Last minute major leads Laval to Mitchell Bowl victory
REGINA – Quarterback Arnaud Desjardins threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Issac Gaillardetz with 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter to lift the Laval Rouge et Or to a 17-14 win over the Regina Rams in the Mitchell Bowl on Saturday.
Boxscore
Desjardins completed 26 of 34 passes for 281 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Olivier Cool led all receivers with 10 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown for Laval. Regina quarterback Noah Pelletier completed 28 of 44 passes for 356 yards with one interception.
DESTINATION VANIER: @rougeetor are headed to the Vanier Cup!
— U SPORTS Football (@USPORTS_FB) November 16, 2024
DESTINATION VANIER : En route pour Kingston et le match de la Coupe Vanier @rougeetor! pic.twitter.com/nTc0WP6Tl4
The Rams opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 20-yard field goal by Isaac Wegner and a single on the ensuing kickoff to take a 4-0 lead. Laval answered with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Desjardins to Cool. Wegner added a second field goal to tie the game 7-7 at halftime.
Felipe Forteza’s 32-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter gave Laval a 10-7 lead, but Regina responded with a 36-yard touchdown run by Marshall Erichsen. Desjardins then led an 85-yard drive capped by Gaillardetz’s game-winning touchdown.
The Rouge et Or advance to the Vanier Cup next week in Kingston, where they will face the Laurier Golden Hawks who earlier Saturday won the Uteck Bowl 48-24 over the host Bishop’s Gaiters.
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Laval | Regina |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 281 | 356 |
| Rushing Yards | 91 | 68 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 23:53 | 36:07 |