Université de Laval photo
Another week in U SPORTS football, and another week in which the obvious takeaways are how ridiculously good the teams at the top of their respective conferences are.
It’s like running through a weekly checklist.
The week kicked off out west, where the No.-3 Calgary Dinos (7-0) massacred Regina 58-6 and ended the Rams’ (1-6*) playoff hopes.
In Ontario, No.-1 Western (8-0) smashed No.-7 Laurier (4-4) by a decisive 46-13 score which extinguished the Golden Hawks’ playoff hopes.
In Quebec, No.-2 Laval (8-0) put the hammer down on lowly Sherbrooke (1-6) to the tune of a 53-point victory; the Rouge et Or out-gained their visitors 560-4.
You read that right: The Vert & Or managed just four yards of total offence in the entire game.
The win was yet another lopsided one for Laval, which completed a perfect RSEQ regular season for the seventh time in program history and saw quarterback Hugo Richard break the all-time conference record for career touchdown passes with his 68th, 69th and 70th on the day.
The Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Que. native then eclipsed the 10,000-yard mark on his career and became the first quarterback in Quebec football history to score 60 touchdowns through the air and 30 on the ground.
The Acadia Axemen (4-3) clinched a playoff spot in the AUS conference playoffs with a much-needed 27-11 win at Mt. Allison (2-5).
Week 9 marked the end of the OUA conference’s regular season, with the aforementioned Mustangs earning a first-round playoff bye along with the No.-5 Ottawa Gee-Gees (6-2); Ontario’s quarter-final weekend will see Waterloo (4-4) visit No.-8 Guelph (5-3) and McMaster (5-3) visit Carleton (5-3).
*-Regina forfeited three victories due to fielding an ineligible player.
#UniversityBlitz
Toronto Argonauts receiver Anthony Coombs holds a one-game lead over Ottawa’s J.P. Bolduc with one week left in the U SPORTS regular season.
Who’s Hot: Laval, because #8andOh and they allowed a grand total of 10 pass yards against Sherbrooke this weekend. Granted, the Vert & Or are a long way removed from their glory days with Jeremi Roch under centre, but it’s still an eye-popping win for the Rouge et Or as they enter a Week-10 bye.
Who’s Not: Laurier, because Michael Faulds’s program will miss the playoffs after back-to-back Yates Cup appearances in 2016 and 2017. After strong victories over uOttawa and Queen’s to begin the season, the Golden Hawks dropped three in a row against Waterloo, McMaster and Guelph — all of which finished ahead of them. Disappointing to say the least.
Week 9 Scores
Regina 6, #3 Calgary 58
Acadia 27, Mt. Allison 11
Waterloo 44, #8 Guelph 47
York 31, Toronto 15
McMaster 17, Windsor 5
#5 Ottawa 27, Queen’s 22
#7 Laurier 13, #1 Western 46
St. FX 12, Bishop’s 11
McGill 31, Concordia 19
Manitoba 4, Saskatchewan 27
Alberta 11, #10 UBC 30
Sherbrooke 0, #2 Laval 53
