interlock portion of the schedule next Saturday. Acadia will get ready to host the CIS defending champion Laval Rouge Et Or at Raymond Field in a contest that can be seen on AUStv.ca. The Huskies will travel to Montreal to play the nationally ranked Carabins.

Source: Earl Zukerman, McGill Sports Info Office

MONTREAL - Luis Guimont-Mota, a sophomore from Quebec City, rushed for 111 yards and a a pair of touchdowns as McGill defeated Concordia 32-19 to capture the 45th annual Shaughnessy Cup football game before 2,845 at Percival Molson Stadium, Friday.
 
The result snapped McGill's 11-year, 15-game losing streak to the Stingers, dating back to a 10-8 Redmen conquest in the league's 2002 Dunsmore Cup championship game.
 
It marked the second straight 100-yard game for Guimont-Mota, a 5-foot-9, 188-pound tailback who registered 18 carries, including TD scampers of 21 and 28 yards.
 
Others going over the century mark were two McGill teammates from Toronto -- sophomore Joel Brtka who hauled in 11 catches for 146 yards and one TD -- and freshman Pelle Jorgen, who amassed 108 all-purpose yards, including a 70-yard kickoff return, in his first-ever game at the collegiate level.
 
It was a Jekyll-and-Hyde affair, with both teams getting off to a slow start in what appeared to be a significant defensive battle. Concordia led 4-3 after the opening quarter and maintained a 7-5 advantage at the intermission. But the second half featured a wide-open offensive display, with McGill racking up a 22-7 lead heading into the final quarter, which the Stingers won 12-10
 
When all was said and done, the Redmen barked louder, generating 24 first downs and 402 yards of net offence, compared to 23 and 386, respectively, by the Stingers.
 
"It was a good team win but we have lots to improve on," said Clint Uttley, head coach of the Redmen. "We made too many mistakes and took too many penalties in the first half. Our defence and special teams carried the team until the offence finally got on track in the third quarter."
 
Redmen quarterback Jonathan Collin, a senior from Greenfield Park, Que., completed 22 of 40 pass attempts for 281 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
 
Stingers pivot Reid Quest of Regina, Sask., tossed for 312 yards and one TD in a losing cause. He made 27 of 39 passes and was picked off once. Francois Dessureault, his understudy from St. Tite, Que., went 5-for-9 for 39 yards and a TD.
 
The duo combined to find nine different receivers, including Kristopher Bastien of St. Lambert, Que., who snared six passes for 90 yards and a pair of scoring majors.
 
Kickers rounded out the scoring for both sides, with McGill sophomore Sammy Rassy collecting 12 points. He went 3-for-4 in field-goal attempts, connecting from distances of 29, 32 and 21 yards, respectively. His lone miscue was from the 36.
 
Concordia's Keegan Treloar went 2-for-2, connecting on a 42-yarder and a 17-yarder.
 
Defensively, McGill had a strong day from its linebacking corps of Alexandre Bernard (7 tackles), Jesse Briggs (6 tackles) and Chris O'Kill (6 tackles, 1 fumble recovery). They helped smother the Concordia rushing game and limited the Stingers to just 54 yards on 18 attempts. The Redmen defensive front racked up four quarterback sacks, including two from Carl Laverdiere, with one apiece from Briggs and David Deku, who is one of seven former Concordia transfers on the McGill roster.  Zachary Lord was credited with 3.5 tackles to go along with an interception.
 
For the Stingers, Max Caron led the way with 6.5 tackles, a pair of sacks, one knockdown and a forced fumble.
 
McGill, which improved to 1-1, travels to Sackville, N.B., next week to take on Mt. Allison (0-0) in an interlocking affair with the AUS conference on Sept. 14, while Concordia (0-2) will host St. FX (0-0).
 
REDMEN RAP: This was a heated affair with no love lost between the cross-town rivals and the game featured a combined 21 penalties for 225 yards. On one particular play after a McGill touchdown, three Concordia players were each assessed unnecessary roughness penalties, which resulted in McGill kicking-off from the Concordia 25-yard line!... The Redmen 48-man dresslist featured a single-game, school record 20 freshmen, seven of them starters... Among the faces spotted in the crowd was Cliff Wilson, a former Redmen team captain from the mid-1980s... The Shaughnessy Cup is a local rivalry matchup named after the legendary Frank Shaughnessy, a member of the McGill Sports Hall of Fame who coached at both McGill and Loyola College, which later became Concordia. Shaughnessy, a football innovator who led McGill to a pair of Yates Cup championships in 1913 and 1919, first introduced the forward pass to Canada in a 1921 McGill game against Syracuse at Molson Stadium and lobbied for a decade before the Canadian Rugby Football Union formally adopted the pass in 1931... McGill evened their lifetime record against the Stingers at 36-36, including a 20-14 mark at Molson Stadium... In Shaughnessy Cup play, the Redmen are 23-21-1 overall, including an 18-21 record against Concordia and an unblemished 5-0-1 against Loyola.

Source: Marty Rourke, Bishop's Sports Information Coordinator

MONTREAL – The tenth-ranked Bishop’s Gaiters fell 44-18 to the third ranked Montreal Carabins on Friday night in RSEQ University Football action in Montreal.  Just seven points separated the teams with 9:30 to play before the Carabins pulled away late in the fourth quarter.

Montreal took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in nine plays to take an early 7-0 lead.  The Gaiters responded with an impressive drive of their own but only managed a single point on after a missed field goal. Reigning CIS Offensive Player of the Week Jordan Heather (Oromocto, N.B.) led the Gaiters on another solid drive before the first quarter came to an end.  He capped it off by with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Yaata Nyantakyi (Toronto).  The score put the purple and silver up 8-7 after the first quarter.

Montreal exploded in the second frame, specifically kicker Felix Menard (Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que.).  He made field goals of 29, 23 and 14 yards as the Gaiters defense kept bending but did not break.  The Gaiters conceded a safety on what appeared to be the last play of the half but after some confusion on the field, two seconds were added to the clock. Bishop’s kicked off and the half came to a close with the Carabins on top 25-8.

To start the third quarter the Gaiters were determined to get back in the game and after a long drive aided by a pair of Montreal penalties, the Gaiters found themselves with first and goal on the Carabins two yard line. Shane McDonald (Uxbridge, Ont.) came into the game at quarterback. He rolled out and found Geoff Coventry (Orleans, Ont.) for a major to cut the Carabins lead to 25-15.   It was the only score of the frame.

The Gaiters maintained momentum into the fourth quarter and a Mathieu Paquette (Sherbrooke, Que.) 33-yard field goal 1:11 into the frame had them within one score.  Menard answered with a 13-yard field goal of his own to re-store the 10 point advantage with 9:29 remaining.  The points were what the Carabins needed to regain the momentum.  Heather’s first pass of the next drive was tipped and intercepted. The Carabins took five plays and 2:45 to score a touchdown and extend their lead to 35-18. Bishop’s was forced to punt on the next possession and Montreal took over and on their second play threw a pass over the top for their second consecutive touchdown and a 42-18 lead with 2:29 remaining.  The Gaiters were pinned deep on the ensuing kickoff and were forced to concede another safety with 1:15 left.  Montreal ran out the clock to a 44-18 victory.

“The guys played hard but we made too many mistakes,” said Gaiters head coach Kevin Mackey. “They are a physical football team and we couldn’t quite match it.  We will have to get back to the drawing board.  I thought Jordan (Heather) played well and so did the O-line. We had a couple breakdowns in the secondary but we’ll make corrections and fix it and be ready next week.”

Coming off a short week the Gaiters now earn an extra day of rest as they will face the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Saturday, September 14 at 7 p.m.  The game will be the annual Mayor’s Cup and will take place at Stade de L’Universite.  Follow the Gaiters throughout the year at www.gaiters.ca.

Game Notes: Heather went 19-32 for 290 yards.  He had one touchdown pass and one interception…Coventry continued an excellent start to the year. He grabbed 5 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown…The Gaiters ran the ball just 6 times for 21 yards compared to the Carabins rushing 39 times for 286 yards…Montreal outgained the Gaiters 511 net yards to 262 net yards…Montreal was penalized 15 times for 115 yards, while Bishop’s drew 8 flags for 77 yards…Montreal had over 10 minutes more possession time and ran 20 more offensive plays than the Gaiters…The Carabins scored points on all 5 of their red-zone possessions while Bishop’s was 1-3…

Source: Regina Sports Info

REGINA - For the second consecutive week, the University of Regina Rams weren't able to complete a fourth-quarter comeback as they dropped a 34-27 decision to No. 5-ranked Calgary on Friday night in their Canada West home opener at Mosaic Stadium.
 
The Rams (0-2) trailed by 14 points late in the fourth quarter before a long 61-yard completion by Cayman Shutter (pictured) to Kolten Solomon led to a six-yard touchdown reception by Jared Janotta with 1:43 left on the clock. The U of R failed to recover the ensuing onside kick, but forced a two-and-out and got the ball back with 1:23 remaining. Shutter led the Rams on a last-minute drive all the way down to Calgary's 30, but his pass to Addison Richards in the end zone on the last play of the game fell incomplete to seal the victory for the Dinos (2-0).
 
Calgary running back Mercer Timmis was a thorn all night long, rushing 25 times for a total of 139 yards and scoring twice on the ground for the Dinos. Quarterback Andrew Buckley was 11-for-25 for 210 yards including an 89-yard touchdown pass to Elie Bouka late in the second quarter. The Dinos were led defensively by 2½ sacks from Brett Wade, while Michael Schmidt had a game-high 6½ tackles for the visitors.
 
The Rams almost completely abandoned the run game, as Shutter was 27-for-58 to set a new University of Regina record for most pass attempts in a game. Shutter ended up with 404 passing yards and fired touchdown passes to both Solomon and Janotta. Richards ended up with a game-high eight catches for 82 yards, while Solomon had seven receptions and led all players with 140 receiving yards. Landon Buch also had three catches for 79 yards, most of which came on a 50-yard connection early in the game which led to the team's first field goal of the contest.
 
Brady Aulie and Logan Brooks both led the Rams with 5½ tackles, while safety Ryan Filyk notched his first career interception late in the third quarter to set up the Solomon touchdown. Tevaughn Campbell had a sack for the U of R with Brooks, Calvin Smith, Tyler Perkins, and Connor Ketchen all earning credit for half sacks.
 
The Dinos took an early lead with field goals on both of their first two possessions before Buch's long reception put the Rams into position to get on the board with a 32-yard Taylor Wandler field goal. After the Rams put an end to Calgary's next drive, Campbell fielded a punt at his own six-yard line and weaved his way 75 yards downfield to notch the fourth-longest return in school history. That set up another Wandler field goal as the teams headed into the second knotted at 6-6.
 
The Rams took their first – and, what would turn out to be their only – lead after a 14-play, 94-yard drive took over six minutes off the clock and led to an odd touchdown. With the Rams on Calgary's five-yard line, Jens Johnson rushed to the Calgary one where he was met by the Dinos' Hunter Turnbull. The hard hit on Johnson knocked the ball loose, but Solomon scooped up the ball and took it across the line to put the Rams up 13-6.
 
Calgary finished the first half strong, first taking advantage of a short field following a long Rashaun Simonise punt return and an untimely drive-extending penalty to tie the game with a one-yard plunge by Buckley. The Dinos didn't take long to score on their next possession, as they took over the ball on their own 21 after a third-down gamble by the Rams and Buckley found Bouka on a crossing pattern for an 89-yard major to give Calgary the lead.
 
Timmis scored the first of his two touchdowns midway through the third to make it a two-possession game for the first time, but the Rams pulled back to within seven when Shutter found Solomon from nine yards out on the final play of the quarter. Calgary responded immediately with a second Timmis rushing touchdown early in the fourth, and the score stayed 34-20 in favour of the Dinos until Janotta's touchdown late in the contest.
 
The Rams will be back in action next Saturday, Sept. 14 with a road game against the Alberta Golden Bears (0-1) in Edmonton, while Calgary will prepare to host No. 8-ranked Saskatchewan (1-0) next weekend.
 
NOTES: Shutter's 58 pass attempts were also the second most in a Canada West game, trailing only the 61 recorded by Saskatchewan's Chase Bradshaw last season ... Shutter is also the first University of Regina quarterback to throw for at least 400 passing yards since Marc Mueller had 437 at Saskatchewan on Oct. 29, 2010 ... Janotta collected his 100th career reception and moves past Chris Getzlaf into 10th place on the school's all-time receiving yards list (1315) ... Brooks pulls into a tie with Sean Brimacombe for second place on the U of R's career sacks list (11) ... Mark McConkey had two receptions and is now tied for second on Canada West's career receptions chart (162).