Around U Sports: UBC Thunderbirds complete comeback to upset Regina Rams

Photo: Rich Lam/UBC Athletics

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 until the second round of the playoffs, at which point 3DownNation will produce standalone articles for each game.

No. 4 Regina Rams, 20 — UBC Thunderbirds, 25

The powerhouse Rams held a 10-point lead at halftime but that did nothing to dissuade the home side. Drew Viotto threw a touchdown pass to Santiago Llarena, then breakout star running back Marvyn Larozar scored his second rushing touchdown of the game to take the late lead, and UBC’s defence held on from there. Regina’s usually dominant run game was middling on Friday night, as Christian Katende and Carter Ashman combined for 103 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.

Bishop’s Gaiters, 9 — No. 1 Montreal Carabins, 33

The Gaiters held their own early-on against the top-ranked team in the country, but the Carabins took over in the second half to secure the relatively one-sided win. Montreal quarterback Pepe Gonzalez threw for 313 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, hitting Enrique Jaimes Leclair for two scores. Bishop’s quarterback Justin Quirion threw a touchdown pass to six-foot-eight, 230-pound quarterback (yes, quarterback) Mathieu Bellavance, though he also threw a pick-six to linebacker Raphael Aube.

No. 7 Saskatchewan Huskies, 65 — Alberta Golden Bears, 12

This game was an absolute beatdown, as the Huskies led 34-0 until Charlie Wiersma added a field goal for Alberta just before halftime. Anton Amundrud threw for 285 yards and six touchdowns, four of which were caught by Keaton Belsher and Rhett Vavra. Lucas Scheck was the defensive standout for Saskatchewan, as he recorded six total tackles, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. It was another tough outing for NCAA transfer Christian Veilleux, who has now thrown for 797 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions over his first three U Sports games.

Windsor Lancers, 44 — Waterloo Warriors, 18

Kareame Cotton was dominant for the Lancers, as he threw for 245 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, and rushed nine times for 68 yards and one score in the win. Tyson Noel Charles and Brady Smith were also effective along the ground, combining for 19 carries for 117 yards. Windsor was sharp on defence, as Kevin Rakowska and Dylan Simpson both intercepted Nick Orr, and Ahmad Taylor got home for 7.5 total tackles and two sacks. Evan Basalyga scored the lone touchdown for Waterloo.

No. 3 Western Mustangs, 61 — Toronto Varsity Blues, 3

This game was an absolute beatdown, as the Mustangs built a 40-0 lead at halftime before resting a number of their starters. Hec Crighton Trophy candidate Jérôme Rancourt threw for 295 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, while Ethan Dolby added another two scores along the ground. Western’s defence smothered Toronto’s attack, as the unit generated 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, and limited the Varsity Blues to only seven first downs and 147 yards of offence.

No. 5 Queen’s Gaels, 55 — Carleton Ravens, 17

The Gaels romped for more than 600 yards of offence, as Jayce Baldwin and Jayden Gurzi-MacDonald combined for 26 touches, 242 yards from scrimmage, and two touchdowns. Veteran quarterback Alex Vreeken was also sharp through the air, completing 16-of-22 pass attempts for 336 yards and four scores in the win. Keyshawn Reid was Carleton’s top player on the day, as he rushed 10 times for 124 yards and one score.

No. 9 Laurier Golden Hawks, 16 — No. 8 McMaster Marauders, 18

This game had two dramatic late-game lead changes. Shortly after the three-minute warning, Will Russell threw a touchdown pass to Jaxon Stebbings to give Laurier a 16-12 lead. Two minutes later, Lucas Barresi hit Nathan Denkers for McMaster’s game-winning touchdown. Tayshaun Jackson and Ryan Hughes combined for 26 touches, 318 yards from scrimmage, and two touchdowns, though it wasn’t enough to prevent the Golden Hawks from falling to 1-3. After not finishing better than 4-4 for the past five seasons, the Marauders are now 4-0 to start 2026.

Guelph Gryphons, 24 — No. 10 Ottawa Gee-Gees, 13

Guelph went on the road and handed Ottawa its first loss of the season. Tristan Aboud had a strong game in the victory, throwing for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and adding a score along the ground. Caleb Sargeant rushed for 105 yards, while 2026 CFL Draft prospect Gianni Green led the Gryphons with 5.5 total tackles and one tackle for loss. Josh Janssen threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns in the defeat, though he also threw a late-game interception in Guelph territory.

McGill Redbirds, 29 — Concordia Stingers, 8

Jerry Momo had a standout performance for McGill, as he rushed 10 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns, while Zachary Couture added 15 carries for 70 yards and one score. Elliott Drapeau threw for 312 yards in the win, while Philippe Bouthot generated the game’s only turnover with an interception off Charles Boulianne. Concordia’s lone score came on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Boulianne to Cedrick St-Laurent.

Calgary Dinos, 36 — Manitoba Bisons, 38

The Bisons got out to a 21-3 lead but Calgary fought all the way back to force double overtime before eventually losing on a missed two-point convert. Cole Anseeuw threw for 255 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in the win, with two scores going to 2026 CFL Draft pick Nathan Udoh. Ishe Matanga also had a strong performance for Manitoba, recording 19 touches for 110 yards and three scores. Stampeders draft pick Matt Sibley was the top offensive player for the Dinos, as he made eight catches for 137 yards.

St. FX X-Men, 42 — Mount Allison Mounties, 6

The X-Men got their first win of the season in one-sided fashion, building a 33-0 lead before halftime. This game’s box score was unavailable as of the publishing of this article, though Deion Blackwood threw two touchdown passes to Zachary Houde in the win.

No. 6 Saint Mary’s Huskies, 29 — Acadia Axemen, 16

2026 CFL Draft pick Joshua Jack was the top performer for the Huskies to help them remain undefeated, as he snagged five passes for 186 yards. Jahmari Brown recorded a sack and a blocked kick for Saint Mary’s on defence, while Aidan Simpson and Logan Mendes both notched interceptions. Acadia quarterback Michael Linder threw for 160 yards in the loss, while Connor McNamee tossed two picks.

Sherbrooke Vert et Or, 24 — No. 2 Laval Rouge et Or, 55

The Battle of the ‘et Ors’ ended in a big win for Laval, as targets Nathan Carignan and Olivier Cool combined for 15 catches, 239 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. The home side used three different passers, as Victor Charland, Thomas Lamarche-Leroux, and Jérémy Ouellette combined for 382 yards through the air. Sherbrooke put up 418 yards of net offence despite the lopsided score, as Jonathan Martel-Joseph rushed 10 times for 127 yards. This game drew an official crowd of 16,018 to Stade Telus.

Canada West

Saskatchewan Huskies — 2-1
Manitoba Bisons — 2-1
Regina Rams — 2-1
UBC Thunderbirds — 2-1
Calgary Dinos — 1-2
Alberta Golden Bears — 0-3

Ontario University Athletics (OUA)

McMaster Marauders — 4-0
Western Mustangs — 3-0
Queen’s Gaels — 3-0
Ottawa Gee-Gees — 3-1
Guelph Gryphons — 2-2
Windsor Lancers — 2-2
Laurier Golden Hawks — 1-3
Waterloo Warriors — 1-3
York Lions — 1-2
Toronto Varsity Blues — 0-3
Carleton Ravens — 0-4

Réseau du Sport Étudiant (RSEQ)

Laval Rouge et Or — 3-0
Montreal Carabins — 3-0
McGill Redbirds — 2-1
Bishop’s Gaiters — 1-2
Concordia Stingers — 0-3
Sherbrooke Vert et Or — 0-3

Atlantic University Sport (AUS)

Saint Mary’s Huskies — 3-0
Acadia Axemen — 1-2
Mount Allison Mounties — 1-2
St. FX X-Men — 1-2