Laval holds top spot in USPORTS rankings

For the first time since 2014 – and the ninth time over the past 13 years – the Laval Rouge et Or (1-0) top the inaugural media poll of the U SPORTS football season.

The reigning national champions, who last November claimed their record ninth Vanier Cup championship, were a unanimous No. 1 selection by the Football Reporters of Canada panel, meriting all 18 first-place votes and a perfect 180 points.

2017 U SPORTS Football Schedule

2017 U SPORTS Football Standings

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Rounding out the first top 10 of the new campaign are the second-ranked Montreal Carabins (1-0 / 156 points), No. 3 Western Mustangs (1-0 / 128), No. 4 Calgary Dinos (0-0 / 115), No. 5 Regina Rams (0-0 / 101), No. 6 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (1-0 / 87), No. 7 UBC Thunderbirds (0-0 / 79), No. 8 McMaster Marauders (0-0 / 28), No. 9 Ottawa Gee-Gees (1-0 / 28) and No. 10 Manitoba Bisons (0-0 / 24).

Nine months after a spectacular, come-from-behind 31-26 triumph over Calgary in Hamilton, the Rouge et Or showed no signs of a championship hangover on Saturday night in their RSEQ opener, dominating Sherbrooke 40-5 on home turf thanks in part to 361 passing yards and four total touchdowns from reigning Vanier Cup MVP Hugo Richard. Next up for the Quebec City powerhouse, which had previously crushed Carleton 46-2 in a preseason confrontation, is a visit to McGill (0-0) on Friday evening.

Other conference results from top-10 teams on opening weekend included Montreal 37, Concordia 19 (at Concordia); Western 66, York 3 (at York); Laurier 39, Toronto 0 (at Laurier); Ottawa 24, Guelph 21 in second overtime (at Guelph).

In preseason action, it was Regina 39, Calgary 3 (at Medicine Hat, Alta.); UBC 33, Alberta 30 (at Kamloops, B.C.); McMaster 22, Saskatchewan 10 (at McMaster).

Sportsnet’s Donnovan Bennett is the new chair of the FRC media panel for the 2017 season, overseeing a reduced panel and revised format, including the publication of all ballots available below.

The only top-10 matchup on the Week 2 schedule sees seventh-ranked UBC visit No. 5 Regina Friday at 7 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET), live on CanadaWest.TV. The contest will be a rematch of last year’s Canada West semifinal, also at Mosaic Stadium, when the fourth-place Thunderbirds and 2015 Vanier Cup MVP Michael O’Connor upset the first-place Rams and 2016 Hec Crighton Trophy winner Noah Picton 40-34.

U SPORTS Football Top 10 (#1)

Week 1 Results

August 23 (preseason)

Regina 39, Calgary 3 (Medicine Hat, Alta.)

UBC 33, Alberta 30 (Kamloops, B.C.)

August 25 (preseason)

McMaster 22, Saskatchewan 10 (at McMaster)

August 25

Saint Mary’s 38, StFX 23 (at Saint Mary’s)

Montreal 37, Concordia 19 (at Concordia)

August 26

Mount Allison 64, Acadia 23 (at Mount Allison)

Carleton 22, Queen’s 17 (at Queen’s)

Laval 40, Sherbrooke 5 (at Laval)

August 27

Waterloo 54, Windsor 33 (at Windsor)

Laurier 39, Toronto 0 (at Laurier)

Ottawa 24, Guelph 21 (2OT) (at Guelph)

Western 66, York 3 (at York)

WEEK 2 SCHEDULE  

NOTE: Click HERE for the complete 2017 regular season schedule & results

August 31

Concordia (0-1) at Sherbrooke (0-1), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

September 1

Mount Allison (1-0) at StFX (0-1), 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Laval (1-0) at McGill (0-0), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Saskatchewan (0-0) at Manitoba (0-0), 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

UBC (0-0) at Regina (0-0), 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Calgary (0-0) at Alberta (0-0), 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

September 2

Bishop’s (0-0) at Acadia (0-1), 3 p.m. PT/noon PT

September 3

McMaster (0-0) at Carleton (1-0), 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT

September 4

York (0-1) at Waterloo (1-0), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Queen’s (0-1) at Ottawa (1-0), 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT

Guelph (0-1) at Western (1-0), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Windsor (0-1) at Toronto (0-1), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

– With files from USPORTS.ca