USports Weekly Rankings: Waterloo’s 1st appearance in a decade

The Montreal Carabins lead the U SPORTS football national rankings for the second straight week but the big story out of the fourth media poll of the campaign is theWaterloo Warriors’ first top-10 appearance in a decade.

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Montreal (3-0) received 18 of 19 first-place votes and 189 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel to remain comfortably ahead of the reigning Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or (2-1), who collected 166 points.

For the second week in a row, the lone first-place nod to elude the Carabins went to the third-ranked Calgary Dinos (3-0), who tallied 151 total points.

Rounding out the new top 10 are the No. 4 Western Mustangs (4-0 / 147 points / no change), No. 5 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (3-0 / 105 / no change), No. 6 Regina Rams(2-1 / 90 / no change), No. 7 UBC Thunderbirds (2-1 / 62 / up three positions), No. 8 McMaster Marauders (2-1 / 61 / up one), No. 9 Waterloo (4-0 / 25 / previously unranked) and No. 10 Saskatchewan Huskies (2-1 / 14 / down three).

Waterloo, which moved to 4-0 for the first time since 1998 last Saturday thanks to a spectacular 45-43 win at Carleton, is ranked nationally for the first time since 2007. That year, the Warriors were voted No. 10 in the Sept. 18 poll following a 3-0 start but it would be their only ranking of the season as they went on to lose their next five league games.

Top-ranked Montreal’s fierce defence was on full display last Friday in a 28-1 home victory against Sherbrooke as the visitors were held to 10 first downs and 114 yards of net offence. Next up for the No. 1 Carabins is a trip over Mount Royal to Percival Molson Stadium, where they visit McGill (1-2) on Friday evening.

A pair of top-10 battles also highlighted the Week 4 schedule, with both home teams coming out on top. McMaster downed (then No. 8) Ottawa 24-7 in Hamilton, while UBC dominated Saskatchewan 31-10 in Vancouver.

Other results from top-10 squads this past weekend included Calgary 76, Manitoba 17 (at Manitoba); Western 59, Windsor 7 (at Windsor); Laurier 40, Queen’s 17 (at Queen’s); Regina 28, Alberta 18 (at Regina). Laval was enjoying an early bye.

The Week 5 schedule once again features two confrontations between nationally-ranked teams, both on Saturday. Laurier visits cross-town rival Waterloo at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (Rogers TV OUA.TV), followed by a Saskatchewan-Calgary matchup at 4 p.m. Mountain (CanadaWest.TV).

NOTES: Sportsnet and TVA Sports are once again the official broadcasters of the U SPORTS football semifinals and final in 2017… The Mitchell Bowl (RSEQ at Canada West) and Uteck Bowl (OUA at AUS) are set for Saturday, Nov. 18, while the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup follows on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m. ET at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton… For all the information on the 53rd Vanier Cup (including tickets) visit vaniercup.com.

U SPORTS Football Top 10 (#3)

Points (1st Place) Last Week
1. Montreal (3-0) 189 (18) 1
2. Laval (2-1) 166 2
3. Calgary (3-0) 151 (1) 3
4. Western (4-0) 147 4
5. Laurier (3-0) 105 5
6. Regina (2-1) 90 6
7. UBC (2-1) 62 10
8. McMaster (2-1) 61 9
9. Waterloo (4-0) 25 NR
10. Saskatchewan (2-1) 14 9

Other teams receiving votes: Saint Mary’s (5), Concordia (3), Guelph (2), Waterloo (2), Acadia (1).

WEEK 4 RESULTS

September 15

  • Saint Mary’s 17, Acadia 10 (at Saint Mary’s)
  • Bishop’s 32, Mount Allison 31 OT (at Mount Allison)
  • Montreal 28, Sherbrooke 1 (at Montreal)

September 16

  • Waterloo 45, Carleton 43 (at Carleton)
  • Western 59, Windsor 7 (at Windsor)
  • McMaster 24, Ottawa 7 (at McMaster)
  • Laurier 40, Queen’s 17 (at Queen’s)
  • Guelph 43, Toronto 6 (at Toronto)
  • Concordia 68, McGill 16 (at Concordia)
  • Calgary 76, Manitoba 17 (at Manitoba)
  • Regina 28, Alberta 18 (at Regina)
  • UBC 31, Saskatchewan 10 (at UBC)

WEEK 5 SCHEDULE  

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

 

September 22

  • No. 1 Montreal (3-0) at McGill (1-2), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (StretchTV)

September 23

  • No. 5 Laurier (3-0) at No. 9 Waterloo (4-0), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (Rogers TV & OUA.TV)
  • No. 8 McMaster (2-1) at Guelph (2-2), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (Rogers TV & OUA.TV)
  • Windsor (0-4) at Ottawa (3-1), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (OUA.TV)
  • Toronto (1-3) at York (0-3), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (OUA.TV)
  • Saint Mary’s (3-0) at Mount Allison (1-2), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (Bell Aliant Fibe TV1 & AUStv.ca)
  • StFX (1-2) at Bishop’s (1-2), 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT (AUStv.ca & GaitersTV)
  • No. 7 UBC (2-1) at Alberta (0-3), 3 p.m. ET/noon PT (CanadaWest.TV)
  • Manitoba (0-3) at No. 6 Regina (2-1), 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT (Sasktel maxTV, TELUS Optik TV, Bell MTS & CanadaWest.TV)
  • No. 10 Saskatchewan (2-1) at No. 3 Calgary (3-0), 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT (CanadaWest.TV)
  • Queen’s (0-3) at No. 4 Western (4-0), 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (Rogers Sports Preview & OUA.TV)

September 24

  • Concordia (2-1) at No. 2 Laval (2-1), 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (TVA Sports)

 

 

– With files from USPORTS.ca