CIS football Saturday roundup: Gaels defence reins in No.1 Mustangs, 37-0

WOLFVILLE, NS - The Acadia Axemen snapped a four season streak of the Saint Mary's Huskies hosting the AUS football conference championship game with a 41-28 win over the Huskies at Acadia's Raymond Field. The 13 point win gives Acadia the tie breaking advantage if they lose their final game this coming weekend at StFX.

The win against Saint Mary's improves Acadia to 6-1, while Huskies drop to 5-2 following news of the appeal won by the University of Montreal over an ineligible player who played in the 11-10 loss to the Carabins in the second week of the regular season.

The Axemen held on to a lead for the most part of the game, except for a Craig Leger two yard dive at the three minute mark of the second quarter and Jahmeet Taylor's pass reception for a six yard touchdown at 10:48 of the fourth quarter that gave the Huskies their second and last lead of the game.

The Axemen scored first on a 49 yard touchdown reception by the Subway Player of the Game Mike Squires three minutes into the first quarter to give Acadia a 7-0 lead. Squires finished the game with eight receptions for 116 yards and four touchdowns.

Four and a half minutes later, Huskie Ryan Tremblay halled in a 50 yard toss by Jack Creighton to even the game at seven after one quarter of play. Leger's touchdown in the opening three minutes of the second frame was followed by a 10 yard field goal by Acadia's Ryan Begin.

Squires went back to work offering two consecutive touchdowns; the second of the day came at the 9:23 of the second quarter on a 15 yard reception that capped a four play 55 yard drive to take back the lead.

Squires knocked on the touchdown door again, this time in the second half at the five minute mark of the third quarter when the drive by Acadia was setup by a Wade Cameron quarterback sack that was recovered by Acadia's Ed McNally on the Saint Mary's 15 yard line. Squires five yard reception for his third touchdown of the day gave Acadia a spirit lifting 24-14 lead.

Just over a minute later, Carl Fitzgerald narrowed the margin to three points on a nine yard reception that ended a quick two reception drive that included a 25 yard and a 48 yard reception to Ryan Tremblay that setup the Fitzgerald major.

Jahmeek Taylor's touchdown in the third had Acadia fans on the edge of their seats as the Huskies took the lead at 28-24 with a quarter and a half remaining in the game.

Mike Squires last of four touchdowns at 4:32 of the fourth quarter ended a drive that began on the Axemen's 14 yard line. Squires celebrated the seven play, 96 yard drive in the end zone to give Acadia back the lead in the closing quarter.

A 28 yard field goal by Acadia's Ryan Begin preceded the turning point of the game when Cameron Wade blocked a Saint Mary's punt deep in Huskie territory and teammate Evan Williams recovered for the Axemen touchdown that essentially put the nail in the coffin for Saint Mary's.

Several defensive stands followed over the remaining nine minutes as Acadia held onto the 41-28 lead to close out one of the most important regular season games for both teams.

Acadia pivot Kyle Graves was 18 for 27 passes for 321 yards, while teammate Zack Skibin added 108 net yards in rushing - Skibin's second game of 100 yards or more in what is becoming a lethal running attack.  Mike Squires added 116 yards in receiving and seniors Stu Clow and Taylor Renaud had 96 and 64 yards in receiving respectively.

Jack Creighton put to rest any quarterback controversy at Saint Mary's, guiding the Huskies to an air attack that posted 353 yards net passing yards. Ryan Tremblay had a game high 124 yards in pass receiving yards

A strong defensive effort by Acadia was led by linebacker Ed McNally who had seven solo tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Fourth year defensive tackle Jake Thomas added four solo tackles and two bone crunching timely quarterback sacks and one forced fumble.

Acadia launched an air and ground attack that accumulated a season high 507 net yards, while the Huskies showed off 415 yards net offence but with only 97 yards on the ground.

With the win, the Axemen will prepare for their last regular season game at StFX next Saturday. While the game is meaningless, the Axemen could post one of the best regular season records in the last 25 years.

Huskies will prepare for their last regular season game versus Mount Allison and then will host the AUS Semi-final game against the StFX X-men on Saturday, Nov. 5th in Halifax.

Source: Acadia Sports Info

TORONTO - Six different players scored as the Varsity Blues football team defeated the Waterloo Warriors 45-6 on Saturday, October 22 at Varsity Centre.
 
With the win, the Blues finish the season with a 3-5 record, while the Warriors end their 2011 campaign 0-8. The win also marks Toronto’s first over Waterloo since snapping their 49-game losing streak on Sept. 1, 2008 at Varsity Centre.
 
In his last game in the Blue and White, fifth-year quarterback Andrew Gillis was 9-of-17 for 149 yards and three touchdowns. The Toronto native also ran seven times for 47 yards and one touchdown and was named the Varsity Blues player of the game for his efforts.
 
Sophomore running back Aaron Milton of Whitby, Ont., rushed 18 times for 140 yards and one major, while rookie Emiljano Daci of Toronto had 15 carries for 137 yards and one TD. Ajax, Ont., native Paul de Pass led all players with 73 receiving yards and one touchdown.
 
Fourth-year defensive back Dorian Munroe of Miami, Fla., led the Blues with five tackles and one interception, while fifth-year safety Willie Sharpe had three tackles and one pick in the win.
 
The flags were flying at Varsity Centre as both teams combined for 387 yards in penalties. Toronto was whistled for 22 penalties for 216 yards, while Waterloo received 16 penalties for 171 yards, a total of 38 penalties on the day.
 
The Blues opened the scoring on their third series of the game as Milton and Gillis led the charge down the field.  Gillis would cap off the seven-play, 43-yard drive with a one-yard run into the endzone.
 
The Blues carried that momentum over to their next drive as Gillis connected a 51-yard strike with de Pass. The duo immediately followed that up with an 18-yard touchdown reception and U of T held onto a 14-0 advantage after the first 15 minutes of action.
 
U of T extended their lead early in the second quarter, thanks in large part to a 32-yard rush by second-year fullback Stephan Boroniec.  Milton then completed the series with a two-yard rushing major, his second of the season.
 
The Blue and White struck again right before halftime. After Milton rushed the ball 38 yards deep into Waterloo territory, Gillis hit fellow fifth-year senior Sebastian Magalas (Burlington, Ont.) with a 10-yard touchdown pass.
 
U of T held a 28-0 lead at halftime.
 
The Blues opened the second quarter with another impressive strike.  On third and six, Willie Sharpe faked the punt and ran 30 yards to Waterloo’s six-yard line.  Gillis then connected a five-yard pass with fifth-year veteran Michael Prempeh to put the Blues up 35-0.
 
Andrew Lomasney added a 33-yard field goal to give Toronto a 38-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Daci rounded out Toronto’s scoring in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter. The rookie running back ran 57 yards into Warriors territory and then scored his first career touchdown with a five-yard rush into the end zone.
 
The Warriors finally got on the board and spoiled the shut out on their last play of the game, with a Marco Visentin one-yard rushing touchdown.

Source: Toronto Sports info

LENNOXVILLE, Que. – A 15-yard catch by Shantino Wilson (Brampton, Ont.) with 23 seconds left gave the Bishop's Gaiters a come-from-behind victory, 21-18, over the McGill Redmen in CIS football action on Saturday afternoon at Coulter Field. Wilson's touchdown, the first of his career, was the culmination of a ten-play, 68-yard drive over 1:37, as the Gaiters completed a comeback from an 11-0 halftime deficit.

Gaiter quarterback Jordan Heather (Oromocto, N.B.) tossed a pair of touchdowns, as he also found Quincy Van De Cruize (Etobicoke, Ont.) early in the third quarter to start the comeback. He finished with 350 yards passing, his fourth 300-yard game of the season, as he completed 25 of 47 attempts.

McGill took an 11-0 lead in the first quarter, as a 42-yard halfback option pass play from Taylor Kuprowski to Tristan Baldini sandwiched a pair of safety touches. The teams were scoreless in the second quarter.

The comeback began, much the same way as it did three weeks ago in Montreal, with a big play on the Gaiters' first play of the second half. This time, Heather found Van De Cruize open at midfield, and he evaded a pair of McGill defensive backs and romped into the end zone for a 76-yard score. A pair of singles by Mathieu Paquette (Magog, Que.) cut the gap to 11-9 after three quarters.

Jesse Briggs put McGill back up 18-9 at 3:56 of the fourth with an 11-yard interception return touchdown. However, Paquette's 41-yard field goal on the next drive cut the margin to 18-12.

With 2:07 to go, the Redmen conceded a safety touch, dropping the margin to 18-14. Steven Turner's (Brampton, Ont.) 33-yard kickoff return gave the Gaiters the ball on their own 42-yard line with 2:00 left. Heather completed six of ten passes on the drive as he masterfully drove the Gaiters down the field for the game-winning major.

Van De Cruize was the Gaiters' leading receiver, with 150 yards on six catches, while Alexander Fox caught seven balls for 84 yards.

For McGill, Ryne Bondy went 8-for-24 for 138 yards with an interception. Gabriel Aubry led the Redmen receivers with three catches for 65 yards. Taylor Kurprowski carried the ball 27 times for 142 yards.

The Gaiters outgained McGill 323-261, including 310 second-half yards. Bishop's made 18 first downs, to 13 for the Redmen. The Gaiters took 14 penalties for 120 yards, while McGill was flagged 12 times for 95 yards. Bishop's caused four McGill turnovers, while coughing the ball up only twice.

Defensively, Dan West (Ajax, Ont.) led the Gaiters with 6.5 tackles, including a sack and a forced fumble. Elie Ngoyi (Sherbrooke, Que.) and Steven McCollum (Brampton, Ont.) each had sacks.

For McGill, Jesse Briggs had two sacks and the interception return touchdown, while Ryan Trudeau had eight tackles and Alex Hutchison had 7.5 tackles and a sack.

With the win and Concordia's loss, the Gaiters remain alive in the Quebec conference playoff race, but need a win next week, combined with a Concordia loss.

McGill (0-8) closes out their season on Saturday, October 29, as they host the Concordia Stingers (3-5). The Gaiters (3-5) close out the regular season at home on Saturday, as they host No. 3 Laval (6-1). Kickoff at Coulter Field is set for 1 p.m.

NOTES: Bishop's leads the all-time series 42-37-1 … The Gaiters swept a two-game regular-season series from McGill for the first time since 1992 … The Gaiters now have 2,375 passing yards on the year, 72 short of the team record of 2,457, set in 1995 … Heather became only the third Gaiter quarterback to throw for 2,000 yards in a year (Silvio Martel, 1991, and Trevor Lovig, 1995), he now has 2,149 yards this season … Fox gained 266 all-purpose yards, sixth all-time in Gaiter history.

Source: Bishop's Sports Info

TORONTO - The York University Lions men's football team closed out its 2011 season with a 40-15 loss to the Windsor Lancers on Saturday (Oct. 22) at York Stadium.
 
Andrew Collymore (Pickering, Ont.), Dror David (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Tyler de Moel (Merritton, Ont.) and Steve Reading (Fenelon Falls, Ont.), all playing in their final game for the Lions before they graduate this year, were honoured in a pre-game ceremony.
 
D.J. Frank (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Nick Coutu (St. Catharines, Ont.) split duties at pivot for the Lions. Frank went 6-26 for 82 yards with two interceptions before being replaced late in the game by Coutu, who went 4-10 for 39 yards to close out the game.
 
Rookie running back Riser Markell (Toronto) rushed for a career-high 100 yards on 24 carries for one touchdown, while Jonelle Tolbert (Mississauga, Ont.) was the Lions' top receiver, picking up 47 yards on four receptions.
 
On defence, Reading recorded a team-high seven tackles, followed closely by rookie linebacker Nana Nkansah (Toronto) who had an equally impressive game with 5.5 tackles. 
 
Lancers starting quarterback Austin Kennedy (Windsor, Ont.) went 14-18 for 338 yards and four touchdowns on the day before being replaced by rookie Andrew Downer (Toronto), who went 5-8 for 42 yards. Cory Fernandes (Mississauga, Ont.) led all receivers with 128 yards on eight receptions for a single touchdown, and Shomari Grant (Kissimmee, Fla.) led the team in rushing with 32 yards on 12 carries. On defence, Jermaine Simpson (Brampton, Ont.) picked up a team-high four tackles.
 
The Lancers, led by Kennedy, scored all 40 of their points in the first half. Kennedy entered the game sixth in the CIS with a completion rate of 63.9% an average of 253 passing yards per game, and he was hitting all of his targets early.
 
On the Lancers' second drive of the game, Kennedy took advantage of a Nathaniel Griffith (Brampton, Ont.) fumble that put the Lancers deep in Lions territory by finding Jordan Brescacin (Tecumseh, Ont.) with a 22-yard touchdown pass on the very next play to put the Lancers up 7-0 early.
 
On the Lancers' following drive, after the Lions came up with a couple of big stops in the red zone to prevent another Kennedy touchdown, Dan Cerino (Stoney Creek, Ont.) stepped up and hit an 11-yard field goal that put the Lancers up 10-0.
 
Kennedy wouldn't be denied long, however. Two drives later, after completing a 36-yard pass to Brescacin that put the Lancers on the Lions' two-yard line, Kennedy would tuck the ball away and run it in himself, putting the Lancers up 17-0.
 
With the clock ticking down on the first quarter, Udoka Nwaesei (Windsor, Ont.) intercepted a deep pass from Frank, putting the ball in Kennedy's hands one more time. Kennedy quickly made the Lions pay, finding Evan Pszczonak (Amherstburg, Ont.) with a 59-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the quarter to put the Lancers up 24-0 at the break.
 
The Lions were able to pick up their defensive game in the second quarter, but it wasn't enough to keep Kennedy off the board.
 
After the Lancers recorded a single point on a rouge early in the quarter, Kennedy went back to work, airing out a 49-yard touchdown pass to Fernandes that put the Lancers up 32-0.  
 
A few drives later, Kennedy would find his favourite target, Brescacin, with a second touchdown pass, this time from 20 yards out, to increase the Lancers' lead to 39-0. The Lancers made their lead an even 40 with a second rouge moments later.
 
The Lions finally found the scoreboard with less than one minute remaining in the half courtesy of a one-yard touchdown run by Markell.
 
David had a chance to further cut into the Lancers' lead before the end of the quarter, but his 48-yard field goal attempt would come up short of the uprights, sending the Lions into the break down 40-7.
 
With Kennedy on the bench for the second half, the Lions' defence was able to keep the Lancers off the board for the remainder of the game thanks in large part to the play of Michael Livingston (Toronto) and Patrick Russell (Brampton, Ont.), who both recorded sacks in the half.
 
The Lions also stepped up on offence in the final half, putting together a series of scoring plays that put a small dent in the Lancers' lead.
 
First on the board were David and Heneri Dervishi (Toronto), who scored the Lions' only points of the third quarter on a pair of rouges that cut the Lancers' lead to 40-9.
 
In the fourth quarter, after Reading recovered a fumbled punt return by the Lancers and Markell picked up a 15-yard run that put the Lions deep into Lancers territory, Dervishi split the uprights with a 14-yard field goal to cut the Lancers' lead to 40-12.
 
David would add a 37-yard field goal of his own less than five minutes later that pulled the Lions to within 25, but that was as close as they would get as the Lancers went on to win the game 40-15.
 
With the loss, the Lions end the season with a 1-6-0 record and will miss the playoffs.  The Lancers, on the other hand, improve to 5-3-0 and will finish fifth in the OUA with 10 points.
 
Source: Cody Powell, York sport writing assistant

GUELPH, Ont. - In a tough defensive matchup, the Guelph Gryphon’s football squad was narrowly defeated by the Laurier Golden Hawks 15-10 on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.

With the loss, the Gryphon’s finish the season at 2-6, while Laurier punches their playoff ticket and finishes the regular season at 4-4. The loss was especially bitter for the Gryphon’s, as receiver Jedd Gardner (Niagara Falls, Ont.) became the Gryphon’s all-time leader in receptions with 153.

Guelph was again led by rookie quarterback Jazz Lindsey (Markham, Ont.), who completed 26 of 50 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown. His only mistakes of the game came on goal line drives that resulted in costly interceptions in the end zone. Gardner, his primary receiver, hauled in eight catches for 123 yards, capping off his career with a touchdown grab with five seconds remaining in the game. Saxon Lindsey (Markham, Ont.) chipped in with seven receptions for 69 yards, while Rob Farquharson paced the Gryphons with 55 rushing yards on 18 attempts.

Laurier’s Shane Kelly continued to add to his solid offensive season, completing 23-34 passes for 183 yards. However, Kelly was held without a touchdown for only the second game this season. Tyrrel Wilson rushed for 70 yards, while Dillon Heap netted 142 total yards on the day.

Guelph opened the game by completing a pass to Jedd Gardner on their first play to get him a share of the record for completions by a Gryphon in a season. After being forced to punt, the Gryphon defence stepped up early on a big third down stuff, forcing the turnover on downs. Laurier would later kick a field goal after a poor punt gave them great field possession, and take a 3-0 lead halfway through the first quarter.

On the first play after the made field goal, Gardner hauled in his second completion of the game, giving him sole possession of the completions record. The Gryphon’s put forth an impressive drive, but were ultimately forced to punt the ball away. Both teams continued to trade field possession as the quarter ended with Laurier leading 3-0.

Early in the second quarter it appeared that the Gryphons were on the cusp of scoring after putting together an impressive drive. After a play action pass, Lindsey avoided the pass rush to scramble for a couple yards. On first and goal Lindsey’s pass was picked off by Shane Herbert, ending a promising drive. Guelph would eventually get on the board late in the half, connection on a 43 yard field goal. After a Laurier possession ended in a fumble recovery by Guelph’s Jarryd Baines (Ottawa), the teams entered the half tied at three apiece.

An early fumble by Guelph led to a 43 yard field goal by Laurier’s Ronald Pfeffer to give the Hawks a 6-3 lead. On their next possession, Laurier had a solid drive ultimately stuffed after a third down rush attempt fell short. Guelph conceded a safety on the following possession, giving Laurier an 8-3 advantage. Both teams traded field possession to close out the quarter.

The fourth saw both teams go two-and-out before Laurier eventually scored on a two yard run by Rashad La Touche to extend the Golden Hawks lead to 15-3. Guelph would put together an impressive drive on the ensuing possession, even scoring a touchdown on a flea-flicker, but the touchdown was revoked after a flag on the Gryphons.

On the day, Guelph committed 16 penalties for 140 yards. The possession ended with another interception in the Guelph end zone. Guelph would finish the game with a final drive that saw Jedd Gardner finish his University of Guelph career with an 18 yards touchdown pass with 5.5 seconds remaining in the game.

While their season may have come to an end, the future for the Guelph football team looks to be in good shape heading forward. The defence put together a solid campaign, while the offense continued to improve with every game they played. The Gryphon’s would like to thank their graduating players whose contributions will be sorely missed. Thank you to those who came out to Alumni field all season, and we look forward to seeing you again next season.    

Source: Guelph Sports Info

HAMILTON, Ont. - The #5 McMaster Marauders scored a season high 51 points on their way to securing second place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference, and a home semi-final playoff game, Saturday afternoon at Ron Joyce Stadium. Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.) threw for 367 yards and Michael DiCroce (Hamilton, Ont.) had his fifth 100-yard plus receiving game for McMaster in the win.

Quinlan completed 21 of his 29 attempts with four touchdowns and no interceptions. DiCroce was Quinlan's favourite target catching 6 balls for 124 yards and a touchdown. DiCroce moved to sixth all time in McMaster career receptions and sixth in career yardage in only this third season with the Marauders. DiCroce also rushed the ball four times for 40 yards.

Joey Nemet (Burlington, Ont.) moved to second all-time in career rushing yardage behind Jesse Lumsden carrying the ball eight times for 38 yards. Chris Pezzetta (Burlington, Ont.) was the top rusher for the Marauders with 68 yards on 10 carriers with a touchdown.

Gary Spero (St. Catharines, Ont.) had a breakout game for McMaster leading the team with a combined 246 all purpose yards including a 80 yard punt return for a touchdown.

Ottawa'w Aaron Colbon (Orleans, Ont.) threw for 271 yards on 14 of 30 passing with three touchdowns, but was also picked off three times. Simon Le Marquand (Gatineau, Qué.) was the top receiver for the Gee-Gees catching six balls for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Brendan Gillanders (Orleans, Ont.) was the top rusher carrying the ball 17 times for 123 yards.

McMaster opened the scoring early in the ball game. A 49 yard pass completion from Quinlan to Brad Fochesato (Windsor, Ont.) on the opening play from scrimmage set up a 25 yard Kyle Crapigna (Ottawa, Ont.) field goal to give the Marauders the early 3-0 lead.

Crapigna finished the day three for three on field goal attempts and five for five on converts.

McMaster built their lead to 10-0 on the ensuing series as Spero returned the Gee-Gee punt 80 yards for the score.

The first quarter saw a bunch more scoring and it appeared in the early going that the game would be a shoot out. Ottawa would conclude a six play 57 yard drive with a Matthew Falvo (Welland, Ont.) 20 yard field goal, but the Marauders would immediately respond with a seven play 75 yard drive capped off with a one yard Pezzeta touchdown run that reestablished a 10 point lead.

McMaster increased their lead on the next series when Quinlan found DiCroce for a 27 yard score to make it 24-3 in favour of the home side at the end of the opening quarter.

The second quarter started much like the first with a quick score by the Marauders. Robert Babic (Oakville, Ont.) caught a six yard pass from Quinlan to increase the McMaster lead to 31-3.

Ottawa would score their first touchdown on the ensuing series when Colbon completed a four play 59 yard drive with a 13 yard completion to Le Marquand.

That would conclude Ottawa's scoring until late in the fourth quarter. McMaster would add Quinlan touchdown passes to Fochesato and Babic followed by two more Crapigna field goals to put the game away.

Stephen Ventresca grabbed his fourth interception of the season and Joey Cupido his third of 2011 on defence. Scott Caterine also picked off a ball in the win. Nick Shorthill (Nobleton, Ont.) was the top tackler with seven and Shane Beaton (Brampton, Ont.) earned McMaster-McDonald's Player of the Game honours with five tackles and two big sacks.

Trevor Seal (Ottawa, Ont.) was the top defender for Ottawa finishing with six tackles and a sack.

McMaster finished the regular season at 7-1 in a first place tie with the Western Mustangs for top spot in the conference. The Mustangs will enter the post season as the top seed with the tie breaker advantage of the head-to-head defeat of the Marauders. Ottawa finishes in fourth place and they will host the fifth placed Windsor Lancers in an OUA Quarter-final next weekend. 

Source: McMaster Sports Info

KINGSTON, Ont. - In what was the final regular season game for both teams, the Queen's Gaels extended their win streak to six games as they took on the undefeated No. 1 Western Mustangs. 5815 fans packed their way into Richardson Stadium to give support as the Gaels finished their season on a high note.
 
 The win was the first time since 1973 that the Western Mustangs have been held scoreless and the first time since 1966 that the Gaels shutout their rivals from London. It was the Gaels' first win over a number one nationally ranked opponent since the 2009 Mitchell Bowl, when they defeated the Laval Rouge-et-Or at home. The win also marks the first time in Gaels history that they defeated a number one team without being nationally ranked.
 
The Gaels opened the scoring early in the first quarter as Ryan Granberg of Sherwood Park, Alta. ran 88 yards for the first touchdown, putting the Gaels up 7-0 after Dan Village of Abbotsford, B.C. got the extra point.
 
John Miniaci of Toronto forced a fumble that put the Gaels offense within striking distance. Village kicked a 24 yard field goal through the uprights, putting the Gael lead at 10-0.
 
Alex Carroll of Victoria, B.C. returned a punt 55 yards to put Village within field goal range once again. He then converted once more for three points, making the score 13-0 Queen's.
 
The Mustangs conceded a safety as time ran out in the first quarter to make it 15-0 Gaels.
 
Village's third field goal of the game from the 17 yard line was the only score in the second quarter, putting the Gaels lead at 18-0.
 
The Gaels opened their scoring in the third quarter with a 14 yard field goal, putting the Gaels up 21-0.
 
Sam Sabourin of Stittsville, Ont. cut down James Sifakis of Montreal with a staggering hit, creating a fumble which Joshua Sultana of Etibicoke, Ont. scooped up and carried into the endzone for the second touchdown of the game. This costly turnover by Western gave the Gaels a 28-0 lead.
 
Ryan Mitchell of Toronto, Ont. came into the game in the fourth quarter to replace Billy McPhee of Burlington, Ont. and immediately connected with Giovanni Aprile of Toronto with a 30 yard strike. In the resulting play, Village kicked the ball through the endzone for the single point. The single point made the score 29-0 Gaels early in the fourth quarter.
 
 Village kicked another ball through the endzone for another single point late in the fourth quarter, making it 30-0 Gaels.
 
 With 1:09 left in the game, Craig Rushon of Sault Ste Marie, Ont. burst through the tired Mustang's defensive line and into the endzone to seal the Mustang's fate once and for all, 37-0 Gaels.
 
 Ryan Granberg became the second player in Gaels history to pass the 1,000 yard mark in a season as his 197 yards gave him 1,068 to finish the season which is the second highest total in Gaels history behind Mike Giffin's 2007 season. Granberg accomplished this feat despite missing the Gaels game against the Toronto Varsity Blues. This is only the third time in Gaels history that a back has rushed for 1,000 yards as Giffin also rushed for over 1,000 yards in the Gaels 2008 campaign.
 
With the win, the Gaels finish their season without allowing a rushing touchdown in eight games which sets a team record for fewest touchdowns allowed in a season. The Gaels also held the Mustangs, the top rushing team in the OUA, to 153 yards which  puts their season total at 538 yards rushing against. The total is a team record for fewest rushing yards against in an eight game season.
 
The Gaels now look to continue their winning streak in the postseason with continued momentum and confidence when they return to action in next weekend's OUA quarter-final game against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks at Richardson Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm.  

Source: Queen's Sports Info

EDMONTON – The UBC Thunderbirds football team returned two interceptions for touchdowns en route to a 39-22 win over the Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon.
 
UBC got touchdowns from Mitch Shuster, David Scott, Sam Carino and Chris Mark, while Billy Pavlopoulos kicked three field goals.
 
Alberta's touchdowns came from Porter Brown, Ryan Schwartz and Olukayode Sonuga.
 
“Eevn though we didn't play our best game, we found a way to win,” said UBC head coach Shawn Olson.  “That's a good trait in a team.  It's probably the best trait in a team to continually be finding ways to win even in situations where maybe you don't play your best football.”
 
But UBC (5-2) is having its best season since 2004, the last time the Thunderbirds reached the five-win mark in the regular season.
 
Alberta remains winless at 0-7.
 
With his team leading 20-15 early in the third quarter, UBC defensive back Sam Carino (5th, Burnaby, BC), who ended the game with 157 all-purpose yards, intercepted a Ryan Schwartz pass at the Alberta 53-yard line and returned the pick for a touchdown.
 
The game-winning score at 2:52 of the third made the score 27-15 in favour of the Thunderbirds.
 
Alberta closed to 27-22 when running back Olukayode Sonuga scored at 11:32 of the third.
 
But after a safety and Billy Pavlopoulos' third and final field goal of the night, UBC closed the game out with its second pick-six of the game.  Chris Mark (5th, Surrey, BC) intercepted a Schwartz at midfield and ran the ball back 55 yards for UBC's final touchdown with just 3:27 to go in the final quarter.
 
Mark's interception was the Thunderbirds' third of the game, Kofi Kuma-Mintah (3rd, Surrey, BC) also had one in the third quarter, and UBC's seventh in its last two games.
 
UBC stormed out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring on its first three possessions.
 
Thunderbirds' quarterback Billy Greene (4th, Surrey, BC) completed a six-play, 72-yard drive on the opening drive of the game, by finding wide receiver Mitch Shuster (5th, Vancouver, BC) on a 43-yard play for the scoring major, to put UBC ahead 7-0.
 
Shuster would end the game with career-high 153 yards on seven catches.
 
“That's one of the nice things when you have a guy like Mitch, who necessarily hasn't started all year but is able to step up and make plays when he's gotten opportunities,” said Olson.  “I'm happy for him.”
 
After a Pavlopoulos (3rd, Georgetown, ON) field goal, Greene floated a pass into the end zone for David Scott (3rd, El Paso, TX), who caught his first touchdown of the season.
 
Greene completed 17 of 29 passes for 309 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
 
The team's leading rusher was Kelly Road Secondary graduate Brandon Deschamps (1st, Prince George, BC) who gained 61 yards on 12 carries.
 
The Golden Bears responded with two touchdowns, a 14-yard Porter Brown reception and a one-yard Ryan Schwartz rush, and a single to close the UBC lead to 20-15 at the half.
 
Mark ended the game as UBC's leading tackler with eight, along with his interception return for a touchdown, while Connor Flynn (5th, Vancouver, BC) had two sacks.
 
Connor Ralph led Alberta with 8.5 tackles.
 
“Big plays, that was the name of the game on defence,” said Olson.  “Two interceptions returned for touchdowns are huge in any game.
 
But UBC's run defence was torched for 299 rushing yards.  Sonuga had 146 while Alberta quarterback Schwartz ran for 114 yards, while going 6 of 14 passing for 90 yards and three interceptions.
 
“We didn't stop the run very consistently, I think we were misaligned a few times, I don't think we were doing our jobs especially well and all those things lead to an inconsistent effort and if we're going to be able to go anywhere, we can't have those kinds of efforts,” said Olson.
 
UBC (5-2) will now close the regular season by hosting the undefeated Calgary Dinos at Thunderbird Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 29, while Alberta will play Saskatchewan on the same day.
 
The Thunderbirds sit in second place in the Canada West standings and need to win (or hope for a Saskatchewan loss) to ensure home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.     

Source: UBC Sports Info

CALGARY – The No. 2 University of Calgary Dinos ensured a first place finish in Canada West for the first time since 1995, wrapping up home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a 41-24 victory over the Manitoba Bisons Saturday afternoon at McMahon Stadium.

The win improves Calgary’s record to 7-0, leaving the Dinos as the only remaining undefeated team in CIS after No. 1 Western fell 37-0 to the Queen’s Gaels, dropping to 7-1. Manitoba, meanwhile, falls to 3-4 and will likely need a victory in their final game of the regular season to qualify for the playoffs. The Bisons close the season at home against Regina.

A five-minute stretch in the opening quarter allowed the Dinos to jump out to a quick 21-0 lead after a rash of turnovers by the Bisons gave Calgary outstanding field position. The Dinos scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the game before an improved Manitoba squad got things sorted out and stemmed the tide. In fact, the Bisons outscored Calgary 24-20 in the final three quarters of the contest.

“We came out and played well, but in the second quarter we sort of fell asleep and let them back in the game,” said Dinos head coach Blake Nill following the 100th victory of his CIS coaching career. “That’s an indication of some immaturity that we still have, and something we can still improve on. In many ways we were lucky to get out with the win, and now we need to continue to just learn and grow. The score was not indicative of how this game went – we were battling the entire time.”

An early special teams play set up Calgary’s first touchdown just 3:53 into the contest. Linebacker Zach McNeill blocked a Brendan Bowman punt, and Anthony Woodson recovered the loose ball on the Manitoba 16-yard line. Two Steven Lumbala runs later, Calgary had a 7-0 lead.

On Manitoba’s next offensive play, Anthony Coombs busted outside for a 15-yard gain but was stripped of the ball by Cory Roboch, and Thomas Spoletini recovered for the Dinos – again inside Bison territory. Matt Walter scored his 35th career touchdown six plays later to give the home side a 14-0 lead at 6:39. And just over two minutes later, Eric Dzwilewski found Chris Dobko in the end zone from 17 yards out to make it 21-0.

But the Bisons stormed back in the second quarter, led by fourth-year quarterback Khaleal Williams. After the teams exchanged several two-and-outs to open the quarter, Williams led the Bisons on a seven-play, 84-yard drive highlighted by a 51-yard completion to Tyson Takasaki. A nine-yard touchdown catch by Jared Ralko put the Bisons on the board.

Just over two minutes later, Williams punched it in himself from one yard out to bring Manitoba within seven at the half, trailing 21-14.

The Dinos responded quickly in the third quarter. Starting on their own 10-yard line following the kickoff, Dzwilewski and the Dinos trekked 100 yards to the end zone on just six plays. It was the sophomore pivot himself who scored on a six-yard run, but the drive was kept alive by a 67-yard Matt Walter rush that took Calgary from the shadows of its own goal posts into the red zone.

Each team would score one more touchdown before the final gun sounded. Coombs ran for a 63-yard major late in the third quarter, while Jake Harty made a nice 23-yard grab in the end zone for the Dinos to cap off the scoring. Nick Boyd added a 12-yard field goal for Manitoba, while Johnny Mark connected from 19 and 33 yards for Calgary.

It was another impressive rushing performance for the Dinos, who piled up 337 yards along the ground. Walter led the way with 141, putting him just 14 yards away from the 4,000 mark on his career with one game to play. Woodson and Lumbala finished with identical statlines – 12 carries for 88 yards. Dobko was the leading receiver for Calgary with 75 yards on five catches and the touchdown, while Dzwilewski completed 16 of 24 passes for 242 yards and a pair of majors.

Coombs’ 63-yard score made up the lion’s share of his 81 rushing yards to lead the way for Manitoba, while Williams called his own number eight times and scampered for 56 yards. He also completed 23 of 29 passes for 332 yards, but he did feel pressure from a Calgary defensive front that recorded three sacks and six tackles for loss on the day. McNeill, Mike Edem, and Martin Kalonji each recorded a sack for the Dinos.

Sam Hurl was Calgary’s leading tackler with 6.5, while Marlon Azurdia picked up 7.5 tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass break-up to lead Manitoba defensively.

With first place assured, Nill’s Dinos will continue to host playoff games as long as they keep winning, all the way through the national semi-final Mitchell Bowl, which sees the Quebec champion head west this season. The first step, a Canada West semi-final, is slated for Friday, Nov. at 7 p.m. at McMahon Stadium, where the Dinos have won 23 of their last 24 home games.

“The travel day is always tough when you’re on the road, and our kids are still students – so staying home and focused through the playoffs is going to be really beneficial for us,” said Nill. “We didn’t want to go into a do-or-die type game next week, and you’ve got to give our guys credit for taking care of it today.”

While Manitoba heads home to close out the season next week, the Dinos head to Vancouver for a date with the UBC Thunderbirds Saturday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. MT live on Shaw TV.

EXTRA POINTS: The Dinos have never finished a season 8-0 since the program started in 1964 … the team has finished 7-1 twice – 1988 and 2009 … redshirt freshman kicker Johnny Mark kicked his 16th and 17th field goals of the season Saturday, putting him just one back of Aaron Ifield’s single-season school record of 18 – which he set last season … Blake Nill’s 100th career victory (80 regular season, 20 playoffs) came in his 140th game, giving him a lifetime winning percentage of .714 … Matt Walter was recognized in a pre-game ceremony for becoming the University of Calgary’s all-time leading rusher, as he was presented the game ball by Elio Geremia, the previous record holder, who won two Vanier Cups with the Dinos during his career from 1983-87 … Walter along with Kyle Carbert, Chudi Nzekwu, Michael Lau, and Anthony Woodson were also honoured before the final regular season home game of their CIS careers.

Source: Calgary Sports Info