The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and Laval Rouge et Or got rivalry wins this weekend as we rapidly approach the end of the U Sports regular season in Canada West, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), and Atlantic University Sport (AUS). Meanwhile, in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), the playoffs are set to begin next week with the top seven teams advancing and the bottom four having been eliminated.
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.
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, 60 — Western Mustangs, 13
This battle of previously undefeated teams became a beatdown when Laurier erupted for 33 points in the third quarter to humiliate the powerhouse Mustangs in London. Cal Wither threw for 363 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception in the victory, while William Russell added a 51-yard touchdown pass to Jace Atkinson. Western managed only 258 yards of net offence in the loss, with their lone touchdown coming courtesy of Jerome Rancourt. Laurier’s win allowed them to clinch the OUA’s lone first-round playoff bye.
Montreal Carabins, 6 — Laval Rouge et Or, 16
The Rouge et Or intercepted Pepe Gonzalez four times in front of a sold-out crowd of 21,399 to take the top spot in the RSEQ standings with one game remaining. Mathieu Roy and Jérémy Ouellette combined for 23 carries and 122 yards on the ground, while Alexandre Benoit recorded two of Laval’s four interceptions on the day. The Carabins managed a measly 22 rushing yards against a tough Rouge et Or defensive front, with the team’s lone touchdown coming on a 16-yard pass to Ralph Canal-Charles.
Sherbrooke Vert er Or, 23 — Concordia Stingers, 27
The Stingers kept their RSEQ playoff hopes alive after outscoring Sherbrooke 14-0 in the fourth quarter to earn the comeback win. Jonathan Tremblay hit Maxime Brousseau for a 67-yard touchdown with less than a minute left to seal the victory, though Antoine Ouimet was Concordia’s leading passer in the game with 220 yards and two scores. Jonathan Martel-Joseph ran 13 times for 96 yards for the Vert et Or in the loss.
Saskatchewan Huskies, 24 — UBC Thunderbirds, 10
The Huskies scored all 24 of their points in the final six minutes of the first half, a flurry that included two receiving touchdowns from Saskatchewan Roughriders draft pick Daniel Wiebe, a rushing score from Kayden Miller, and a 13-yard field goal from Lucas Scott. Shemar McBean, one of the top receivers available in the 2026 CFL Draft, was the standout for UBC as he caught seven passes for 144 yards. Now 2-5, the Thunderbirds are at risk of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Mount Allison Mounties, 20 — Acadia Axemen, 27
The Axemen got two fourth-quarter touchdowns to complete the comeback and punch their ticket to the AUS playoffs. Noah Potter rushed 26 times for 94 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Tyran Duval threw a score to Madden Ross. Acadia’s defence picked off Mount Allison quarterback Spencer Joudry three times and got home for two sacks. Ben Michel was the defensive standout for the Mounties, recording 11 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble.
York Lions, 27 — Guelph Gryphons, 34
The Gryphons clinched the seventh and final playoff spot in the OUA despite allowing 606 yards of net offence, including 470 passing yards from York quarterback Keagan Hall. Marshall McCray ran for 81 yards and scored three total touchdowns in the win, while defensive lineman Andre Thompson recorded 1.5 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble. The Lions have now missed the playoffs for 20 straight seasons after finishing 2-6 for the second consecutive year.
Toronto Varsity Blues, 16 — Ottawa Gee-Gees, 23
The Gee-Gees overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure the win and punch their ticket to the OUA playoffs. Robin Collioud was Ottawa’s best weapon on the day, making 10 catches for 117 yards, while Seyi Ayedegbe was a game-wrecker on defence with four tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Scott Barnett connected with Jake Oseen for yet another Toronto touchdown, though Thomas Roberts was the team’s leading receiver with seven grabs for 165 yards. At 1-7, the Varsity Blues will miss the playoffs for the third straight season.
Windsor Lancers, 31 — Queen’s Gaels, 28
The Lancers got the upset on the road to secure a home playoff game thanks largely to Weabge Mombo, Nick Dimovski, and Liam Talbot, who combined for 281 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Ahmad Taylor and Braxton Johnson combined for three Windsor sacks, while Harrison Daley intercepted Gaels quarterback Alex Vreeken. After finishing third in the OUA standings, Windsor will host the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the first round of the playoffs next week, while the fourth-place Gaels will host the McMaster Marauders.
Carleton Ravens, 39 — McMaster Marauders, 41
Carleton lost this game in heartbreaking fashion, and it cost them a playoff berth. The Ravens took the lead with a little over one minute left in the fourth quarter as Elijah Barnes threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Tristan Ready. McMaster subsequently drove the field but missed a 27-yard field goal as time expired, momentarily setting up overtime. However, the Ravens were charged with a 15-yard penalty that gave the Marauders a second chance to kick the field goal, and Michael Horvat made no mistake from 12 yards out.
Bishop’s Gaiters, 3 — St. FX X-Men, 45
If there was any doubt about who the second-best team in the AUS was, the X-Men answered that question emphatically on Saturday. Silas Fagnan threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while Malcolm Bussey ran for 87 yards and three scores. It was a record-setting day for both players as Fagnan became the AUS all-time leading passer and Bussey became the program’s all-time leading rusher. St. FX defensive back Logan Ritchie intercepted Justin Quirion twice as the Gaiters failed to reach the end zone, generating only 240 yards of net offence.
Calgary Dinos, 31 — Manitoba Bisons, 33
The Bisons overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to clinch a Canada West playoff spot. Jackson Tachinski recorded 333 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and one interception in the win, while Breydon Stubbs ran 19 times for 120 yards. David Jordan had a strong performance for Calgary in the loss, throwing for 315 yards and two scores as Zion Grant and Evan Smith both reached the 100-yard receiving mark. Dario Macchia was the defensive standout for Manitoba, recording 4.5 tackles, 0.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one blocked punt.
Regina Rams, 22 — Alberta Golden Bears, 20
The Rams got a game-winning 44-yard field goal from Ty Gorniak with 25 seconds left to keep their hopes of finishing in first place alive. Marshall Erichsen ran 13 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns, while Nic Sirleaf caught six passes for 103 yards. Eli Hetlinger threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the loss, both of which went to 2026 CFL Draft prospect Carter Kettyle. Chase Tataryn had a standout defensive performance for the Golden Bears, recording five tackles, one tackle for loss, and one interception.
The McGill Redbirds (RSEQ), Waterloo Warriors (OUA), and Saint Mary’s Huskies (AUS) were on bye this week.
The updated U Sports standings can be found below.
Atlantic University Sports (AUS)
Saint Mary’s Huskies 6-1
St. FX X-Men 5-2
Bishop’s Gaiters 4-3
Acadia Axemen 2-5
Mount Allison Mounties 1-7
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
Laurier Golden Hawks 8-0
Western Mustangs 7-1
Windsor Lancers 5-3
Queen’s Gaels 5-3
McMaster Marauders 4-4
Ottawa Gee-Gees 4-4
Guelph Gryphons 3-5
Carleton Ravens 3-5
Waterloo Warriors 2-6
York Lions 2-6
Toronto Varsity Blues 1-7
Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)
Laval Rouge et Or 6-1
Montreal Carabins 6-2
Sherbrooke Vert et Or 2-5
McGill Redbirds 2-5
Concordia Stingers 2-5
Canada West
Saskatchewan Huskies 6-1
Regina Rams 6-1
Manitoba Bisons 4-3
Calgary Dinos 2-5
UBC Thunderbirds 2-5
Alberta Golden Bears 1-6
