U SPORTS FOOTBALL
Uteck and Mitchell Bowls: A head-to-head look
TORONTO (U SPORTS) – The stage is set for the U SPORTS football national semifinals on Saturday, when the last four teams still standing will battle for a berth in the 54th Vanier Cup, presented by Promutuel Insurance, on Nov. 24 at TELUS-Université Laval Stadium in Quebec City.
The AUS conference champion St. Francis Xavier X-Men (8-2) and the RSEQ titlist Laval Rouge et Or (10-0) kick things off at 12:30 p.m. Eastern (9:30 a.m. Pacific) in the Uteck Bowl at TELUS-UL Stadium.
The Mitchell Bowl follows at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT), with the Canada West champion Saskatchewan Huskies (7-3) visiting the OUA monarch Western Mustangs (10-0) at TD Stadium in London, Ont.
Both contests will be televised live on Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports (Mitchell Bowl on TVA Sports 2), with coverage beginning on both networks at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) featuring a 30-minute pre-game show. The doubleheader is also available online through Sportsnet NOW and TVASports.ca.
At first glance, it's hard not to see each of Saturday's matchups as David versus Goliath, Parts 1 and 2.
The home teams, Laval and Western, are both undefeated and met in last year's Vanier Cup in Hamilton, where the Mustangs prevailed 39-17 to capture their seventh national title in program history and inch closer to the Rouge et Or's record haul of nine U SPORTS football banners.
The visiting squads, however, not only relish their underdog status, they both come in on a roll and playing great late-season football.
StFX has won five in a row and has averaged almost 250 yards on the ground per game in two playoff outings. Saskatchewan has won four straight, the last three on the road, and pounded previously undefeated Calgary with 263 rushing yards in the Hardy Cup championship match.
University football fans are well aware of the kind of challenge the X-Men face in the Uteck Bowl. The AUS conference's recent struggles in national semifinals is well documented: a decade-long dry spell dating back to a Saint Mary's triumph (over Laval) back in 2007, including back-to-back StFX losses in 2015 against UBC (36-9 at home) and in 2016 at Calgary (50-24).
Meanwhile, the Rouge et Or are not only the most decorated program in U SPORTS football annals in only their 23rd season of existence, they are also a perfect 7-0 in Bowl games played in front of their raucous fans in Quebec City.
The head-to-head history on the gridiron between the two schools also favours the RSEQ powerhouse. The Rouge et Or dominated both previous rendez-vous, each time in regular-season interlocking action, 64-0 in 2015 at Quebec City and 51-8 in 2007 at Antigonish, N.S.
"We're happy we made it to this stage. It was our goal at the start of the season, with a veteran team like ours," says Laval bench boss Glen Constantin, who was named RSEQ coach of the year for the eighth time in his 18 seasons at the helm. "We had a rather difficult path to get here. When you face a top-five team like the (Montreal) Carabins three times in the same season, it's great preparation for sudden-death games like Saturday's."
Over the past two-plus decades, Laval has used the old adage that defence wins championships to rack up wins and trophies at an unprecedented rate. This season has been no exception.
After leading the country in conference play in fewest total yards (192.3), passing yards (123.9) and rushing yards (68.4) allowed per game and finishing second in points against (6.8 per contest), the Rouge et Or stepped it up another notch in the RSEQ playoffs, holding Sherbrooke to 55 yards of total offence in a 40-0 semifinal win and limiting Montreal to a single point on a missed field-goal attempt in a 14-1 Dunsmore Cup victory.
Highlighting the stingy unit are the likes of fourth-year defensive end Mathieu Betts, a two-time J.P. Metras Trophy winner who led the nation this fall with nine sacks and 14 tackles for losses in only six league games; tackle Vincent Desjardins, second in the country with 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage; and DB Émile Chênevert, second in the RSEQ with a team-leading four interceptions.
And then there's Adam Auclair. Left off the RSEQ all-star team this season after being named the U SPORTS defensive player of the year in 2017, the third-year linebacker got a measure of revenge in the Dunsmore Cup final, scoring the only touchdown on a 77-yard fumble recovery scoop-and-score and adding an interception en route to game-MVP honours.
On the other side of the ball, the RSEQ's highest-scoring offence (38.4 points per game - third in U SPORTS) is led by fifth-year quarterback Hugo Richard, now a three-time conference player of the year. This fall, the 2016 Vanier Cup MVP became the first player in U SPORTS history to finish his career with at least 60 touchdown passes (he actually finished with an RSEQ-record 70) and 30 rushing majors.
"We've made a lot of progress since the start of the season. We have a close-knit team with a lot of veterans to show the way. It showed in games like the one we just played against Montreal. That's the kind of games we're going to face moving forward, and we're ready," says Auclair, whose brother and former Laval teammate, Antony, has been a tight end with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the past two seasons. "We need to watch a lot of film this week because we don't know much about our upcoming opponents. However, we have one big advantage: playing the national semifinal at home. It's always fun to play in front of our fans."
For their part, StFX had what could be described as an up-and-down regular season before finding another gear just in time for the playoffs.
Looking at the glass half-full perspective, the X-Men could easily have gone 8-0 in conference play as they held the lead in the fourth quarter in each of their two losses, both against Saint Mary's.
Looking at the glass half-empty, three of their wins came by six points or less, including a 30-24 overtime thriller against Acadia, a 33-30 decision over the same Axemen thanks to a pair of field goals in the last minute of regulation, and a 12-11 squeaker against winless Bishop's that required another dramatic field goal by AUS all-star kicker Keiran Burnham, this one with seven seconds left in the fourth.
The way his team got the job done doesn't matter much to head coach Gary Waterman, however. In his 10th campaign at the helm, he has now led the program to three U SPORTS Bowl games in the past four years, almost half of the school's total appearances (7) since the inception of the national semifinals back in 1967.
"After a year removed, we are extremely excited to be back competing in the national semifinal again," says Waterman, who now hopes to lead his troops to the second Final Four win in program history, 22 years after the X-Men beat Ottawa 13-5 in the Atlantic Bowl at Halifax. "Playing Laval on their home field for the right to hoist the Uteck Bowl is a tremendous challenge. However, we have been playing some very good football lately and we are excited for the opportunity."
To say StFX's success on offence goes through its ground game would be the understatement of the year.
With fifth-year senior Jordan Socholotiuk in the backfield and freshman Bailey Wasdal behind centre, the X-Men ranked fourth in the country in rushing during the regular season with 178.4 yards per game but only 23rd in passing (202.6), fourth in the five-team AUS conference. Their 254 carries ranked third in the nation, while their 213 passing attempts ranked fourth last.
That disparity was never more evident than in the AUS championship match. In rainy conditions last Saturday in Halifax, the X-Men ran the ball a whopping 55 times and attempted only eight passes en route to a 33-9 Loney Bowl triumph over top-seeded Saint Mary's.
After leading the nation in both rushing yards (1,009) and carries (186) in league play, Socholotiuk has been nothing short of phenomenal in the post-season with 421 yards on 58 rushes in two outings, including a game-MVP performance against Saint Mary's, when he racked up 179 yards on 34 carries.
The AUS champs are much more than a one-trick pony however. In fact, despite his remarkable achievements, conference-MVP honours eluded Socholotiuk and instead went to dual-threat standout Kaion Julien-Grant, who once again this season tormented opponents both as a receiver and punt returner.
The senior led the conference in receptions (49), receiving yards (638) and TD catches (5), topped the nation in punt return yards (566), and ranked first in the AUS and second in U SPORTS in all-purpose yards (179.8 per game). Over his four seasons, the Toronto native has amassed a school-record 4,563 all-purpose yards.
On defence, linebacker Gordon Whyte tied for third in the AUS with 51 tackles in eight league games, good for 10th in the country.
"This season has been quite a ride and I'm not sure if I've been on a team before with the amount of fight and resiliency than this team has. We are playing good football and I'm so proud of my guys to keep pushing day in and day out, I'm very excited to see where this team can take us," says Socholotiuk, who had 37 more carries than any other back in the country in the regular season and was the first AUS player to lead the nation in rushing since 2001. "Laval is a great opponent and they are a well-coached team. It will be very exciting to go toe-to-toe with them. We are a confident team and we feel we have the tools to make it an exciting game. 'Why not us?' is the mentality."
Meanwhile in the Mitchell Bowl, reigning national champion Western hopes to take one more step towards a second straight appearance in the Vanier Cup, a feat the storied program hasn't achieved since 1994 and 1995. The Mustangs would then get a shot at hoisting the Holy Grail of Canadian university football for the second consecutive year, an exploit they have accomplished only once in the past, back in 1976 and 1977.
Standing in their way is a resurging Saskatchewan team returning to the national stage for the first time since 2006, a year after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2001. In fact, the Huskies' 31-28 overtime thriller against UBC two weeks ago in the Canada West semifinals marked their first post-season win, period, since 2009.
Saturday's tilt will mark the fifth official installment of this inter-conference rivalry, and the first one since a 33-17 Saskatchewan home win in the 1998 Churchill Bowl. All three previous battles resulted in Western victories, including in the 1994 and 1989 Vanier Cup finals at Toronto (50-40 in OT / 35-10) and in the 1974 Central Bowl in London (41-17).
More recently, the two teams squared off in preseason action at Saskatoon in 2010, with the Huskies taking that one 40-12.
Riding a 22-game win streak overall into the confrontation – three shy of Laval's U SPORTS record – Western has shown no signs of a championship hangover in 2018. As a matter of fact, the OUA powerhouse has posted statistics quite similar to last season in most major categories.
In addition to leading the country in scoring for the fourth year in a row (48.0 points per game) and being the nation's top rushing team for the second consecutive campaign (274.6 yards per game), the Mustangs were the stingiest defensive squad in Ontario during the regular season, averaging league lows in points (11.1), total yards (279.6), passing yards (184.8) and rushing yards (94.9) allowed per contest.
While they lost some key pieces on defence following their 2017 championship run, Western returned most of their main weapons on offence including, to name only a few, quarterback Chris Merchant, the reigning Vanier Cup MVP who completed a whopping 73 per cent of his passes in conference play, and running back Cedric Joseph, who had 12 rushing touchdowns to lead the nation in that category for the second straight season.
In a resounding 63-14 Yates Cup win over Guelph last Saturday, both standouts scored three majors on the ground. Thanks to that effort, Joseph boosted his ridiculous tally to 17 touchdowns in his last six post-season games going back to last year's run.
Can anyone tame the mighty Mustangs?
Carleton took them to overtime in their OUA opener back on Aug. 26. Queen's let a 23-12 fourth-quarter lead slip away in a 26-23 loss on Sept. 29. No one has come close since, with Western winning its last five by an average of 38.6 points.
"We are excited about the opportunity to play Saskatchewan in the Mitchell Bowl," says Greg Marshall, in his 12th season at the helm at his alma mater after starting his head-coaching career at McMaster from 1997 to 2003. "They are a very balanced and well-coached team and have defeated two very good teams to get here. I expect a very physical and competitive game."
"I am excited to represent Western and the OUA in what should be a great matchup between two historic football programs," adds Merchant, who was the MVP of last year's Uteck Bowl before earning the same honour a week later following the Mustangs' Vanier Cup triumph. "There is nothing better than playoff football!"
Whether they can take down the champs or not remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, however. The Huskies are as confident as any team heading into Saturday. And with good reasons.
In just over a year, Saskatchewan went from missing the playoffs (2-6) under new head coach Scott Flory, to finishing third (5-3), to posting consecutive upsets over powerhouse programs in the Canada West playoffs.
In their semifinal win over UBC, the Huskies scored the game-tying touchdown with 21 seconds left in regulation before prevailing in extra time. The reward was a Hardy Cup date with Calgary, an opponent whom the Green Dogs had gone 1-14 against since 2011. After racking up 31 first downs and 511 yards of offence, they were a festive bunch on the flight back to Saskatoon following a 43-18 triumph.
While there have been many contributors to the Huskies' turnaround, it's hard not to single out running back Tyler Chow, a Calgary native who was named Hardy Cup MVP in his backyard thanks to his 222 rushing yards and two majors on 24 carries. The fifth-year senior, who also reached the end zone twice in the semifinal against UBC, was voted a Canada West all-star in his final campaign after he led the conference with 640 yards on the ground.
"It's our resiliency that has gotten us here. We are playing really well as a team. Top-to-bottom we are all very well connected," says Chow, whose 6.4 yards per attempt in league play was second among Canada West running backs with at least 50 carries. "Our playoff run has been a lot of fun, but I wouldn't be anywhere near the end zone without the offensive line. They are having an amazing season. The type of stuff that they are doing upfront is huge for us."
Before the Hardy Cup final, Calgary head coach Wayne Harris Jr. said Saskatchewan's o-line "might be the biggest we face all year". At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, left guard Mattland Riley – the only member of the group to make the Canada West all-star team - definitely fits the bill. So do tackles Nicholas Summach (6-8, 330) and Noah Zerr (6-7, 325).
That unit, along with Chow and quarterback Kyle Siemens – a fellow fifth-year senior – were key factors in the Huskies success. They led an offence that topped Canada West in rushing (172.0 yards per game) and ranked fifth in the country in both points (32.3) and passing yards (320.6) per contest.
On defence, Saskatchewan led the conference in interceptions (10), sacks (17) and against the run (125.3 yards per game). The Huskies' secondary was nothing short of sensational in the Hardy Cup with four picks against league MVP Adam Sinagra, who had thrown only five all season prior to the title match.
"During this playoff run our senior players have been our best players, they have led by example and all of them have made big plays on the field. For us to move forward we need them to continue being our best players," says second-year sideline boss Scott Flory, the 2018 Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee who won a pair of Vanier Cup titles with the Huskies as an offensive lineman in 1996 and 1998. "We are only focusing on the things that we can control. Football is a one-game deal and we are bringing everything we've got to give them our best shot on Saturday, and that's all I can ask from our guys. This team just doesn't quit, all of them have grit and determination. With that, we will see what happens on Saturday."
UTECK BOWL
When: Saturday, Nov. 17, 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT
Where: TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City, Que.
Who: No. 7 StFX X-Men (8-2) at No. 2 Laval Rouge et Or (10-0)
TV: Sportsnet 360 & TVA Sports (pre-game shows at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT)
Web: Sportsnet NOW & TVASports.ca (authenticated users only)
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY X-MEN (AUS champions)
2018 season summary
Overall record (regular season & playoffs): 8-2
Regular season record: 6-2
Regular season standing: 2nd
Playoff record: 2-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 6): No. 7
Top 10 best ranking: No. 7 (1 week)
Top 10 lowest ranking: Unranked (10 weeks)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (11 polls): 1
Regular season offence points (28.4 / game): 2nd AUS / 12th U SPORTS
Regular season offence total yards (381.0 / game): 2nd AUS / 15th U SPORTS
Regular season offence passing (202.6 / game): 4th AUS / 23rd U SPORTS
Regular season offence rushing (178.4 / game): 2nd AUS / 4th U SPORTS
Regular season defence points (19.5 / game): 3rd AUS / 7th U SPORTS
Regular season defence total yards (374.0 / game): 3rd AUS / 7th U SPORTS
Regular season defence passing (208.6 / game): 3rd AUS / 7th U SPORTS
Regular season defence rushing (165.4 / game): 4th AUS / 19th U SPORTS
2018 results
Aug. 18 (home): Acadia 15, StFX 4 (preseason)
Aug. 24 (away): Saint Mary's 20, StFX 13
Aug. 31 (home): StFX 30, Acadia 24 (OT)
Sept. 15 (home): StFX 42, Bishop's 2
Sept. 22 (away): StFX 35, Mount Allison 27
Sept. 29 (home): Saint Mary's 27, StFX 24
Oct. 5 (away): StFX 33, Acadia 30
Oct. 20 (away): StFX 12, Bishop's 11
Oct. 27 (home): StFX 38, Mount Allison 15
Nov. 3 (home): StFX 33, Acadia 10 (AUS semifinal)
Nov. 10 (away): StFX 33, Saint Mary's 9 (Loney Bowl)
2018 AUS individual honours
Major awards: Kaion Julien-Grant (MVP), Gary Waterman (coach of the year)
All-stars offence: Jordan Socholotiuk (RB), Kaion Julien-Grant (R), Jacob Czaja (G), Jonathan Zamora (C)
All-stars defence: Tyler Cordeiro (DT)
All-stars special teams: Keiran Burnham (P & K), Kaion Julien-Grant (RET)
All-time head-to-head vs. Laval
Overall: 0-2
Home: 0-1
Away: 0-1
2015 (away): 64-0 loss (regular season - interlock)
2007 (home): 51-8 loss (regular season - interlock)
Bowl history (since inception of national semi-finals in 1967)
Overall: 1-5
Home: 1-4
Away: 0-1
2016 (away): 50-24 loss vs. Calgary (Mitchell Bowl)
2015 (home at Oland Stadium, Antigonish, N.S.): 36-9 loss vs. UBC (Uteck Bowl)
1996 (home at Huskies Stadium, Halifax): 13-5 win vs. Ottawa (Atlantic Bowl)
1982 (home at Huskies Stadium, Halifax): 54-1 loss vs. UBC (Atlantic Bowl)
1978 (home at Huskies Stadium, Halifax): 32-10 loss vs. Queen's (Atlantic Bowl)
1967 (home at Wanderers Grounds, Halifax): 7-0 loss vs. McMaster (Atlantic Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 1-1
1996 (SkyDome, Toronto): 31-12 loss vs. Saskatchewan
1966 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 40-14 win vs. Waterloo Lutheran
Head coach: Gary Waterman
Season: 10th
Career regular season record: 40-40 (.500)
Career playoff record: 7-6 (.538)
Career overall record (season & playoffs): 47-46 (.505)
Career overall record vs. Laval: 0-1
Bowl record: 0-2
Bowl wins: None
Bowl losses: 2016, 2015
Vanier Cup record: 0-0
Vanier Cup wins: None
Vanier Cup losses: None
UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL ROUGE ET OR (RSEQ champions)
2018 season summary
Overall record (regular season & playoffs): 10-0
Regular season record: 8-0
Regular season standing: 1st
Playoff record: 2-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 6): No. 2
Top 10 best ranking: No. 2 (11 weeks)
Top 10 lowest ranking: No. 2 (11 weeks)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (11 polls): 11
Regular season offence points (38.4 / game): 1st RSEQ / 3rd U SPORTS
Regular season offence total yards (451.8 / game): 1st RSEQ / 6th U SPORTS
Regular season offence passing (301.6 / game): 1st RSEQ / 6th U SPORTS
Regular season offence rushing (150.1 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 12th U SPORTS
Regular season defence points (6.8 / game): 2nd RSEQ / 2nd U SPORTS
Regular season defence total yards (192.3 / game): 1st RSEQ / 1st U SPORTS
Regular season defence passing (123.9 / game): 1st RSEQ / 1st U SPORTS
Regular season defence rushing (68.4 / game): 1st RSEQ / 1st U SPORTS
2018 results
Aug. 18 (home): Laval 46, Guelph 3 (preseason)
Aug. 24 (away): Laval 14, Sherbrooke 1
Sept. 1 (home): Laval 47, Concordia 9
Sept. 8 (away): Laval 12, Montreal 7
Sept. 23 (home): Laval 53, McGill 7
Sept. 29 (away): Laval 53, Concordia 2
Oct. 7 (home): Laval 18, Montreal 15 (OT)
Oct. 13 (away): Laval 57, McGill 13
Oct. 21 (home): Laval 53, Sherbrooke 0
Nov. 3 (home): Laval 40, Sherbrooke 0 (RSEQ semifinal)
Nov. 10 (home): Laval 14, Montreal 1 (Dunsmore Cup)
2018 RSEQ individual honours
Major awards: Hugo Richard (MVP), Mathieu Betts (outstanding down lineman), Vincent Forbes-Mombleau (rookie of the year), Glen Constantin (coach of the year)
All-stars offence: Hugo Richard (QB), Jonathan Breton-Robert (R), Samuel Lefebvre (C), Samuel Thomassin (G), Kétel Assé (T)
All-stars defence: Mathieu Betts (DE), Vincent Desjardins (DT), Daniel Basambombo (LB), Émile Chênevert (CB)
All-stars special teams: David Côté (K)
All-time head-to-head vs. StFX
Overall: 2-0
Home: 1-0
Away: 1-0
2015 (home): 64-0 win (regular season - interlock)
2007 (away): 51-8 win (regular season - interlock)
Bowl history (since inception of national semi-finals in 1967)
Overall: 11-4
Home: 7-0
Away: 4-4
2017 (away): 35-23 win vs. Calgary (Mitchell Bowl)
2016 (home): 36-6 win vs. Laurier (Uteck Bowl)
2013 (away): 48-21 win vs. Mount Allison (Uteck Bowl)
2012 (home): 42-7 win vs. Acadia (Uteck Bowl)
2011 (away): 41-10 win vs. Calgary (Mitchell Bowl)
2010 (home): 13-11 win vs. Western (Uteck Bowl)
2009 (away): 33-30 loss vs. Queen's (Mitchell Bowl)
2008 (home): 59-10 win vs. Calgary (Uteck Bowl)
2007 (away): 24-2 loss vs. Saint Mary's (Uteck Bowl)
2006 (home): 57-10 win vs. Acadia (Uteck Bowl)
2005 (away): 29-27 loss vs. Saskatchewan (Mitchell Bowl)
2004 (home): 30-11 win vs. Laurier (Uteck Bowl)
2003 (away): 36-32 win vs. McMaster (Mitchell Bowl)
2001 (away): 48-8 loss vs. Saint Mary's (Atlantic Bowl)
1999 (home): 27-21 win vs. Saskatchewan (Churchill Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 9-2
2017 (Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton): 39-17 loss vs. Western
2016 (Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton): 31-26 win vs. Calgary
2013 (TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City): 25-14 win vs. Calgary
2012 (Rogers Centre, Toronto): 37-14 win vs. McMaster
2011 (BC Place Stadium, Vancouver): 41-38 OT loss vs. McMaster
2010 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): 29-2 win vs. Calgary
2008 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 44-21 win vs. Western
2006 (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): 13-8 win vs. Saskatchewan
2004 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 7-1 win vs. Saskatchewan
2003 (SkyDome, Toronto): 14-7 win vs. Saint Mary's
1999 (SkyDome, Toronto): 14-10 win vs. Saint Mary's
Head coach: Glen Constantin
Season: 18th
Career regular season record: 127-20 (.864)
Career playoff record: 48-11 (.814)
Career overall record (season and playoffs): 175-31 (.850)
Career overall record vs. StFX: 2-0
Bowl record: 10-4
Bowl wins: 2017, 2016, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2003
Bowl losses: 2009, 2007, 2005, 2001
Vanier Cup record: 8-2
Vanier Cup wins: 2016, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2003
Vanier Cup losses: 2017, 2011
MITCHELL BOWL
When: Saturday, Nov. 17, 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT
Where: TD Stadium, London, Ont.
Who: No. 6 Saskatchewan Huskies (7-3) at No. 1 Western Mustangs (10-0)
TV: Sportsnet 360 & TVA Sports 2
Web: Sportsnet NOW & TVASports.ca (authenticated users only)
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (Canada West champions)
2018 season summary
Overall record (regular season & playoffs): 7-3
Regular season record: 5-3
Regular season standing: 3rd
Playoff record: 2-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 6): No. 6
Top 10 best ranking: No. 6 (2 weeks)
Top 10 lowest ranking: Unranked (3 weeks)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (11 polls): 8
Regular season offence points (32.3 / game): 2nd CW / 5th U SPORTS
Regular season offence total yards (492.6 / game): 2nd CW / 4th U SPORTS
Regular season offence passing (320.6 / game): 3rd CW / 5th U SPORTS
Regular season offence rushing (172.0 / game): 1st CW / 7th U SPORTS
Regular season defence points (21.8 / game): 2nd CW / 9th U SPORTS
Regular season defence total yards (419.9 / game): 2nd CW / 18th U SPORTS
Regular season defence passing (294.6 / game): 2nd CW / 20th U SPORTS
Regular season defence rushing (125.3 / game): 1st CW / 8th U SPORTS
2018 results
Aug. 31 (home): Saskatchewan 42, Alberta 0
Sept. 7 (away): Saskatchewan 48, Manitoba 46
Sept. 14 (home): Calgary 37, Saskatchewan 28
Sept. 21 (home): Saskatchewan 33, Regina 20
Sept. 29 (away): Calgary 33, Saskatchewan 13
Oct. 12 (away): UBC 20, Saskatchewan 10
Oct. 20 (home): Saskatchewan 27, Manitoba 4
Oct. 26 (away): Saskatchewan 57, Regina 14
Nov. 3 (away): Saskatchewan 31, UBC 28 (OT) (Canada West semifinal)
Nov. 10 (away): Saskatchewan 43, Calgary 18 (Hardy Cup)
2018 Canada West individual honours
Major awards: None
All-stars offence: Tyler Chow (RB), Mattland Riley (G)
All-stars defence: Tristian Koronkiewicz (DE), Evan Machibroda (DT)
All-stars special teams: None
All-time head-to-head vs. Western
Overall: 1-3
Home: 1-0
Away: 0-1
Neutral site: 0-2
1998 (home): 33-17 win (Churchill Bowl)
1994 (neutral): 50-40 OT loss (Vanier Cup)
1989 (neutral): 35-10 loss (Vanier Cup)
1974 (away): 41-17 loss (Central Bowl)
Not included in official head-to-head record:
2010 (home): 40-12 win (preseason)
Bowl history (since inception of national semi-finals in 1967)
Overall: 9-3
Home: 4-0
Away: 5-3
2006 (away): 35-28 win vs. Ottawa (Mitchell Bowl)
2005 (home): 29-27 win vs. Laval (Mitchell Bowl)
2004 (home): 31-16 win vs. Saint Mary's (Mitchell Bowl)
2002 (away): 22-0 win vs. McGill (Mitchell Bowl)
1999 (away): 27-21 loss vs. Laval (Churchill Bowl)
1998 (home): 33-17 win vs. Western (Churchill Bowl)
1996 (away): 33-9 win vs. Guelph (Churchill Bowl)
1994 (away): 35-24 win vs. Saint Mary's (Atlantic Bowl)
1991 (away): 31-14 loss vs. Mount Allison (Atlantic Bowl)
1990 (away): 41-13 win vs. Bishop's (Churchill Bowl)
1989 (home): 40-10 win vs. Queen's (Churchill Bowl)
1974 (away): 41-17 loss vs. Western (Central Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 3-6
2006 (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): 13-8 loss vs. Laval
2005 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 24-23 loss vs. Laurier
2004 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 7-1 loss vs. Laval
2002 (SkyDome, Toronto): 33-21 loss vs. Saint Mary's
1998 (SkyDome, Toronto): 24-17 win vs. Concordia
1996 (SkyDome, Toronto): 31-12 win vs. StFX
1994 (SkyDome, Toronto): 50-40 OT loss vs. Western
1990 (SkyDome, Toronto): 24-21 win vs. Saint Mary's
1989 (SkyDome, Toronto): 35-10 loss vs. Western
Head coach: Scott Flory
Season: 2nd
Career regular season record: 7-9 (.438)
Career playoff record: 2-0 (1.000)
Career overall record (season & playoffs): 9-9 (.500)
Career overall record vs. Western: 0-0
Bowl record: 0-0
Bowl wins: None
Bowl losses: None
Vanier Cup record: 0-0
Vanier Cup wins: None
Vanier Cup losses: None
WESTERN UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS (OUA champions)
2018 season summary
Overall record (regular season & playoffs): 10-0
Regular season record: 8-0
Regular season standing: 1st
Playoff record: 2-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 6): No. 1
Top 10 best ranking: No. 1 (11 weeks)
Top 10 lowest ranking: No. 1 (11 weeks)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (11 polls): 11
Regular season offence points (48.0 / game): 1st OUA / 1st U SPORTS
Regular season offence total yards (556.9 / game): 1st OUA / 2nd U SPORTS
Regular season offence passing (285.3 / game): 5th OUA / 11th U SPORTS
Regular season offence rushing (271.6 / game): 1st OUA / 1st U SPORTS
Regular season defence points (11.1 / game): 1st OUA / 3rd U SPORTS
Regular season defence total yards (279.6 / game): 1st OUA / 3rd U SPORTS
Regular season defence passing (184.8 / game): 1st OUA / 5th U SPORTS
Regular season defence rushing (94.9 / game): 1st OUA / 3rd U SPORTS
2018 results
Aug. 26 (away): Western 26, Carleton 23 (OT)
Sept. 8 (home): Western 44, McMaster 6
Sept. 15 (home): Western 76, York 3
Sept. 22 (away): Western 67, Waterloo 7
Sept. 29 (away): Western 26, Queen's 23
Oct. 4 (home): Western 66, Windsor 14
Oct. 13 (away): Western 33, Ottawa 0
Oct. 20 (home): Western 46, Laurier 13
Nov. 3 (home): Western 39, Carleton 13 (OUA semifinal)
Nov. 10 (home): Western 63, Guelph 14 (Yates Cup)
2018 OUA individual honours
Major awards: Fraser Sopik (defensive MVP), Mackenzie Ferguson (Russ Jackson Award nominee), Greg Marshall (coach of the year)
All-stars offence (first team): Cedric Joseph (RB), Dylan Giffen (T), David Brown (G)
All-stars defence (first team): Fraser Sopik (LB), Daniel Valente Jr. (S), Bleska Kambamba (CB)
All-stars special teams (first team): Marc Liegghio (P)
All-stars offence (second team): Chris Merchant (QB), Harry McMaster (R), Grégoire Bouchard (G)
All-stars defence (second team): Andrew Thurston (DE), Mitchell Stadnyk (DT), Philippe Dion (LB)
All-stars special teams (second team): Marc Liegghio (K)
All-time head-to-head vs. Saskatchewan
Overall: 3-1
Home: 1-0
Away: 0-1
Neutral site: 2-0
1998 (away): 33-17 loss (Churchill Bowl)
1994 (neutral): 50-40 OT win (Vanier Cup)
1989 (neutral): 35-10 win (Vanier Cup)
1974 (home): 41-17 win (Central Bowl)
Not included in official head-to-head record:
2010 (away): 40-12 loss (preseason)
Bowl history (since inception of national semi-finals in 1967)
Overall: 13-8
Home: 6-1
Away: 7-7
2017 (away): 81-3 win vs. Acadia (Uteck Bowl)
2013 (away): 44-3 loss vs. Calgary (Mitchell Bowl)
2010 (away): 13-11 loss vs. Laval (Uteck Bowl)
2008 (home): 28-12 win vs. Saint Mary's (Mitchell Bowl)
2007 (away): 52-20 loss vs. Manitoba (Mitchell Bowl)
1998 (away): 33-17 loss vs. Saskatchewan (Churchill Bowl)
1995 (away): 55-45 OT win vs. Acadia (Atlantic Bowl)
1994 (away): 41-24 win vs. Bishop's (Churchill Bowl)
1990 (away): 31-30 loss vs. Saint Mary's (Atlantic Bowl)
1989 (away): 38-33 win vs. Saint Mary's (Atlantic Bowl)
1988 (home): 34-15 loss vs. Calgary (Central Bowl)
1986 (away): 29-22 win vs. Acadia (Atlantic Bowl)
1985 (away): 34-3 win vs. Mount Allison (Atlantic Bowl)
1982 (home): 17-7 win vs. Concordia (Western Bowl)
1981 (away): 32-31 loss vs. Alberta (Western Bowl)
1980 (away): 14-4 loss vs. Alberta (Western Bowl)
1979 (home): 32-14 win vs. Queen's (Yates Cup)
1977 (home): 24-22 win vs. Calgary (Forest City Bowl)
1976 (home): 30-8 win vs. UBC (Forest City Bowl)
1974 (home): 41-17 win vs. Saskatchewan (Central Bowl)
1971 (away): 44-13 win vs. Saint Mary's (Atlantic Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 7-6
2017 (Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton): 39-17 win vs. Laval
2008 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 44-21 loss vs. Laval
1995 (SkyDome, Toronto): 54-24 loss vs. Calgary
1994 (SkyDome, Toronto): 50-40 OT win vs. Saskatchewan
1989 (SkyDome, Toronto): 35-10 win vs. Saskatchewan
1986 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 25-23 loss vs. UBC
1985 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 25-6 loss vs. Calgary
1982 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 39-14 loss vs. UBC
1979 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 34-12 loss vs. Acadia
1977 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 48-15 win vs. Acadia
1976 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 29-13 win vs. Acadia
1974 (CNE Stadium, Toronto): 19-15 win vs. Toronto
1971 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 15-14 win vs. Alberta
Head coach: Greg Marshall
Season: 19th (12th with Western / 7 with McMaster 1997-2003)
Career regular season record: 123-27-2 (.816) / 81-15 with Western (.844)
Career playoff record: 34-16 (.680) / 23-10 with Western (.697)
Career overall record (season and playoffs): 157-43-2 (.782) / 104-25 with Western (.806)
Career overall record vs. Saskatchewan: 0-0 *
Bowl record: 2-7 / 2-3 with Western
Bowl wins: 2017, 2008
Bowl losses: 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
Vanier Cup record: 1-1 / 1-1 with Western
Vanier Cup wins: 2017
Vanier Cup losses: 2008
* Western lost 40-12 at Saskatchewan in 2010 preseason
ALL-TIME CIS BOWL RESULTS (since start of CIS national semifinals in 1967)
2017
Uteck (Raymond Field, Wolfville, N.S.): Western 81, Acadia 3
Mitchell (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Laval 35, Calgary 23
2016
Uteck (TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 36, Wilfrid Laurier 6
Mitchell (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Calgary 50, StFX 24
2015
Uteck (Oland Stadium, Antigonish, N.S.): UBC 36, StFX 9
Mitchell (Alumni Stadium, Guelph, Ont.): Montreal 25, Guelph 10
2014
Uteck (CEPSUM Stadium, Montreal): Montreal 29, Manitoba 26
Mitchell (Ron Joyce Stadium, Hamilton): McMaster 24, Mount Allison 12
2013
Uteck (MacAulay Field, Sackville, N.B.): Laval 48, Mount Allison 21
Mitchell (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Calgary 44, Western 3
2012
Uteck (TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 42, Acadia 7
Mitchell (Ron Joyce Stadium, Hamilton): McMaster 45, Calgary 6
2011
Uteck (Moncton Stadium, Moncton): McMaster 45, Acadia 21
Mitchell (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Laval 41, Calgary 10
2010
Uteck (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 13, Western 11
Mitchell (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Calgary 35, Saint Mary's 8
2009
Uteck (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Calgary 38, Saint Mary's 14
Mitchell (Richardson Stadium, Kingston): Queen's 33, Laval 30
2008
Uteck (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 59, Calgary 10
Mitchell (TD Waterhouse Stadium, London): Western 28, Saint Mary's 12
2007
Uteck (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary's 24, Laval 2
Mitchell (Canad Inns Stadium, Winnipeg): Manitoba 52, Western 20
2006
Uteck (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 57, Acadia 10
Mitchell (Frank Clair Stadium, Ottawa): Saskatchewan 35, Ottawa 28
2005
Uteck (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Wilfrid Laurier 31, Acadia 10
Mitchell (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): Saskatchewan 29, Laval 27
2004
Uteck (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 30, Wilfrid Laurier 11
Mitchell (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): Saskatchewan 31, Saint Mary's 16
2003
Uteck (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary's 60, Simon Fraser 9
Mitchell (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): Laval 36, McMaster 32
2002
Churchill (Les Prince Field, Hamilton): Saint Mary's 36, McMaster 25
Mitchell (Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal): Saskatchewan 22, McGill 0
2001
Churchill (Canad Inns Stadium, Winnipeg): Manitoba 27, McMaster 6
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary's 48, Laval 8
2000
Churchill (Les Prince Field, Hamilton): Ottawa 20, McMaster 15
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Regina 40, Saint Mary's 36
1999
Churchill (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 27, Saskatchewan 21
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary's 21, Waterloo 14
1998
Churchill (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): Saskatchewan 33, Western 17
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Concordia 25, Acadia 24
1997 (1)
Churchill (Frank Clair Stadium, Ottawa): Waterloo 1, Ottawa 0
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): UBC 34, Mount Allison 29
1996
Churchill (University Stadium, Waterloo): Saskatchewan 33, Guelph 9
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): StFX 13, Ottawa 5
1995
Churchill (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Calgary 37, Ottawa 7
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 55, Acadia 45 (OT)
1994
Churchill (Coulter Field, Lennoxville, Que.): Western 41, Bishop's 24
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saskatchewan 35, Saint Mary's 24
1993
Churchill (SkyDome, Toronto): Toronto 26, Concordia 16
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Calgary 37, Saint Mary's 23
1992
Churchill (SkyDome, Toronto): Queen's 23, Guelph 16
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary's 21, Calgary 11
1991
Churchill (SkyDome, Toronto): Wilfrid Laurier 42, Queen's 22
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Mount Allison 31, Saskatchewan 14
1990
Churchill (Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal): Saskatchewan 41, Bishop's 13
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary's 31, Western 30
1989
Churchill (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): Saskatchewan 40, Queen's 10
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 38, Saint Mary's 33
1988
Central (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Calgary 34, Western 15
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary's 44, Bishop's 10
1987
Western (Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver): UBC 33, Wilfrid Laurier 31
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): McGill 30, Saint Mary's 29
1986
Central (Bishop's Field, Lennoxville, Que.): UBC 32, Bishop's 30
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 29, Acadia 22
1985
Western (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Calgary 56, Carleton 14
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 34, Mount Allison 3
1984
Central (Alumni Stadium, Guelph): Guelph 12, Calgary 7
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Mount Allison 29, Queen's 17
1983 (2)
Western (Richardson Stadium, Kingston): Queen's 22, Toronto 7
1982
Western (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 17, Concordia 7
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): UBC 54, StFX 1
1981
Western (Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton): Alberta 32, Western 31
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Acadia 40, Queen's 14
1980
Western (Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton): Alberta 14, Western 4
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Ottawa 28, Acadia 8
1979
Yates Cup (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 32, Queen's 14
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Acadia 27, Alberta 3
1978
Western (Empire Stadium, Vancouver): UBC 25, Wilfrid Laurier 16
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Queen's 32, StFX 10
1977
Forest City (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 24, Calgary 22
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Acadia 35, Queen's 22
1976
Forest City (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 30, UBC 8
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Acadia 18, Ottawa 16
1975
Central (Lansdowne Park, Ottawa): Ottawa 45, Windsor 6
Atlantic (Raymond Field, Wolfville, N.S.): Calgary 38, Acadia 13
1974
Central (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 41, Saskatchewan 17
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Toronto 45, Saint Mary's 1
1973
Western (Winnipeg Velodrome, Winnipeg): McGill 16, Manitoba 0
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary's 19, Wilfrid Laurier 17
1972
Western (Varsity Stadium, Edmonton): Alberta 58, Loyola 6
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Waterloo Lutheran 50, Saint Mary's 17
1971
Western (Clarke Stadium, Edmonton): Alberta 53, Bishop's 2
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 44, Saint Mary's 13
1970
Western (Pan American Stadium, Winnipeg): Manitoba 24, Queen's 20 (OT)
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Ottawa 24, UNB 11
1969
Western (Pan American Stadium, Winnipeg): Manitoba 41, Windsor 7
Atlantic (Wanderers Grounds, Halifax): McGill 20, UNB 6
1968
Western (Pan American Stadium, Winnipeg): Queen's 29, Manitoba 6
Atlantic (Wanderers Grounds, Halifax): Waterloo Lutheran 37, Saint Mary's 7
1967 (3)
Atlantic (Wanderers Grounds, Halifax): McMaster 7, StFX 0
NOTES:
(1) In 1997, Ottawa beat Waterloo 44-37 but later forfeited the game due to the use of ineligible players (official score: 1-0 Waterloo).
(2) In 1983, the AUAA chose not to participate in a Bowl game as a protest against CIAU. WIFL champion Calgary received a direct berth in the national final.
(3) In 1967, the OQAA voted against any league participation in the Vanier Cup championship game. WIFL champion Alberta received a direct berth in the national final.
About the Vanier Cup, presented by Promutuel Insurance
The Vanier Cup, the championship game for Canadian university football, is one of the country's most storied sporting events. The first national championship game, then called the Canadian College Bowl, was won by Laval University of on Nov. 20, 1965. Two years later, a playoff system was instituted by the governing body for Canadian university sport. The title contest became the Vanier Cup in 1982, named in honour of Canada's first Governor General, Georges Vanier.
Sportsnet and TVA Sports are once again the official broadcasters of the U SPORTS football semifinals and final in 2018... The Mitchell Bowl (CW at OUA) and Uteck Bowl (AUS at RSEQ) are set for Saturday, Nov. 17, while the Vanier Cup, presented by Promutuel Insurance, follows on Saturday, Nov. 24 at TELUS-UL Stadium in Quebec City... For all the information on the 54th Vanier Cup, presented by Promutuel Insurance (including tickets) click here.
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