Photo credit Corey Lablans
OTTAWA (CIS) – The Laval Rouge et Or top the CIS football national rankings for the third time in as many polls this season after they moved to 2-0 in league play thanks to their second straight domination of a Top-10 opponent.
For the third consecutive week, the reigning two-time Vanier Cup champions received all 30 first-place votes and a perfect 300 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel.
Rounding out the new Top 10 are the No. 2 Calgary Dinos (2-0 / 267 points / no change), No. 3 Western Mustangs (2-0 / 243 / no change), No. 4 McMaster Marauders (3-0 / 194 / no change), No. 5 Montreal Carabins (1-1 / 172 / no change), No. 6 Guelph Gryphons (2-1 / 128 / up one), No. 7 Saskatchewan Huskies (2-0 / 127 / down one), No. 8 Mount Allison Mounties (2-0 / 74 / up two), as well as the No. 9 Manitoba Bisons (1-1 / 61) and No. 10 Concordia Stingers (2-0 / 14), both unranked last Tuesday.
For the second week in a row, the Big Three of Laval, Calgary and Western proved why they are the overwhelming early season favourites within their respective conferences.
After opening the campaign on Sept. 6 with a 40-13 home win over archrival Montreal, top-ranked Laval travelled to Sherbrooke and crushed the Vert & Or – ranked No. 9 prior to the contest - 43-1 to set a new program record with its 20th consecutive overall victory dating back to 2012. The Rouge et Or will have a chance to tie McMaster’s CIS mark of 21 straight wins on Saturday when they return to Sherbrooke to face Bishop’s (0-2).
Meanwhile, Calgary and Western were also big winners on the road last Saturday, dominating UBC 59-11 and Queen’s 43-12, respectively.
Other results from Top-10 teams this past weekend include No. 4 McMaster 37, Carleton 17 (at McMaster); No. 5 Montreal 41, Bishop’s 7 (at Montreal); No. 6 Guelph 42, Ottawa 7 (at Ottawa); No. 7 Saskatchewan 42, Alberta 41 in overtime (at Alberta); No. 8 Mount Allison 27, StFX 25 (at StFX); No. 9 Manitoba 42, Regina 18 (at Manitoba); No. 10 Concordia 41, McGill 7 (at McGill).
The only Top-10 confrontation on this week’s schedule sees No. 2 Calgary battle No. 7 Saskatchewan Friday at 7 p.m. Central in Saskatoon, live on CanadaWest.TV.
NOTES: McMaster’s record run of 21 straight wins overall in 2011 and 2012 ended with a 37-14 loss to Laval in the Vanier Cup... After going 0-8 a year ago, Concordia is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2008 and is ranked nationally for the first time since Sept. 7, 2010 (No. 10)... The 50th TELUS Vanier Cup Tour makes a stop in the nation’s capital on Saturday for the annual Panda Game between the Ottawa Gee-Gees and Carleton Ravens. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at TD Place at Lansdowne (live on Rogers TV in Ottawa and OUA.TV). For all the information on the 50th TELUS Vanier Cup (including ticket info) visit vaniercup.com.
FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#3)
Pts (1st place) Last week
1. Laval (2-0) 300 (30) 1
2. Calgary (2-0) 267 2
3. Western (2-0) 243 3
4. McMaster (3-0) 194 4
5. Montreal (1-1) 172 5
6. Guelph (2-1) 128 7
7. Saskatchewan (2-0) 127 6
8. Mt. Allison (2-0) 74 10
9. Manitoba (1-1) 61 NR
10. Concordia (2-0) 14 NR *
Other teams receiving votes: Sherbrooke (14), Ottawa (10), Windsor (10), Laurier (2), Acadia (1).
* Concordia gets the nod over Sherbrooke at No. 10 thanks to a greater number of higher-placed votes.
WEEK 3 RESULTS
September 12
Concordia 41, McGill 7 (at McGill)
Montreal 41, Bishop’s 7 (at Montreal)
Manitoba 42, Regina 18 (at Manitoba)
September 13
Laurier 44, Waterloo 0 (at Laurier)
Western 43, Queen’s 12 (at Queen’s)
Guelph 42, Ottawa 7 (at Ottawa)
Laval 43, Sherbrooke 1 (at Sherbrooke)
Toronto 70, York 0 (at Toronto)
McMaster 37, Carleton 17 (at McMaster)
Acadia 16, Saint Mary’s 13 (at Acadia)
Mount Allison 27, StFX 25 (at StFX)
Calgary 59, UBC 11 (at UBC)
Saskatchewan 42, Alberta 41 OT (at Alberta)
WEEK 4 SCHEDULE (all times local)
September 19
19:00 Sherbrooke (1-1) at No. 10 Concordia (2-0)
(StretchTV)
19:00 McGill (0-2) at No. 5 Montreal (1-1)
19:00 No. 2 Calgary (2-0) at No. 7 Saskatchewan (2-0) (CanadaWest.TV)
September 20
13:00 Windsor (2-0) at Waterloo (0-3) (OUA.TV)
13:00 No. 1 Laval (2-0) at Bishop’s (0-2) (Radio-Canada
TV & ici.radio-canada.ca & Gaiters
TV)
13:00 Queen’s (0-3) at No. 6 Guelph (2-1) (OUA.TV)
13:00 No. 4 McMaster (3-0) at York (0-3) (OUA.TV)
13:00 Ottawa (2-1) at Carleton (1-1) (Rogers TV Ottawa &
OUA.TV)
13:00 Toronto (1-2) at No. 3 Western (2-0) (OUA.TV)
14:00 Saint Mary’s (0-2) at No. 8 Mount Allison (2-0)
(Eastlink TV & AUStv.ca)
14:00 StFX (1-1) at Acadia (1-1) (AUStv.ca)
14:00 UBC (0-2) at No. 9 Manitoba (1-1) (CanadaWest.TV)
17:00 Regina (1-1) at Alberta (0-2) (Shaw TV & CanadaWest.TV)
About Football Reporters of Canada
Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958, Football Reporters of Canada has been an organization of media members who have covered the Canadian Football League, serving to select the league’s outstanding players, coach-of-the-year and all-star teams through voting conducted by its members. In 2009, the FRC amalgamated with the University Football Reporters of Canada (UFRC) to give the organization greater scope in its affiliation with amateur and college football. FRC also works with the CFL and CIS to establish guidelines and working conditions for the men and women who report on the game. Selected members of FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
About the 50th TELUS Vanier Cup
Canadian Interuniversity Sport will celebrate the 50th TELUS Vanier Cup throughout its 2014 football season. For the first time in history, the championship game will be staged in Montreal - at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium - on Saturday, November 29, at 1 p.m. ET, live on Sportsnet and Radio-Canada.
Official TELUS Vanier Cup website (including ticket information) www.vaniercup.com
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:
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