Western Mustangs move atop U Sports rankings after last-minute win over Queen’s

Photo: Brandon VandeCaveye

The Western Mustangs have taken over the top spot in the U Sports football rankings after pulling out a last-minute win over the Queen’s Golden Gaels.

Trailing 27-25 with less than one minute remaining in the fourth quarter, Mustangs’ quarterback Evan Hillock found Savaughn Magnaye-Jones for a 55-yard touchdown pass. The game-winning score occurred with only 13 seconds remaining on the clock, sealing the victory for the visitors.

The game was a rematch of last year’s Yates Cup, which resulted a 44-16 win for Western. The Mustangs have lost only one regular season game over the past five seasons and have continued that dominant trend into 2023 with a 4-0 start to the season.

The Montreal Carabins rose from No. 4 to No. 2 in the rankings after beating the rival Laval Rouge et Or at a jam-packed Stade Telus-Université Laval. The Rouge et Or fell two spots in the loss from No. 1 to No. 3.

Other movement in the top ten saw the St. FX X-Men rise from No. 5 to No. 4 amid a 3-0 start, Queen’s fall from No. 7 to No. 10 following their heart-breaking loss, and the Saskatchewan Huskies fall from No. 3 to No. 5 following a loss to the Alberta Golden Bears. Alberta was previously unranked but now sit No. 9 in the country.

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks remained at No. 6 in the rankings, while the UBC Thunderbirds moved from No. 8 to No. 7 after demolishing the Manitoba Bisons. The Windsor Lancers also moved up one spot from No. 9 to No. 8 after winning a fourth consecutive game.

Click here for a full summary of U Sports action from this past weekend.