OTTAWA (CIS) – The stage is set for the CIS football national semifinals on Saturday, when the last four teams still standing will battle for a berth in the ArcelorMittal Vanier Cup presented by Promutuel Assurance, on Nov. 28 at Quebec City.
The RSEQ conference champion Montreal Carabins (8-2) and the OUA titleholder Guelph Gryphons (9-1) get things started at 12:30 p.m. Eastern in the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Mitchell Bowl at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, Ont.
The Uteck Bowl follows at 5 p.m. Atlantic (4 p.m. Eastern), with the Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds (8-2) visiting the AUS victor St. Francis Xavier X-Men (7-3) at Oland Stadium in Antigonish, N.S.
Both contests are scheduled to be televised live on Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports, with Sportsnet 360 kicking things off at noon with a 30-minute pre-game show. The doubleheader is also available online at CIS-SIC.tv (pay-per-view).
Who said there is no parity in Canadian university football?
For the second year in a row, the conference finals produced three new champions as only Montreal, the reigning Vanier Cup monarch, earned a return trip to the CIS Final Four.
For only the second time since the implementation of national semifinals in 1967, all four league finals – which were decided by an average of 4.5 points - were won by the visiting team. The only previous occurrence was in 1984... when Guelph went on to capture their lone Vanier Cup title.
Three of the four teams still in contention hadn't reached the national stage since the 1990s, including Guelph (1996), UBC (1997) and StFX (1996).
As a result, the top-three ranked programs in the country heading into the conference championships are out of the race, including Calgary and Western – the only two undefeated teams prior to last week.
"We've worked extremely hard over the past five years to become a team that can challenge for the Vanier Cup every season," said fifth-year Montreal bench boss Danny Maciocia, who last November became the first person to win Grey Cup and Vanier Cup titles as a head coach. "Our results from a year ago and our return to the national semifinals show that our program is heading in the right direction. It's now up to us to keep pushing the boundaries."
In 2014, the Carabins seemed to be a team of destiny on their way to their first-ever Vanier Cup triumph. Their magical playoff run included a Dunsmore Cup win in overtime that ended Laval's decade-long undefeated streak on home turf; a three-point victory over visiting Manitoba in a thrilling Uteck Bowl; and a 20-19 conquest over McMaster on a last-minute blocked field-goal attempt in the 50th CIS final in front of a packed house at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in Montreal.
Many wondered if they had any magic left for this year's playoff run?
How about a nine-point fourth quarter comeback against Sherbrooke in the RSEQ semifinals followed by a second straight Dunsmore Cup victory on Laval's home turf, this one an 18-16 thriller decided – of all things – on a blocked field goal on the final play of the game.
Up next? The first official Montreal-Guelph tilt since 1967, when the original incarnation of the Carabins were competing alongside the Gryphons in the Central Canada Intercollegiate Football Conference. In the only two previous official meetings between the two programs, the visiting team prevailed on both occasions, Guelph by a 35-20 score line in 1966 and Montreal by 13-8 the following season.
Thanks to the Edmonton Eskimos connection between Maciocia and Guelph counterpart Stu Lang, the two schools did renew their rivalry last fall in preseason action, with the Carabins winning 38-10 on home soil.
"We're about to face a very good opponent, a well-balanced team on offence that is also led on defence by one of the best linebackers in the country," said Maciocia, whose own arsenal includes fifth-year Vanier Cup-winning quarterback Gabriel Cousineau, standout running back Sean Thomas Erlington who rushed for 199 yards in the Dunsmore Cup final, as well as the top run defence in the nation (93.5 yards per game). "They are extremely well coached by a veteran group, a number of whom starred as players at the professional level. We expect a physical game and we'll have to play to our full potential in order to advance."
The linebacker Maciocia referred to is none other than John Rush, a fifth-year senior from Niagara Falls, Ont., who was named MVP of the Yates Cup following a monstrous 12-tackle, three-sack performance in a 23-17 upset win over record-setting Western in London. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound veteran, who was also voted the OUA defensive player of the year this season, anchored a defensive unit that held the highest-scoring team in CIS football history to three points in the final 36 minutes of the contest.
Guelph's return to the CIS Final Four had been a long time coming. The Gryphons are the winningest team in the OUA over the past four years with four straight 7-1 regular seasons but had lost two of the past three Yates Cup matches before finally breaking through last weekend.
Saturday's Mitchell Bowl will mark only the second national semifinal on home turf in program history. In 1984, a 12-7 Central Bowl win over Calgary set the table for the Gryphons' lone Vanier Cup triumph, a 22-13 decision over Mount Allison at Toronto's Varsity Stadium.
"It has been 31 years since the University of Guelph last had a Bowl game played here on campus, so I know I speak on behalf of our players, coaches and the entire Guelph community when I say that we can't wait for Saturday to get here," said Lang. The Gryphons bench boss, like Maciocia, can count on one of the country's best running backs in Johnny Augustine, who has 353 yards on the ground in two post-season contests. "We know we will have our hands full with the defending Vanier Cup champions coming to town, but we are looking forward to representing the OUA and giving this great Montreal team all we have."
Like Guelph, StFX is preparing to host its first-ever Bowl game on campus. Each of the X-Men's four previous appearances in the national semis were in the Atlantic Bowl at Huskies Stadium in Halifax, including a 13-5 win against Ottawa in 1996, their most recent trip to the Final Four.
Since a 2-3 start to the season that included an ugly 64-0 road loss to Laval in interlock action in late September, StFX has rebounded with five straight wins, including a dramatic 14-12 Loney Bowl victory at Mount Allison, capped by a 41-yard Jonathan Heidebrecht field-goal with 45 seconds remaining in regulation.
The X-Men are another team that has been riding a hot running back down the stretch. Fifth-year senior Ashton Dickson of Ottawa, the AUS nominee for the prestigious Hec Crighton Trophy, rushed for 154 yards in the Loney Bowl to push his total in his last three outings to an astounding 553 yards, including a career-best 226 yards on 41 carries – an AUS record – in StFX's regular season finale, also against Mount Allison.
"After coming off of an emotional Loney Bowl victory the challenge for us will be to re-set our players and get them focused and ready for UBC," said head coach Gary Waterman, in his seventh season at the helm a of program which captured their lone Vanier Cup back in 1966. "I have great respect for Blake Nill and what he has accomplished in his coaching career and to see what he has done at UBC in just his first year is impressive. Our team is on a five-game winning streak and has continued to get better each week. We look forward to the opportunity to compete for the Uteck Bowl."
Blake Nill has been the talk of CIS football in recent weeks, and for good reason. The turnaround artist, as he is called by many, has done it again, this time with a UBC program that hadn't advanced out of the Canada West conference since winning their third Vanier Cup in 1997.
Under the guidance of Nill, who had previously rejuvenated the Saint Mary's and Calgary programs, winning conference banners in Year 2 with both teams, the Thunderbirds have exceeded even their own coach's lofty expectations this fall. After being crushed 49-16 by Calgary in their league opener on Sept. 4, the T-Birds, now winners of six straight, returned to McMahon Stadium two months later to upset the top-ranked Dinos 34-26 in the Hardy Cup.
The scenario is reminiscent of Montreal's championship run in 2014, when the Carabins hoisted the Dunsmore Cup in Quebec City nine weeks after being dominated by Laval 40-13 on the same field in their season opener.
On Saturday, Nill will face another of his former teams, StFX, where he was defensive coordinator for six seasons before making his CIS head coaching debut with Saint Mary's in 1998. The T-Birds and X-Men have met only once in the past, with UBC dominating the 1982 Atlantic Bowl 54-1 en route to their first Vanier Cup triumph.
"This is a very special group. To accomplish what these young men have, is something I have not seen in quite a while," said Nill of his 2015 squad, which is highlighted by 19-year-old rookie quarterback Michael O'Connor, a Penn State transfer who is coming off a 374-yard performance in the Hardy Cup. "I am especially impressed with their resiliency, they continue to improve despite a significant transition from what they are used to. As a coach you cannot help but give them every drop of sweat you have because I know they have done the same."
Here is a by-the-numbers look at the four remaining contenders as they vie for a spot in the 51st ArcelorMittal Vanier Cup presented by Promutuel Assurance.
ARCELORMITTAL DOFASCO MITCHELL BOWL
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 12:30 p.m. ET
Where: Alumni Stadium, Guelph, Ont.
Who: No. 4 Montreal Carabins (8-2) at No. 5 Guelph Gryphons (9-1)
TV: Sportsnet 360 & TVA Sports (pre-game show on Sportsnet at noon ET)
Web: CIS-SIC.tv
UNIVERSITY OF MONTREAL CARABINS (RSEQ champions)
2015 season summary
Overall record: 8-2
Regular season record: 6-2
Regular season standing: 2nd
Playoff record: 2-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 3): No. 4
Top 10 best ranking: No. 1 (poll #1)
Top 10 lowest ranking: No. 4 (8 weeks)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (10 polls): 10
Regular season offence points (29.0 ppg): 3rd RSEQ / 14th CIS
Regular season offence total yards (395.4 ypg): 4th RSEQ / 17th CIS
Regular season offence passing (245.6 ypg): 5th RSEQ / 18th CIS
Regular season offence rushing (149.8 ypg): 2nd RSEQ / 13th CIS
Regular season defence points (13.6 ppg): 2nd RSEQ / 2nd CIS
Regular season defence total yards (332.1 ypg): 1st RSEQ / 3rd CIS
Regular season defence passing (238.6 ypg): 2nd RSEQ / 7th CIS
Regular season defence rushing (93.5 ypg): 1st RSEQ / 1st CIS
2015 results
Sept. 5 (away): Laval 12, Montreal 9
Sept. 11 (home): Montreal 42, McGill 2
Sept. 19 (home): Montreal 32, Sherbrooke 13
Sept. 26 (away): Montreal 41, Concordia 29
Oct. 3 (away): Sherbrooke 17, Montreal 12
Oct. 17 (home): Montreal 22, Laval 16
Oct. 24 (away): Montreal 52, Bishop's 3
Oct. 31 (home): Montreal 22, Concordia 17
Nov. 7 (home): Montreal 31, Sherbrooke 24 (RSEQ semifinal)
Nov. 14 (away): Montreal 18, Laval 16 (Dunsmore Cup)
2015 RSEQ individual honours
Major awards: Jonathan Boissonneault-Glaou (defensive MVP)
All-stars offence: Sean Thomas-Erlington (RB), Louis-Mathieu Normandin (REC), Marc Glaude (OT)
All-stars defence: Jonathan Boissonneault-Glaou (DE), Junior Luke (DT), Jean-Christophe Touchette (LB), Maiko Zapeda (DB), Zacary Alexis (CB), François Hamel (FS)
All-stars special teams: Félix Ménard-Brière (P)
All-time head-to-head vs. Guelph *
Overall record: 1-1
1967 (away): 13-8 win (regular season)
1966 (home): 35-20 loss (regular season)
* Not included in official head-to-head (2014 preseason): Montreal 38, Guelph 10 (at Montreal)
Bowl history (since inception of national semi-finals in 1967)
Overall record: 1-0
Home record: 1-0
Away record: 0-0
2014 (home): 29-26 win vs. Manitoba (Uteck Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 1-0
2014 (Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal): 20-19 win vs. McMaster
Head coach: Danny Maciocia
Season: 5th
Career regular season record: 32-10 (.762)
Career playoff record: 8-3 (.727)
Career overall record (season & playoffs): 40-13 (.755)
Career overall record vs. Guelph: 0-0
Bowl record: 1-0
Bowl wins: 2014
Bowl losses: None
Vanier Cup record: 1-0
Vanier Cup wins: 2014
Vanier Cup losses: None
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH GRYPHONS (OUA champions)
2015 season summary
Overall record: 9-1
Regular season record: 7-1
Regular season standing: 2nd
Playoff record: 2-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 3): No. 5
Top 10 best ranking: No. 5 (6 weeks)
Top 10 lowest ranking: No. 7 (3 weeks)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (10 polls): 10
Regular season offence points (42.3 ppg): 3rd OUA / 4th CIS
Regular season offence total yards (490.8 ypg): 4th OUA / 9th CIS
Regular season offence passing (305.9 ypg): 4th OUA / 10th CIS
Regular season offence rushing (184.9 ypg): 5th OUA / 9th CIS
Regular season defence points (19.9 ppg): 2nd OUA / 7th CIS
Regular season defence total yards (368.4 ypg): 2nd OUA / 8th CIS
Regular season defence passing (243.4 ypg): 4th OUA / 11th CIS
Regular season defence rushing (125.0 ypg): 2nd OUA / 7th CIS
2015 results
Aug. 30 (away): Guelph 78, Waterloo 7
Sept. 7 (home): Guelph 30, Laurier 19
Sept. 12 (away): Guelph 49, York 22
Sept. 19 (home): Guelph 33, McMaster 23
Sept. 26 (home): Guelph 48, Ottawa 26
Oct. 3 (away): Queen's 23, Guelph 15
Oct. 17 (home): Guelph 41, Windsor 27
Oct. 24 (away): Guelph 44, Carleton 12
Nov. 7 (home): Guelph 33, Carleton 21 (OUA semifinal)
Nov. 14 (away): Guelph 23, Western 17 (Yates Cup)
2015 OUA individual honours
Major awards: John Rush (defensive MVP)
All-stars offence (First Team): Jacob Scarfone (REC), Matthew Toppan (OT)
All-stars defence (First team): John Rush (LB), Nick Parisotto (DB)
All-stars special teams (First Team): Gabriel Ferraro (K)
All-stars offence (Second Team): Matthew Nesbitt (C), Andrew Pickett (OG)
All-stars defence (Second Team): Donnie Egerter (DT), Curtis Newton (LB), Tristan Doughlin (FS)
All-stars special teams (Second Team): Ryan Nieuwesteeg (RET)
All-time head-to-head vs. Montreal *
Overall record: 1-1
1967 (home): 13-8 loss (regular season)
1966 (away): 35-20 win (regular season)
* Not included in official head-to-head (2014 preseason): Montreal 38, Guelph 10 (at Montreal)
Bowl history (since inception of national semi-finals in 1967)
Overall record: 1-2
Home record: 1-0
Away record: 0-0
Neutral site record: 0-2
1996 (neutral site: University Stadium, Waterloo): 33-9 loss vs. Saskatchewan (Churchill Bowl)
1992 (neutral site: SkyDome, Toronto): 23-16 loss vs. Queen's (Churchill Bowl)
1984 (home): 12-7 win vs. Calgary (Central Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 1-0
1984 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 22-13 win vs. Mount Allison
Head coach: Stu Lang
Season: 6th
Career regular season record: 34-14 (.708)
Career playoff record: 3-4 (.429)
Career overall record (season & playoffs): 37-18 (.673)
Career overall record vs. Montreal: 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
UTECK BOWL
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 p.m. AT (4 p.m. ET)
Where: Oland Stadium, Antigonish, N.S.
Who: No. 6 UBC Thunderbirds (8-2) at St. Francis Xavier X-Men (7-3)
TV: Sportsnet 360 & TVA Sports
Web: CIS-SIC.tv
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA THUNDERBIRDS (Canada West champions)
2015 season summary
Overall record: 8-2
Regular season record: 6-2
Regular season standing: 2nd
Playoff record: 2-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 3): No. 6
Top 10 best ranking: No. 6 (2 weeks)
Top 10 lowest ranking: No. 10 (3 weeks)
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (10 polls): 10
Regular season offence points (35.1 ppg): 3rd CW / 9th CIS
Regular season offence total yards (450.6 ypg): 6th CW / 13th CIS
Regular season offence passing (307.1 ypg): 5th CW / 9th CIS
Regular season offence rushing (143.5 ypg): 5th CW / 15th CIS
Regular season defence points (29.9 ppg): 2nd CW / 15th CIS
Regular season defence total yards (494.6 ypg): 2nd CW / 19th CIS
Regular season defence passing (324.1 ypg): 2nd CW / 23rd CIS
Regular season defence rushing (170.5 ypg): 4th CW / 19th CIS
2015 results
Sept. 4 (away): Calgary 49, UBC 16
Sept. 12 (home): UBC 27, Regina 20
Sept. 19 (away): UBC 51, Manitoba 48
Sept. 25 (home): Saskatchewan 45, UBC 29
Oct. 3 (away): UBC 38, Alberta 21
Oct. 17 (home): UBC 54, Alberta 10
Oct. 23 (away): UBC 41, Saskatchewan 36
Oct. 31 (home): UBC 24, Manitoba 10
Nov. 7 (home): UBC 52, Manitoba 10 (CW semifinal)
Nov. 14 (away): UBC 34, Calgary 26 (Hardy Cup)
2015 Canada West individual honours
Major awards: None
All-stars offence: Alex Morrison (WR)
All-stars defence: None
All-stars special teams: Quinn van Gylswyk (P)
All-time head-to-head vs. StFX
Overall record: 1-0
1982 (away): 54-1 win (Atlantic Bowl)
Bowl history (since inception of national semi-finals in 1967)
Overall record: 5-1
Home record: 2-0
Away record: 3-1
1997 (away): 34-29 win vs. Mount Allison (Atlantic Bowl)
1987 (home): 33-31 win vs. Laurier (Western Bowl)
1986 (away): 32-30 win vs. Bishop's (Central Bowl)
1982 (away): 54-1 win vs. StFX (Atlantic Bowl)
1978 (home): 25-16 win vs. Laurier (Western Bowl)
1976 (away): 30-8 loss vs. Western (Forest City Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 3-2
1997 (SkyDome, Toronto): 39-23 win vs. Ottawa
1987 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 47-11 loss vs. McGill
1986 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 25-23 win vs. Western
1982 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 39-14 win vs. Western
1978 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 16-3 loss vs. Queen's
Head coach: Blake Nill
Season: 18th (1st with UBC / 9 with Calgary / 8 with Saint Mary's)
Career regular season record: 108-36 (.750) / 6-2 with UBC (.750)
Career playoff record: 30-13 (.698) / 2-0 with UBC (1.000)
Career overall record (season and playoffs): 138-49 (.738) / 8-2 with UBC (.800)
Career overall record vs. StFX: 18-4 (all with Saint Mary's)
Bowl record: 7-5
Bowl wins: 2013, 2010, 2009, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999
Bowl losses: 2012, 2011, 2008, 2004, 2000
Vanier Cup record: 2-5
Vanier Cup wins: 2002, 2001
Vanier Cup losses: 2013, 2010, 2009, 2003, 1999
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY X-MEN (AUS champions)
2015 season summary
Overall record: 7-3
Regular season record: 5-3
Regular season standing: 2nd
Playoff record: 2-0
Top 10 final ranking (Nov. 3): Unranked
Top 10 best ranking: Unranked all season
Top 10 lowest ranking: Unranked all season
Top 10 number of weeks ranked (10 polls): 0
Regular season offence points (21.5 ppg): 3rd AUS / 21st CIS
Regular season offence total yards (360.0 ypg): 3rd AUS / 21st CIS
Regular season offence passing (215.0 ypg): 2nd AUS / 20th CIS
Regular season offence rushing (145.0 ypg): 1st AUS / 14th CIS
Regular season defence points (22.4 ppg): 3rd AUS / 9th CIS
Regular season defence total yards (344.6 ypg): 3rd AUS / 5th CIS
Regular season defence passing (212.0 ypg): 2nd AUS / 2nd CIS
Regular season defence rushing (132.6 ypg): 3rd AUS / 10th CIS
2015 results
Sept. 12 (away): Acadia 31, StFX 15
Sept. 19 (home): StFX 48, Saint Mary's 13
Sept. 26 (away): Laval 64, StFX 0
Oct. 3 (home): StFX 31, Saint Mary's 15
Oct. 10 (home): Mount Allison 27, StFX 17
Oct. 17 (away): StFX 30, Saint Mary's 6
Oct. 24 (home): StFX 7, Acadia 5
Oct. 31 (away): StFX 24, Mount Allison 18
Nov. 7 (home): StFX 26, Acadia 4 (AUS semifinal)
Nov. 14 (away): StFX 14, Mount Allison 12 (Loney Bowl)
2015 AUS individual honours
Major awards: Ashton Dickson (MVP), Gary Waterman (coach)
All-stars offence: Tivon Cook (QB), Ashton Dickson (RB), Vernon Sainvil (OT), Jacob Czaja (OG), James Comeau (C)
All-stars defence: Dan Tshiamala (LB), Hayden Peters (DB)
All-stars special teams: None
All-time head-to-head vs. UBC
Overall record: 0-1
1982 (home at Huskies Stadium, Halifax): 54-1 loss (Atlantic Bowl)
Bowl history (since inception of national semi-finals in 1967)
Overall record: 1-3
Home record: 1-3
Away record: 0-0
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: 7th
Career regular season record: 23-33 (.411)
Career playoff record: 4-3 (.571)
Career overall record (season & playoffs): 27-36 (.429)
Career overall record vs. UBC: 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
ALL-TIME CIS BOWL RESULTS (since start of CIS national semifinals in 1967)
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.