All four U Sports conferences were in action for the first time this week as Canada West finally joined their counterparts across the country on the gridiron. The resulting finishes were fascinating and are sure to upset next week’s national rankings.
Around U Sports is a weekly feature on 3DownNation that takes readers across the country to summarize collegiate football action, highlighting standout performances and tracking possible playoff matchups. It will run for the full season through the Vanier Cup in Kingston, Ont. on Saturday, Nov. 23.
No. 8 St. FX X-Men, 27 — No. 10 Bishop’s Gaiters, 37
It had been five years since St. FX lost a regular season AUS game but Bishop’s changed that on Saturday in its quest to win the Jewett Trophy for the first time. Justin Quiron threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while O’Shae Ho-Sang ran for 124 yards and two more. Not even three interceptions thrown could derail the Gaiters, including one returned 43 yards to paydirt by Jahme Dawson.
No. 1 Montréal Carabins, 47 — McGill Redbirds, 8
The country’s top-ranked team kept on rolling as reigning Hec Crighton Trophy winner Jonathan Sénécal threw for 264 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception and also scored an eight-yard rushing touchdown midway through the second quarter. Montréal’s defence sacked Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald seven times, though the dual-threat passer was able to run for 65 yards and McGill’s lone score.
Concordia Stingers, 19 — Sherbrooke Vert et Or, 15
Fifth-year quarterback Olivier Roy threw for 370 yards for the Stingers in this one, but it was a pair of touchdowns from running back Franck Tchembe that proved to be the difference. Dual-threat passer Jeremy Fyfe managed 193 yards through the air and 91 on the ground for the Vert et Or but it was Sherbrooke defensive lineman Edward Boivin who stole the show in defeat, finishing with three tackles for loss, two sacks, and a 52-yard interception return.
Regina Rams, 24 — Calgary Dinos, 16
Regina quarterback Owen Sieben left the game with a reported neck injury in the second quarter and didn’t return, giving way to Noah Pelletier. Both quarterbacks scored rushing touchdowns for the Rams, while Jevon Garwood, Olivier Savard, and Marshall Erichsen combined for 109 yards along the ground. The Dinos made it close late when Dom Britton hit Luke Gutek for a 51-yard touchdown but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback in front of 5,587 fans at McMahon Stadium.
No. 7 Alberta Golden Bears, 42 — No. 3 UBC Thunderbirds, 28
The Golden Bears proved they might be the team to beat in Canada West after upsetting the T-Birds in front of 3,630 fans in Vancouver. Eli Hetlinger threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while Matthew Peterson, Ope Oshinubi, and Erik Torhjelm combined for 220 yards and three touchdowns along the ground. Garrett Rooker had a solid game for UBC in a losing effort, throwing for 375 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Saint Mary’s Huskies, 41 — Acadia Axemen, 33
The Huskies narrowly edged out the Axemen in a rare AUS barnburner as Michael Petroschke scored a one-yard touchdown run in triple overtime and Acadia was held scoreless on the following possession to seal the win. Second-year running back Nicholas Park was the standout for the Huskies, rushing for 137 yards and one touchdown, while Winnipeg native Riley Naujoks threw two touchdown passes for Acadia.
Ottawa Gee-Gees, 27 — York Lions, 4
The Lions are looking to turn over a new leaf under new head coach Dexter Janke and got off to a respectable start considering they lost all eight of their games last year by a combined margin of 518 points. Kicker Nathan Walker scored all four York points, while his Gee-Gee counterpart, Zachary Copeland, hit on four-of-five field goal attempts. Running back Charles Asselin added a pair of touchdowns and Ottawa quarterback Ben Maracle got the victory in his first full game back since getting injured in November 2022.
No. 9 Saskatchewan Huskies, 24 — Manitoba Bisons 37
The Bisons got off to a strong start to what will be head coach Brian Dobie’s final season at the helm as Jackson Tachinski threw for two touchdowns and Breydon Stubbs rushed for two more to build a 35-15 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Fourth-year receiver Daniel Wiebe was Anton Amundrud’s favourite target of the day for Saskatchewan, catching 11 passes for 202 yards and one score in the loss.
No. 6 Windsor Lancers, 18 — Carleton Ravens, 15
Lancers’ quarterbacks Danny Skelton and Corson Roy combined for four interceptions as their team faced a 15-0 deficit on the road, but kicker Brady Lidster kicked a 55-yard field goal as time expired to cap a furious second-half comeback. Defensive end Ifenna Onyeka recorded three sacks for the Ravens in the loss, while Jake Henderson made two interceptions and a half-sack.
McMaster Marauders, 22 — Queen’s Gaels, 27
Jared Chisari continued his rushing dominance this week, putting up 27 carries for 192 yards and three touchdowns for Queen’s. McMaster quarterback Keagan Hall mounted a valiant comeback attempt with 351 yards and a touchdown through the air, but linebacker Justin Pace picked him off once and stripped the ball from Nathan Denkers with 40 seconds remaining to secure the Gaels’ victory.
Waterloo Warriors, 3 — No. 2 Western Mustangs, 71
Utter domination is the only way to describe the Mustangs’ performance against Waterloo, as Evan Hillock threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns while seven different players found the end zone. Mohsen Jamal and Seth Robertson both had a pair of touchdown catches, Jerome Rancourt ran it in twice, and Keon Edwards, Ethan Dolby, Marcell Phillips, and Keanu Yazbeck each found paydirt once. Cole Crossett scored the Warriors’ only points on a 51-yard field goal.
Guelph Gryphons, 47 — Toronto Varsity Blues, 10
The Gryphons managed a convincing road victory on the back of quarterback Tristan Aboud, who threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns while running for another major. Jakob Tomas was on the receiving end of two touchdowns, while Willem Arseneau had six catches for 107 yards. Jake Oseen was the Varsity Blues’ top player, posting 61 yards rushing, 47 yards receiving, and one touchdown.
The Laval Rouge et Or (RSEQ), Laurier Golden Hawks (OUA), and Mount Allison Mounties (AUS) were on bye this past week.
Atlantic University Sports (AUS)
Bishop’s Gaiters 2-0
Mount Allison Mounties 1-0
Saint Mary’s Huskies 1-1
St. FX X-Men 0-1
Acadia Axemen 0-2
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
Guelph Gryphons 2-0
Western Mustangs 2-0
Windsor Lancers 2-0
Laurier Golden Hawks 1-0
Toronto Varsity Blues 1-1
Ottawa Gee-Gees 1-1
Queen’s Gaels 1-1
York Lions 0-1
Carleton Ravens 0-2
McMaster Marauders 0-2
Waterloo Warriors 0-2
Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
Montreal Carabins 2-0
Laval Rouge et Or 1-0
Concordia Stingers 1-1
McGill Redbirds 0-1
Sherbrooke Vert et Or 0-2
Canada West
Alberta Golden Bears 1-0
Manitoba Bisons 1-0
Regina Rams 1-0
Calgary Dinos 0-1
Saskatchewan Huskies 0-1
UBC Thunderbirds 0-1
