FRC – CIS Football Top 10 (#5): Laval remains No. 1, Western wins Top-10 battle

Photo credit Yan Dublet, Laval

OTTAWA (CIS) – The seven-time defending Quebec champion Laval Rouge et Or top the Football Reporters of Canada – CIS rankings for the fourth straight week. 
 
The Rouge et Or, who occupy the No. 1 spot for the 51st time in 55 polls dating back to the start of the 2005 campaign, moved to 4-0 for the sixth year in a row on Sunday thanks to a 23-7 home win over Sherbrooke (1-3) in front of 15,126 fans at PEPS Stadium.
 
Laval, which received 43 out of a possible 44 first-place votes in the fifth national poll of the season, will try to extend a pair of impressive streaks Sunday when the 2-2 Concordia Stingers pay a visit in Quebec City. The QUFL powerhouse is riding a 39-game overall winning streak at home (since a 14-13 loss to Montreal on Sept. 19, 2004) and has won 14 straight overall against Concordia (since a 38-30 road loss on Oct. 4, 2003) including a pair of lopsided victories a year ago, 51-0 in conference play and 63-1 in a Quebec semifinal.
 
The rest of the top six also remains unchanged in the new FRC poll with the Ottawa Gee-Gees (5-0), Montreal Carabins (4-0), Calgary Dinos (3-1), Western Ontario Mustangs (4-1) and Regina Rams (3-1) following in order.
 
The No. 7 McMaster Marauders (3-2) and No. 8 Bishop’s Gaiters (3-1) both move up one spot in the new rankings, the No. 9 Saskatchewan Huskies (2-2) are back in the Top 10 after a one-week hiatus, while the Guelph Gryphons (3-1) remain at No. 10 despite a 15-8 home loss to Western in the lone Top-10 battle of the past week.
 
The No. 2 Gee-Gees, who like last week were the only team to steal a first-place vote from Laval in the national poll, got all they could handle from reigning Vanier Cup champion Queen’s on Saturday. Ottawa prevailed 27-25 in overtime to maintain a two-point advantage over the No. 5 Mustangs atop the OUA standings.
 
The No. 3 Carabins kept pace with Laval in Quebec with a 24-11 defeat of cross-town rival McGill (0-4).
 
The No. 4 Dinos also survived a scare over the weekend holding on for a 26-25 win over Manitoba (1-3). Calgary remained in a tie atop the Canada West standings with the No. 6 Rams, who crushed UBC (1-3) 41-6.
 
No. 1 Laval (4-0): Top 10 ranking: No change... Last week: 23-7 home win over Sherbrooke (1-3)... This week: Host Concordia (2-2) on Sunday... Heads-up: Laval is riding a 39-game overall winning streak at home (since a 14-13 loss to Montreal on Sept. 19, 2004) and has won 14 straight overall against Concordia (since a 38-30 road loss on Oct. 4, 2003) including a pair of lopsided victories last season, 51-0 in conference play and 63-1 in a QUFL semifinal)...
 
No. 2 Ottawa (5-0): Top 10 ranking: No change... Last week: 27-25 overtime win at Queen’s (1-3)... This week: Visit Toronto (1-3) on Saturday... Heads-up: Ottawa is 11-0 overall against Toronto since a 24-21 loss to the Varsity Blues back in the 1974 Yates Cup final...
 
No. 3 Montreal (4-0): Top 10 ranking: No change... Last week: 24-11 home win over McGill (0-4)... This week: Visit No. 8 Bishop’s (3-1) on Saturday... Heads-up: Montreal beat Bishop’s 40-15 in last year’s QUFL semifinals but the Gaiters had prevailed 21-16 in the regular season...
 
No. 4 Calgary (3-1): Top 10 ranking: No change... Last week: 26-25 win at Manitoba (1-3)... This week: Host UBC (1-3) on Saturday... Heads-up: Calgary is 4-0 vs. UBC since a 22-16 season-opening loss in 2006...
 
No. 5 Western (4-1): Top 10 ranking: No change... Last week: 15-8 win at No. 10 Guelph (3-1)... This week: Host Queen’s (1-3) on Saturday (The Score, 1 p.m.)... Heads-up: Western suffered a pair of heartbreaking defeats at the hands of Queen’s a year ago, losing 27-26 in conference play on a Danny Brannagan TD pass with 13 seconds remaining and 43-39 in the OUA Yates Cup final...
 
No. 6 Regina (3-1): Top 10 ranking: No change... Last week: 41-6 win at UBC (1-3)... This week: Host Alberta (2-2) on Saturday... Heads-up: Regina ranks second in the nation to Laval (38.5) in scoring with 36.0 points per game...
 
No. 7 McMaster (3-2): Top 10 ranking: Up one position... Last week: 39-3 home win over Windsor (1-4)... This week: Visit York (0-4) on Saturday... Heads-up: McMaster is riding a 13-game overall winning streak over York since a pair of losses to the Lions in 1997, including a 49-8 win in last season’s lone head-to-head contest...
 
No. 8 Bishop’s (3-1): Top 10 ranking: Up one position... Last week: 18-17 win at Concordia (2-2)... This week: Host No. 3 Montreal (4-0) on Saturday... Heads-up: The No. 8 ranking is Bishop’s best since the Gaiters reached No. 6 on Oct. 16, 2007...
 
No. 9 Saskatchewan (2-2): Top 10 ranking: Unranked last week... Last week: 33-9 win at then-No. 7 Alberta (2-2)... This week: Host Manitoba (1-3) on Friday... Heads-up: Saskatchewan had been ranked in 72 straight national polls since the start of 2004 before dropping out of the Top 10 a week ago...
 
No. 10 Guelph (3-1): Top 10 ranking: No change... Last week: 15-8 home loss to No. 5 Western (4-1)... This week: Visit Laurier (2-2) on Saturday... Heads-Up: Guelph is 2-12 in 14 overall duels against Laurier since 1998, the Gryphons’ wins coming in a 2007 OUA semifinal (38-31) and in conference play in 2002 (15-14)...  
 
FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#5)
 
                                  Pts (1st place)  - Last week
 
1. Laval (4-0)                 499 (43)           1
2. Ottawa (5-0)              444 (1)             2
3. Montreal (4-0)             403                 3
4. Calgary (3-1)               323                 4
5. Western (4-1)              293                 5
6. Regina (3-1)                 258                 6
7. McMaster (3-2)             171                 8
8. Bishop’s (3-1)                145                9
9. Saskatchewan (2-2)         94                NR
10. Guelph (3-1)                  40                10
 
Other teams receiving votes: Alberta (23), Concordia (14), Sherbrooke (7), Acadia (3), Mount Allison (3), Wilfrid Laurier (3).

CIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (all times LOCAL)
 
Note: Complete webcast and radio schedules at http://english.cis-sic.ca/sports/fball/2010-11/schedule 
 
October 1
19:00   Acadia (2-1) at Saint Mary’s (0-3)
19:00   Manitoba (1-3) at No. 9 Saskatchewan (2-2)
 
October 2
13:00   Sherbrooke (1-3) at McGill (0-4) (SRC)
13:00   No. 3 Montreal (4-0) at No. 8 Bishop’s (3-1)
13:00   Queen’s (1-3) at No. 5 Western (4-1) (The Score)
13:00   No. 10 Guelph (3-1) at Laurier (2-2)
13:00   No. 7 McMaster (3-2) at York (0-4)
13:00   No. 2 Ottawa (5-0) at Toronto (1-3)
13:00   UBC (1-3) at No. 4 Calgary (3-1)
14:00   Mount Allison (2-1) at StFX (0-3) (EastLink)
19:00   Alberta (2-2) at No. 6 Regina (3-1)
 
October 3
13:00   Concordia (2-2) at No. 1 Laval (4-0)
 
About Football Reporters of Canada – University Division
 
The Football Reporters of Canada – University Division represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958 the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) have 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.
 
The 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 the FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. 
 
 
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