Two familiar teams sit atop the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) standings as we encroach beyond the quarter-mark of the regular season, one of which knocked off a top-ranked rival this past weekend.
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.
T-No. 1 Laurier Golden Hawks, 47 — No. 5 Queen’s Gaels, 32
The Golden Hawks are known for their passing attack but excelled along the ground this week as Quentin Scott, Tayshaun Jackson, and Darion Bacik-Hadden combined for 213 rushing yards and one touchdown. Jackson also made a game-breaking play on special teams, returning a punt 98 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Alex Vreeken had a strong game for Queen’s in the loss, throwing for 391 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception and adding four carries for 37 yards.
McGill Redbirds, 19 — Concordia Stingers, 27
Concordia overcame a seven-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter to notch its first win of the season. Xavier Tremblay threw for 198 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the win and was also productive along the ground, rushing eight times for 56 yards and a score. McGill quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald was also effective as a dual-threat passer, throwing for 309 yards, one touchdown, and one interception and rushing six times for 85 yards.
No. 8 UBC Thunderbirds, 14 — No. 7 Saskatchewan Huskies, 51
This was a statement game for the Huskies as Anton Amundrud picked apart the UBC defence for 418 yards and four touchdowns, finding Saskatchewan Roughriders draft pick Daniel Wiebe nine times for 190 yards and two scores. Jacob Goldstone was a defensive standout for the home side as he recorded five total tackles, one sack, one interception, and two pass breakups. Drew Viotto and Derek Engel split time under centre again for UBC, throwing for a combined 344 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Alberta Golden Bears, 23 — No. 9 Regina Rams, 47
This was a seven-point game at halftime before the Rams ran away with it after scoring 24 second-half points. Marshall Erichsen and Christian Katende were dominant along the ground for Regina, rushing for a combined 283 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Noah Pelletier ran in two scores of his own. Eli Hetlinger had a strong day for the Golden Bears, throwing for 310 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, though it wasn’t enough to get Alberta its first win of the season.
Manitoba Bisons, 14 — Calgary Dinos, 15
This was far from the high-flying action we’re accustomed to seeing from Canada West as this game featured a whopping 20 punts. The Dinos defence stood tall in the win, limiting Breydon Stubbs to 39 rushing yards and sacking Jackson Tachinski four times. Manitoba scored a touchdown with 35 seconds left and tried a two-point conversion to take the lead when a pass to Braeden Smith, which appeared to be caught, was ruled incomplete. At 0-2, the Bisons have already lost more regular-season games than last year.
Mount Allison Mounties, 0 — St. FX X-Men, 34
St. FX recorded a second-straight shutout win to start the season as quarterback Silas Fagnan accounted for two touchdowns and running back Malcolm Bussey rushed for 69 yards and a score. Naijaun David was a defensive standout for the X-Men as he recorded three tackles and two interceptions off Nicolas Chabot, who was sacked three times. The Mounties managed only 12 first downs and were forced to punt 10 times in the loss.
Carleton Ravens, 19 — Waterloo Warriors, 14
The Ravens desperately needed this win after opening the season with a loss to York. Xavier Malone was a game-wrecker for Carleton on defence as he made a team-leading eight tackles and three sacks, while Waterloo defenders Keesean Bowen and Isaac Porter both intercepted Elijah Barnes, who threw for a respectable 263 yards. Though these clubs have plenty of work to do if they’re going to make the playoffs, both have now joined the slew of one-win teams in the OUA.
Toronto Varsity Blues, 32 — York Lions, 33
The Argo Cup came down to overtime and the Lions scored a touchdown on their first possession when Keagan Hall ran in a three-yard score, followed by a one-point convert. Scott Barnett hit Chris Joseph for a Varsity Blues touchdown on Toronto’s ensuing drive and the team went for two but came up short as Jake Oseen, who made 13 catches for 201 yards and one touchdown, dropped what would have been the game-winner in the end zone. Now 2-1, York need one more win to reach three for the first time since 2018.
No. 6 Bishop’s Gaiters, 7 — No. 10 Saint Mary’s Huskies, 33
This felt like a statement win for the Huskies as they dominated a nationally-ranked Bishop’s team that went undefeated in the regular season last year. Justin Shibley threw for 239 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the win and added a score along the ground, while Justin Quirion threw for 349 yards in the loss. Saint Mary’s and St. FX will meet next week in a battle of unbeaten AUS teams, which should be a dandy given that the Huskies are averaging 38 points per game and the X-Men have yet to allow a point all year.
Ottawa Gee-Gees, 29 — No. 3 Western Mustangs, 55
Ethan Dolby dominated along the ground for the Mustangs as he rushed 13 times for 182 yards and three touchdowns, while Evan Hillock threw two touchdown passes to Seth Robertson and one to Dasani McIntosh. Despite the loss, Josh Janssen had a brilliant day under centre for the Gee-Gees as he threw for 328 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception against a tough Western defence.
Guelph Gryphons, 31 — Windsor Lancers, 17
Windsor built an early 14-0 lead but was unable to sustain it as the Gryphons eventually found their offensive footing. Donavin Milloy ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while Isaiah Smith ripped off a 63-yard run for a score in the fourth quarter. The Lancers got a big performance from Kareame Cotton, who caught six passes for 128 yards and a touchdown, though they struggled to run the ball against Guelph’s defensive front and were forced to punt 13 times.
Sherbrooke Vert et Or, 5 — T-No. 1 Laval Rouge et Or, 28
Arnaud Desjardins threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Rouge et Or to a second-straight win to start the year. Olivier Cool was the team’s leading receiver, notching five catches for 113 yards and one touchdown, while Mathieu Roy added 132 yards along the ground. The Vert et Or managed very little offence on the day, recording only 211 net yards, but recorded four sacks on Desjardins, including two from first-year linebacker Mathieu St-Pierre.
The McMaster Marauders (OUA), No. 4 Montreal Carabins (RSEQ), and Acadia Axemen (AUS) were on bye this past week.
Atlantic University Sports (AUS)
Saint Mary’s Huskies 3-0
St. FX X-Men 2-0
Bishop’s Gaiters 1-1
Acadia Axemen 0-2
Mount Allison Mounties 0-3
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
Laurier Golden Hawks 3-0
Western Mustangs 3-0
Ottawa Gee-Gees 2-1
York Lions 2-1
Carleton Ravens 1-1
Queen’s Gaels 1-2
Toronto Varsity Blues 1-2
Waterloo Warriors 1-2
Guelph Gryphons 1-2
Windsor Lancers 0-2
McMaster Marauders 0-2
Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
Montreal Carabins 2-0
Laval Rouge et Or 2-0
Concordia Stingers 1-1
McGill Redbirds 1-2
Sherbrooke Vert et Or 0-3
Canada West
Regina Rams 2-0
Saskatchewan Huskies 2-0
UBC Thunderbirds 1-1
Calgary Dinos 1-1
Alberta Golden Bears 0-2
Manitoba Bisons 0-2
