Montreal Carabins: 2023 Vanier Cup Champions

Jonathan Senecal and a stout Montreal Carabins defence proved too much for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Saturday afternoon in Kingston, Ont.

Senecal's second-half touchdown led Montreal to a hard-fought 16-9 Vanier Cup win over a game Thunderbirds squad. The Carabins' defence didn't surrender a touchdown and finished the season allowing just seven field goals in their four playoff victories.

"We were confident coming in with the way our defence was playing," said Montreal head coach Marco Iadeluca. "When your defence plays that kind of football, going into any game you have to feel comfortable.

"And then we have number 12 [Senecal] at quarterback, which is just spectacular."

Seneca was awarded the Hec Crighton Trophy on Thursday as Canadian university football's most outstanding player. He added Vanier Cup MVP honours after completing 11-of-26 passes for 171 yards and an interception, as well as a team-high 50 yards rushing on 10 carries with the TD.

Senecal's seven-yard touchdown run at 8:47 of the third put Montreal ahead 16-6. The drive followed Kieran Flannery-Fleck's 14-yard punt that gave the Carabins possession at their 38-yard line.

"This is what we wanted," Senecal said. "We worked hard for 16 weeks and were able to come out on top, it's just a great feeling.

"Our defence is the best in the country and they just prove that week after week. They just make everything easier."

Montreal linebacker Nicky Farinaccio earned top defensive player honours.

UBC makes it interesting

UBC made it very interesting, pulling to within 16-9 on Kieran Flannery-Fleck's 24-yard field goal at 9:48 of the fourth. The Thunderbirds marched from their 51-yard line to the Montreal 16-yard line before settling for three points.

Later, UBC drove to the Montreal 33-yard line before Garrett Rooker's pass on third-and-four fell incomplete with just over two minutes to play. After their defence held, the Thunderbirds took over at their own 35 with 1:30 remaining, but Rooker's pass on third-and-four gave the Carabins possession at the UBC 41 with 1:02 to play.

That led to a Philippe Boyer punt, which gave UBC a final possession at its 18-yard line with 3.8 seconds to play. Rooker completed his pass to Jason Soriano, but he was tackled short of centre field.

Montreal to face UBC in Vanier Cup after downing Western in Uteck Bowl

"We knew going in we had to be able to move the ball and score some points and we just weren't able to," said UBC head coach Blake Nill. "We moved the ball at times but I thought we had a couple of situations where you'd like to have back but that's the way the game is played.

"Montreal is a very good football team. We're a good team too, we just didn't make enough plays."

'Toughest team we played all year'

Coach Iadeluca had nothing but praise for the Thunderbirds.

"That was the toughest team we played all year," he said. "They were resilient on offence, very athletic on defence.

"But I am so proud of this football team. They work hard, they're disciplined, they wanted this from day one and kept their eye on the prize the whole time."

Rooker finished 26-of-40 passing for 278 yards before an energetic Richardson Stadium gathering of 7,100 on a cool, breezy, overcast afternoon. Isaiah Knight ran for a game-high 73 yards on 15 carries.

Montreal's defence also came up big early in the fourth, stopping Knight cold on third-and-two at the Carabins' 53-yard line to protect their 10-point lead.

These two teams met in the 2015 Vanier Cup, which UBC won 26-23 in Quebec City. The Thunderbirds made their seventh appearance overall, having won four times, while Montreal was in the title game for a fourth occasion, also winning in 2014.

UBC held the edge in total offence with 345 yards to 323 for Montreal, but the Carabins dominated the rushing game with 163 yards to 84 for the Thunderbirds.

City of champions

With the Carabins' win, Montreal becomes the first city since 1980 to boast Vanier Cup and Grey Cup champions in the same year. Last week, the Alouettes upset the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in Hamilton to secure the franchise's first CFL title since 2010.

Edmonton last claimed the Vanier Cup-Grey Cup double title 43 years ago.

Iraghi Muganda had Montreal's other touchdown. Boyer booted the converts while the other points came on a safety.

Flannery-Fleck finished with three field goals for UBC.

Flannery-Fleck's 41-yard field goal at 14:09 of the second quarter cut Montreal's half-time lead to 9-6. The Carabins threatened to extend their advantage with Carl Chabot taking Senecal's third-and-four completion to the UBC six-yard line on the quarter's final play.

It appeared Chabot had room to maybe get out of bounds, stop the clock and give Montreal a final opportunity to at least try a short field goal. Then again, UBC made an interesting decision to decline a holding penalty against the Carabins that gave them their third-and-four situation instead of second and long.

UBC mounted a promising drive from its 23-yard line but it ended with Knight's fumble that the Carabins recovered at their own 39 with 6:02 left in the quarter.

Flannery-Fleck put UBC on the scoreboard with a 32-yard field goal at 4:01.

Muganda's 18-yard TD run at 12:17 of the first put Montreal ahead 9-0. The Carabins went ahead 2-0 at 7:10 when Flannery Fleck conceded the safety.

Vanier Cup headed to Saskatchewan for 1st time

The Vanier Cup will head to Saskatchewan for the first time.

U Sports announced Saturday the '25 Vanier Cup will be played in Regina. The 60th edition of Canadian university football's championship game will go at Mosaic Stadium and coincide with the University of Regina's 50th anniversary.

It will be just the third time ever the Vanier Cup is held in Western Canada.

U Sports also announced Quebec City will host the '26 Vanier Cup. It has staged the game seven times.

Laval: 2022 Vanier Cup Champions

LONDON, Ont. – Kevin Mital turned into a dual threat on Saturday, as he made eight catches and threw for the decisive touchdown as the Laval Rouge et Or downed the Saskatchewan Huskies 30-24 in the 2022 Canada Life Vanier Cup before a sellout crowd of 8,420- at Western Alumni Stadium.

The second-year receiver, who won the Hec Crighton Trophy as the U SPORTS player of the year on Thursday night, captured the Ted Morris Trophy as the Vanier Cup MVP. He is only the second player ever to complete the Hec-Ted double in the same year, following Calgary’s Don Blair in 1995.

“There's no way to take this away from us. We are the Vanier Cup champions of 2022,” said Mital. “We've worked hard for this, and now we go down in the history books as being the best team in Canada this year. Everything that I said this year and set up in terms of goals, we did. It's a sweep. I said we are going to win the Dunsmore, the Mitchell and the Vanier Cup, and that's what we’ve done.” 

Mital’s 142 receiving yards led all players, but it will be his turn as a passer that may be most remembered. With Laval holding a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter, Mital took a direct snap and connected with Daniel Dallaire on a jump pass to break the game open.

“He's very proud,” said Glen Constantin, the Laval head coach. “He'll back up what he says and forces everyone on the team to do it too. He's just a really good football player and competitor. When he came back from Syracuse, he told me two things – ‘I want #8 and to win the championship.’ He breathes confidence, and it transcribes onto our team. He’s a generational talent for us, probably the best receiver we’ve ever had.” 

The win is the 11th for Laval, extending their national record but their first since 2018.

“It doesn't get old for the simple reason that it's a different group, different story, different challenge and a different road,” said Constantin after the win, his 10th as head coach. “Every cup has its own stories.”

Laval kicker Vincent Blanchard played a large role in getting the Rouge et Or to that point, as he kicked for five field goals – tying the Vanier Cup record – and connected on a 49-yarder on the stroke of halftime that tied the game at 17. His 49-yard boot was the second-longest in Vanier Cup history, behind only a 50-yarder kicked in 1995. Blanchard added two conversions and an 85-yard kickoff single to finish with 18 points, the second-highest by a kicker in a Vanier Cup.

Laval quarterback Arnaud Desjardins completed 27 of his 36 pass attempts for 397 yards – the fourth-highest total in Vanier Cup history. Desjardins’ favourite targets were Mital and Antoine Dansereau-Leclerc, who had eight catches for 119 yards.

“He's a cool customer,” said Constantin of his quarterback. “He's a young quarterback, only in his second year. His future is bright. He's got this calmness, and he is a cool customer under pressure.” 

For Saskatchewan, Mason Nyhus had an outstanding performance in his final U SPORTS game, completing 34 of 43 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns. Caleb Morin led the Huskies receivers with seven carries for 97 yards.

While the Huskies offence appeared to be rolling after a first half that saw them put up 281 total yards, they stalled in the third quarter.

“The third quarter, we didn't do enough,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “We started to get traction late, and this will be a point of emphasis for sure in our post-season analysis. The third quarter wasn’t one of our best.”

The Huskies offence responded in the fourth quarter, driving 86 yards in seven plays following Mital’s touchdown pass. However, on first and goal from the Laval 6, Nyhus’ pass into the end-zone was intercepted by Félix Petit, elating the Rouge et Or bench as he handed possession back over to the Quebec side.

“[That was] huge,” said Constantin on the play. “It's better to be lucky than good. We had our fair share of luck. We had a couple of tipped balls and made great plays, so that stop in the end zone was huge. [It was] one of the critical stops we needed to make. It was huge for us.”

The Huskies were able to put a scoring drive together later in the fourth, but they could not complete the comeback.

“We marched the field, had a turnover, and then marched it again,” said Flory on his team's determination. “We competed, and it was a tough game. There's a finality [to sports], there is someone who wins and loses. Unfortunately, we are on the other end of it, and it’s not easy.” 

The Huskies, who led Canada West from wire to wire and won their second straight bowl game, finish the season with an 11-2 overall record (7-1 CW).

“These games always come down to a handful of plays,” said Flory on the loss. “Credit to Laval, they made those plays. Their quarterback played a great game. They did some really good things. But you look at our side, and I think that Mason was phenomenal out there. He’s an elite-calibre player and leader, and he showed that here today. It's tough and will take time to digest. I'm really proud of our guys and the season and everything we had to overcome.”

Charles-Alexandre Jacques took home the Bruce Coulter Award as the game’s top defensive player. The second-year linebacker finished with 5.5 total tackles (one solo, nine assists.)

Everett Iverson and Daniel Wiebe had the Saskatchewan touchdowns, while Kalenga Muganda had the other Laval major.

Laval Rouge-Et-Or: 2016 Vanier Cup Champions

HAMILTON (U Sports) – The No. 1 Laval Rouge et Or won their ninth national championship and third in the last five years Saturday, with a 31-26 victory over the No. 6 Calgary Dinos in the 52nd ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup at Tim Hortons Field.

Laval’s quarterback Hugo Richard (Longueuil, Que.) won the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game’s MVP, tossing two touchdowns and rushing for another on the ground. He completed 25 of 32 attempts, recording 339 yards in the air and another 62 yards on the ground.

“The kid is kind of guilty of having a great freshman season,” Laval head coach Glen Constantin. “The expectations are very high on him and people are hard on him. And you know what, he’s started more games after three years than most quarterbacks do in five years. I’m very very proud of him. He’s resilient, a better leader and the future is great.”

Richard, Vincent Alarie-Tardi (Chibougamau, Que.), Antony Auclair (Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Que.) and Marc-Antoine Pivin (Sherbrooke, Que.) all scored in Laval’s first Vanier Cup win since 2013.

For Calgary, Adam Sinagra (Pointe-Claire, Que.) tossed 276 yards and one touchdown in relief of injured starter Jimmy Underdahl. Prior to his first quarter injury, Underdahl was three of four, throwing one touchdown and 123 yards.

Dinos running back Jeshrun Antwi (Calgary) rushed for 177 yards, while Anthony Anderson (Medicine Hat, Alta.) scored one touchdown on the ground in the loss for the Calgary.

Cédric Lussier-Roy of Sherbrooke, Que. won the Bruce Coulter Award as defensive MVP. Lussier-Roy forced a critical turnover in the third quarter which resulted in a Rouge et Or touchdown and shifted the game’s momentum to Laval. Lussier-Roy finished with seven total tackles, a forced fumble and one sack.

Calgary came out rolling in their 10th appearance at the Vanier Cup, securing a 14-point lead in the opening five minutes of the game by scoring on their first two possessions.

Underdahl, the fifth-year senior who started the game, connected with Michael Klukas (Calgary, Alta.,) for an 86-yard touchdown strike on Calgary’s first play from scrimmage. Following a Rouge et Or punt, Dinos receiver Anderson capped a six-play, 85-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run followed by a Niko DiFonte (Winnipeg, Man.) rouge seconds later on the ensuing kick to set the score at 14-0.

Underdahl was injured on a Rouge et Or sack by Vincent Desjardins of Quebec, which saw his understudy Sinagra relieve him for the remainder of the game.

The Rouge et Or got on the board on a quick-strike play with 5:34 remaining in the opening quarter, with Richard hitting Pivin on a 37-yard toss to bring the score to 14-7.

In the second quarter, the two teams traded field goals, with Calgary’s DiFonte knocking a 43-yard field goal and Laval’s Dominic Levesque (Saint-Georges, Que.) notching a 38-yard kick to set the score at 17-10 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Calgary added to their lead with DiFonte hitting his second of four field goals to extend the score to 20-10.

At that point, with Calgary looking poised to take control of the game, Lussier-Roy came up with the game-changing sack on Sinagra, who dropped the ball. Lussier-Roy recovered the fumble, and that turnover resulted in a Rouge et Or touchdown, with Richard finding Auclair on a five-yard pass two plays later to bring the Rouge et Or within three points at 20-17.

“I don’t know if we win the game without it – it’s that important,” said Laval first-team All-Canadian Mathieu Betts of the critical play. “He deserves it…It could have happened to anybody. I think we all worked really hard but it came down to Cédric. He was there to make the football play and I’m just so proud of him.”

From there, the game see-sawed back and forth, with Laval taking their first lead of the game when Alaire-Tardif punched in a three-yard rush with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.

In the fourth, DiFonte notched back-to-back field goals, giving Calgary the slender 26-24 edge, and setting up a dramatic final few minutes.

Laval went up 31-26 with just 2:33 remaining in the game on a one-yard Richard run.

“That was a designed play,” said Richard. “It’s a play we run a lot on our goal-line offence. It’s a standar QB-power (player) and we love it. A lot of teams have trouble stopping it and it’s our go-to play – we need to score (on it).”

Calgary had two shots to get in the endzone in the remaining minutes, with one of the final drives coming when Laval turned the ball over on downs with 1:27 remaining on a third-and-inches play. Calgary would drive down the field to Laval’s 23-yard line, but failed to convert on third and 10, handing the Laval Rouge et Or their ninth Vanier Cup title.

The game featured 10 quarterback sacks, with Calgary tallying seven and Laval three. Michah Teitz and Boston Rowe, both of Calgary, were the Dinos top defensive players, recording 12 total tackles. Nic Statz of Calgary had two of the Dinos seven sacks.

“We know Laval’s a good team, we didn’t expect anything but a tough game today.” said Calgary head coach Wayne Harris Jr. “I don’t know if people expected a tough game out of us but we tried to provide one.”

NOTES: This was Laval’s 10th Vanier Cup appearance since 1999 … Laval is 3-0 against Calgary in Vanier Cup games and 5-0 all time on the national stage ...  Laval also has perfect 3-0 record in Vanier Cups played in Hamilton; Laval earned wins in 2008 vs. Western and 2004 vs. Saskatchewan; both were played at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

SCORING SUMMARY

Online Stats: STATS

LAV 7-3-14-7: 31

CGY 14-3-3-6: 26



First Quarter

CGY - Michael Klukas 86 yard pass from Jimmy Underdahl (Niko Difonte convert failed), 00:30 (6-0 CGY)

CGY - Anthony Anderson 3 yard run (Niko Difonte convert), 04:18 (13-0 CGY)

CGY - Niko Difonte 0 rouge 4:21 (14-0 CGY)

LAV -  Marc-Antonie Pivin 37 yard pass from Hugo Richard (Dominic Levesque convert) 9:26 (14-7 CGY)



Second Quarter

CGY - Niko Difonte 43 yard field goal, 2:56 (17-7 CGY)

LAV - Dominic Levesque 38 yard field goal, 5:18 (17-10 CGY)



Third Quarter

CGY - Niko Difonte 31 yard field goal 4:40 (20-10 CGY)

LAV - Anthony Auclair 5 yard pass from Hugo Richard (Dominic Levesque convert) 6:46 (20-17, CGY)

LAV - Vincent Alarie-Tardif 3 yard run (Dominic Levesque convert) 0:21 (24-20, LAV)



Fourth Quarter

CGY - Niko Difonte 31 yard field goal 11:55 (24-23, LAV)

CGY - Niko Difonte 29 yard field goal 8:12 (26-24, CGY)

LAV - Hugo Richard 1 yard run (Dominic Levesque convert) 2:33 (31-26, LAV)



About U Sports

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UBC Thunderbirds: 2015 Vanier Cup Champions

The cup drought is officially over. After a challenging season, the UBC football team finished with a hard-fought 26-23 win over the University of Montréal Carabins to win their first Vanier Cup since 1997.

The T-Birds were first to get onto the scoreboard with two field goals by star kicker Quinn van Gylswyk on UBC’s first two possessions.

With Montréal in possession during the final minute of the first quarter, UBC linebacker Dylan Chapdelaine caught an interception at the Montréal 39-yard line before tailback Marcus Davis caught a six-yard reception from Michael O’Connor early in the second for a touchdown.

Midway in the second, van Gylswyk added another field goal to increase the T-Birds’ lead to 16-0.
On Montréal’s next possession, they were forced to punt after gaining only five yards on three downs, but the Carabins quickly regained the possession on a fumble by O’Connor. Montréal then scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to narrow the T-Birds’ lead to 16-7.

UBC made another error on its next possession when the team failed to fake a field goal after a third and goal situation. Montréal responded with a successful drive before adding a field goal in the final few seconds, making the score 16-10 by halftime.

Despite two misplays in the second quarter, the T-Birds did see an impressive performance from O’Connor, who racked up 290 passing yards in the first half. Receiver Will Watson caught 120 of those passing yards.

Early in the third, T-Birds star running back Brandon Deschamps rushed the ball 44 yards to score a touchdown for UBC. The Carabins then responded with a field goal on their next possession.

In the final minute of the third quarter, the Carabins made a successful drive near the T-Birds’ end zone before UBC forced a third and goal. Linebackers Terrell Davis and Mitch Barnett both nearly caught interceptions. Montréal then sc

The first seven minutes of the final quarter saw no scoring as strong defence by UBC and Montréal kept each other in check. T-Birds defensive back Stavros Katsantonis forced and recovered a fumble early in the fourth quarter.

With the seven-point deficit, Montréal got a touchdown midway in the fourth quarter to equalize the score. Intensity then peaked as both teams anxiously fought to gain possession and come out on top. The T-Birds did have a field goal attempt, but Montéeal’s defence prevented the team from scoring.
The game changer came with less than 1:32 remaining on the clock, when UBC’s A. J. Blackwell caught an interception. On the ensuing possession, the T-Birds managed to drive to the Carabins’ 13-yard line.

After UBC’s failed a fake field goal attempt earlier, van Gylswyk became the hero for the Thunderbirds as he scored in the final second of the game to give UBC the 26-23 win.

Montreal Carabins: 2014 Coupe Vanier Cup Champions

MONTREAL (CIS) – A field goal block by Mathieu Girard of Laval, Que., with 51 seconds remaining secured the Montreal Carabins their first CIS football national title with a come-from-behind 20-19 victory over the McMaster Marauders in the 50th TELUS Vanier Cup at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium before a crowd of 22,649.

Montreal, appearing in its first Vanier Cup final, trailed for much of the game, not taking the lead until a Louis-Philippe Simoneau (La Presentation, Que.) field goal with 2:45 left in the contest. A strong McMaster defence contained the Carabins's offensive output, limiting the victors to 221 yards of net offence, compared to 337 yards by the Marauder offence.

Montreal receiver Regis Cibasu (Kinshasa, Congo) garnered the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game MVP, reeling in six passes for a team-high 90 yards.

Carabins defensive back Anthony Coady (Montreal) took the Bruce Coulter Award as the defensive MVP after snagging two interceptions.

Montreal head coach Danny Maciocia becomes the first person to lead a team to both Grey Cup and Vanier Cup titles as a head coach, having earned a Grey Cup ring in 2005 as the bench boss of the Edmonton Eskimos.

"This is an amazing and exciting group of players. Winning in front of our fans here in Montreal is phenomenal. It's huge. I can't even put into words how it feels to share this with our families and friends," said Maciocia, whose team capped a thrilling playoff run that included a 12-9 overtime win over Laval in the Quebec final and a 29-26 victory over Manitoba in the Uteck Bowl.

"It was a total team effort. I was fortunate to be the one to make that play," said Girard. "We believe all year that we could win. I can leave the Carabins program in peace. When I chose to play at the University of Montreal, I was asked if I wanted to be part of history."

For the Carabins, quarterback Gabriel Cousineau (Montreal) made good on 17 of 33 passes, amassing 196 yards and throwing one touchdown. Along with Cibasu, his favourite target was Mikhaïl Davidson (Montreal), who caught eight passes for 81 yards.

The Carabins become just the third team in history to win a Vanier Cup title in their home town, joining the Toronto Varsity Blues (1965, 1993) and Laval Rouge et Or (2010, 2013). McMaster was appearing in its third Vanier Cup in four years, having claimed the 2011 championship, and now has a 1-3 record overall in Vanier Cup appearances.

In the losing effort, McMaster place kicker Tyler Crapigna (Nepean, Ont.) accounted for 13 of McMaster's 19 points, booting four field goals, which was one shy of matching a Vanier Cup single-game record. Wayne Moore (Etobicoke, Ont.) led the ground attack with 111 yards on 11 carries, and scored the loan Marauder touchdown. Quarterback Marshall Ferguson (Kingston, Ont.) connected on 27 of 41 passes for 195 yards, throwing a pair of interceptions. On defence, lineman Mark Mackie (London, Ont.) dominated with two sacks, in addition to four solo tackles.

"It's disappointing for sure. Anytime you come this close, it's gonna sting," said McMaster coach Stefan Ptaszek.

A 22-yard Crapigna field goal on McMaster's opening drive gave the Marauders an early lead. The McMaster defence shut down Montreal in the early going, holding the Carabins to 24 yards of net offence and two first downs in the opening quarter. A second Crapigna field goal, from 35 yards, gave McMaster a 6-0 advantage going into the first intermission.

Montreal got on the score sheet on their first drive of the second quarter, tallying three points on a 9-yard field goal by Simoneau. McMaster responded on the ensuing possession, capping a four-play, 75-yard drive with a 50-yard touchdown run by Wayne Moore, and leaving the tally 13-3 at halftime.

Montreal opened the second half by recovering a McMaster fumble on the opening kickoff return, and Philip Enchill (Montreal) latter claimed its first major of the contest with a nine-yard pass from Cousineau. Crapigna added a pair of field goals to boost McMaster's lead to 19-10 entering the final quarter.

The Carabins chipped away at McMaster's lead with a three-yard touchdown run by Sean Thomas Erlington (Montreal). Montreal finally took a 20-19 lead – its first of the game – with Simoneau kicking a 13-yard field goal with 2:45 remaining. McMaster drove the ball to the Montreal 24 yard line and Crapigna set up a straight-on field goal from 31 yards out, which Girard blocked.

SCORING SUMMARY

Ted Morris Memorial Trophy (Game MVP): Régis Cibasu, Montreal
Bruce Coulter Award: Anthony Coady, Montreal

MTL 0-3-7-10: 20
MAC 6-7-6-0: 19

FIRST QUARTERMAC - FIELD GOAL Tyler Crapigna 22yds 03:58 (MAC 3-0)
MAC - FIELD GOAL Tyler Crapigna 35yds 12:42 (MAC 6-0)

SECOND QUARTERMTL - FIELD GOAL Louis-Philippe Simoneau 9yds 03:25 (MAC 6-3)
MAC - TOUCHDOWN Wayne Moore 35yds run 05:38 (convert Tyler Crapigna) (MAC 13-3)

THIRD QUARTERMTL - TOUCHDOWN Philip Enchill 9yds pass from Gabriel Cousineau 02:15 (convert Louis-Philippe Simoneau) (MAC 13-10)
MAC - FIELD GOAL Tyler Crapigna 43yds 09:54 (MAC 16-10)
MAC - FIELD GOAL Tyler Crapigna 29yds 14:07 (MAC 19-10)

FOURTH QUARTERMTL - TOUCHDOWN Sean Thomas-Erlington 3yds run 04:12 (convert Louis-Philippe Simoneau) (MAC 19-17)
MTL - FIELD GOAL Louis-Philippe Simoneau 13yds 12:15 (MTL 20-19)

Attendance: 22,649

ALL-TIME VANIER CUP RESULTS

2014 Montréal 20, McMaster 19 (Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal)
2013 Laval 25, Calgary 14 (TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City)
2012 Laval 37, McMaster 14 (Rogers Centre, Toronto)
2011 McMaster 41, Laval 38 OT (BC Place Stadium, Vancouver)
2010 Laval 29, Calgary 2 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City)
2009 Queen's 33, Calgary 31 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City)
2008 Laval 44, Western 21 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton)
2007 Manitoba 28, Saint Mary's14 (Rogers Centre, Toronto)
2006 Laval 13, Saskatchewan 8 (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon)
2005 Wilfrid Laurier 24, Saskatchewan 23 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton)
2004 Laval 7, Saskatchewan 1 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton)
2003 Laval 14, Saint Mary's 7 (SkyDome, Toronto)
2002 Saint Mary's 33, Saskatchewan 21 (SkyDome, Toronto)
2001 Saint Mary's 42, Manitoba 16 (SkyDome, Toronto)
2000 Ottawa 42, Regina 39 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1999 Laval 14, Saint Mary's 10 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1998 Saskatchewan 24, Concordia 17 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1997 UBC 39, Ottawa 23 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1996 Saskatchewan 31, StFX 12 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1995 Calgary 54, Western 24 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1994 Western 50, Saskatchewan 40 OT (SkyDome, Toronto)
1993 Toronto 37, Calgary 34 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1992 Queen's 31, Saint Mary's 0 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1991 Wilfrid Laurier 25, Mount Allison 18 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1990 Saskatchewan 24, Saint Mary's 21 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1989 Western 35, Saskatchewan 10 (SkyDome, Toronto)
1988 Calgary 52, Saint Mary's 23 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1987 McGill 47, UBC 11 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1986 UBC 25, Western 23 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1985 Calgary 25, Western 6 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1984 Guelph 22, Mount Allison 13 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1983 Calgary 31, Queen's 21 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1982 UBC 39, Western 14 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1981 Acadia 18, Alberta 12 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1980 Alberta 40, Ottawa 21 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1979 Acadia 34, Western 12 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1978 Queen's 16, UBC 3 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1977 Western 48, Acadia 15 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1976 Western 29, Acadia 13 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1975 Ottawa 14, Calgary 9 (CNE Stadium, Toronto)
1974 Western 19, Toronto 15 (CNE Stadium, Toronto)
1973 Saint Mary's 14, McGill 6 (CNE Stadium, Toronto)
1972 Alberta 20, Waterloo Lutheran 7 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1971 Western 15, Alberta 14 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1970 Manitoba 38, Ottawa 11 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1969 Manitoba 24, McGill 15 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1968 Queen's 42, Waterloo Lutheran 14 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1967 Alberta 10, McMaster 9 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1966 StFX 40, Waterloo Lutheran 14 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)
1965 Toronto 14, Alberta 7 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto)

NOTE 1: Rogers Centre was formerly called SkyDome (1989-2003 Vanier Cups)
NOTE 2: TELUS-UL Stadium was formerly called PEPS Stadium (2009-2010 Vanier Cups)
NOTE 3: Waterloo Lutheran now Wilfrid Laurier

ABOUT THE 50TH TELUS VANIER CUP

Canadian Interuniversity Sport will celebrate the 50th TELUS Vanier Cup throughout its 2014 football season. For the first time in history, the championship game will be staged in Montreal - at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium - on Saturday, November 29, at 1 p.m. ET, live on Sportsnet and Radio-Canada.

Official TELUS Vanier Cup website (including ticket information) www.vaniercup.com

ABOUT CANADIAN INTERUNIVERSITY SPORT

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Laval Rouge et Or: 2013 Vanier Cup Champions

The Laval Rouge et Or football machine keeps rumbling along like an unstoppable tank.

Pascal Lochard led a running game that piled up 449 net rushing yards as the Rouge et Or wore down the young Calgary Dinos for a 25-14 victory in the Vanier Cup game on Saturday afternoon.

It was Laval's second Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship in a row, their third in four years and their record eighth overall in only 17 years since its well-financed football program started.

"It's incredible to go back to back and win it here in front of our fans," said Laval quarterback Alex Skinner, who got nowhere trying to throw the ball against a tough Calgary defensive secondary and just ran it on nearly every play in the second half.

Among Laval's trio of running backs, the 2012 Vanier Cup MVP Maxime Boutin got 190 yards, Lochard had 198 and Guillaume Bourassa had 30, while graduating receiver Guillaume Rioux had a 31-yard run.

The team set Vanier Cup records for rushing yards — breaking their own mark of 373 set last year — and rushing first downs with 26.

Lochard had Laval's only touchdown in the fourth quarter. Boris Bede, despite struggling with his kicking all afternoon, managed to tie a Vanier Cup record with five field goals.

Big crowd

The win on a chilly, windy day in front of a raucous, overflow crowd of 18,543 at 12,000-seat Telus Stadium kept Laval undefeated at 12-0 this season. Calgary fell to 11-1.

Jake Harty and Chris Dopko scored touchdowns for the Dinos, who were looking to avenge a 29-2 loss at Laval in the 2010 Vanier Cup game.

Calgary has not won a Vanier Cup since 1995 and was not expected to reach the title game this year after losing 19 starters, including 11 on defence, from last year's squad.

But they found a way to stay in the game and took over momentum in the third quarter when quarterback Andrew Buckley got the passing game going for a pair of TDs and a brief 14-12 lead. But Laval's running game took over the rest of the way, eating up the clock with long drives.

"For a while, things were going good, but there was no way we were able to compete on the line of scrimmage," said Dinos coach Blake Nill. "To be honest, we made two big plays.

"We had a screen play to (Mercer) Timmis and a long pass to (Rashaun) Simonise, and we were able to put the ball in the end zone twice. But at the end, we just couldn't stop the run. We tried putting bigger people in and to make adjustments, but we just flat out couldn't stop them."

Buckley went 19-for-29 for 247 yards and also rushed for 82 yards, but there was little else to the Calgary attack besides Harty's nine catches for 112 yards. Laval's top-ranked rush defence held Timmis to 33 yards on 12 carries.

The Rouge et Or dominated territorially, but ran into a bend-but-don't-break Calgary defence that kept the visitors in the game until the final quarter. Skinner was 8-for-21 for only 93 yards.

The Dinos got through the first half down only 6-0 thanks partly to some bad Laval penalties and place kicking. A 42-yard TD run by Maxime Boutin and an 80-yard punt return by Guillaume Rioux were called back for holding.

"We let them in the game," said Laval coach Glen Constantin, who got a seventh Vanier Cup title to go with one loss — an overtime setback to McMaster in 2011 in Vancouver. "We had our opportunities in the first quarter.

"There were 14 points called back and we knew that if those guys kept close we'd be in difficulty. But our kids showed a lot of grit. They just took over. They're proud guys."

The Rouge et Or moved to the Calgary 23 on the opening drive, but Bede missed right on a 30-yard field goal attempt and settled for a single. A 37-yard attempt with the wind to open the second quarter hit an upright and fell for no points.

Bede finally made one from 40 yards midway through the second quarter, but Constantin took the points off the board due to a roughing the kicker call. Three plays later, Bede was good again from 19 yards.

The Dinos conceded a safety with 2:18 left in the half.

Lochard, the game MVP, carried on seven consecutive plays to the Calgary three to open the second half and Bede was good from 10 yards.

The Dinos bounced back, as Buckley hit Simonise with a 42-yard pass to help set up Harty's six-yard TD run around the right side at 7:59 to cut Laval's lead to two points.

Laval blocked a punt to set up a 16-yard Bede boot, but the Dinos marched back on a 39-yard screen pass to Timmis to set up Buckley's six-yard TD toss to Dopko. Laval answered with Bede's fourth field goal of the day.

Skinner kept the ball on the ground all the way as Laval marched 89 yards on seven plays for Lochard's eight-yard TD run at 9:12.

Constantin did not look pleased as his players doused him in Gatorade with time still on the clock, but another drive that ended with Bede's fifth field goal of the game from 12 yards clinched it in the final minute.

Despite the loss, Nill saw the Vanier Cup as prime experience for a young team.

"That's the nature of the beast — we're not mature enough yet to compete here when it counts," he sad. "This will be a huge experience for them.

"But like I told the kids: that's the fifth time I've ended up No. 2 and I can't deal with that. If you want to be No. 1, you've got to beat these guys (Laval). We were doing it on their home turf and I thought our guys did very well."

2011 Coupe Vanier Cup

 

Mac marauders their way to the Vanier Cup

sacked. Laval University Rouge et Or quarterback Bruno Prud'homme, bottom, is sacked by McMaster University Marauders' MacKenzie Dent, right, and Scott Caterine during the first half of play at the Vanier Cup in Vancouver, B.C. Friday.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press Source: The Canadian Press

Drew Edwards

November 28, 2011

VANCOUVER In the moments after his team’s spectacular 41-38 overtime win in Friday night’s Vanier Cup, McMaster coach Stefan Ptaszek stood alone on the B.C. Place field, watching his players celebrate the school’s first football championship from a distance.

“They’re a special group. It’s been a privilege to be a part of this program this year and it’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives,” Ptaszek said. “It’s never been about me — it’s all about them and I’m just enjoying the view.”

The Marauders were led by quarterback Kyle Quinlan, who turned David’s slingshot into a machine gun. Quinlan’s spectacular day — 482 yards on 36 of 55 passing, two touchdowns and another 106 yards rushing — was simply too much for the heavily-favoured Rouge et Or.

”We might not have as much talent as those guys,” Quinlan said. “But you can do some crazy things when you play with everything you’ve got.”

Mac stormed out to an improbable 23-0 halftime lead courtesy of two Tyler Crapigna field goals, a three-yard pass from Quinlan to James Hill and a 13-yard run from Chris Pezzetta.

But Laval came back in the second half. First Guillaume Riouz returned a punt 62 yards to the house, followed by Fred Plesius intercepting a Quinlan pass and taking it in for a score as well.

Less than five minutes had passed in the third and Mac’s lead was cut to 23-14.

“We could feel the momentum turning over and we had one choice, to battle back and we did it every single time,” Quinlan said.

After another Laval field goal cut the lead to six, Quinlan threw a second interception at the Laval goal-line. And the Rouge et Or made them pay, putting together an eight-play, 107-yard drive that finished with a 44-yard Sebastien Levesque touchdown run. Just like that, Laval led 24-23.

Ptaszek said there was no panic on the sideline once the lead was gone, though he did take a couple of his offensive players aside.

“I said to them: ‘If I told you in August that we were going to be down by one in the fourth quarter of the national championship and you’re the best offence in the country, would you have taken it?’” Ptaszek said. “They grinned from ear-to-ear and said ‘absolutely.’”

Back came Mac. Quinlan led his team 69 yards in seven plays, with Matt Peressini fighting his way to the end zone from nine yards out, then hauling in a toss for the two-point covert. With just under six minutes to play Mac led 31-24.

Again, Laval responded, Bruno Prud’homme converting a second-and-15 before finishing with a five-yard strike that tied the game at 31.

Quinlan put together another perfect drive, starting on his own seven with 2:08 to go, and moving McMaster to the Laval 22 with three seconds to go.

But Crapigna missed from 30 yards and Laval ran the ball out of the end zone.

“I just had to get it out my head,” Crapigna said about the miss.

“I had a feeling I was going to be used in the overtime. I wanted another shot.”

Mac had the ball to start the extra session — by rule they started from the Laval 35 — and on just the second play from scrimmage, Quinlan hit Bradley Fochesato for a 26-yard touchdown, forcing the Rouge et Or to score a major or go home.

And so they did. Prud’homme heaved a 33-yard score to Adam Thibault, who juggled but hung on and the game was tied again, this time at 38.

Laval was up next but Steven Vantresca intercepted Laval quarterback Bruno Prud’homme’s pass and set off for the end zone. If he scores, Mac wins. Several laterals ensued but Laval stopped the Marauders short.

Mac ball, Laval 35. Needing only a field goal to win it, McMaster moved the ball to the Laval 15 and gave Crapigna his shot at redemption. This time he made no mistake. McMaster 41 Laval 38.

Quinlan’s passing yardage was the second highest in Vanier Cup history and it capped a roller-coaster year for the 22-year-old who was charged with two counts of assaulting an officer and one count of assault in September.

“The one major thing I learned this year — that I can apply to football — is just to persevere,” Quinlan said.

“I think the entire team did that.”

Ptaszek said the team overcame a number of obstacles both on and off the field to win the title.

“As a coach and as an organization, we strive for these young men to reach their full potential on and off the field,” Ptaszek said. “This is as close as you can get to that unattainable goal.”

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