THE CANADIAN PRESS
The defending Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or, Queen’s Golden Gaels, Saint Mary’s Huskies and Calgary Dinos have advanced to the final four in Canadian university football.
Laval cruised past the Montreal Carabins 31-7 Saturday afternoon to win the Quebec conference and earn a berth in the Mitchell Bowl national semifinal.
Queen’s will host that contest after holding off the Western Mustangs 43-39 in the Ontario final. Danny Brannagan threw for 515 yards and five touchdowns but still needed a last-second defensive stand to clinch the win.
“It’s hard to have the game wind down and you be on the sidelines but I had a lot of confidence in our defence,” said Brannagan. “I knew they were going to make some big plays for us to win the game.”
There was more drama in the West final, as Calgary rallied past the Saskatchewan Huskies 39-38 to earn a berth in the Uteck Bowl.
Saint Mary’s will host that semifinal thanks to a 31-22 win in the Atlantic final over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. Jack Creighton passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns to lead the way.
Dinos coach Blake Nill will face his old team in Saint Mary’s, where he won two Vanier Cup titles.
The winners of next week’s bowl games advance to the Nov. 28 Vanier Cup in Quebec City.
YATES CUP: Gaels 43 Mustangs 39
At Kingston, Ont., Scott Valberg and Devan Sheahan each caught two touchdown passes for Queen’s, but it was their defence that sealed the Yates Cup win.
Mustangs quarterback Michael Faulds, who had suffered a knee injury earlier on the drive, hobbled to the field with 18 seconds left for one last pass attempt from the Queen’s 32.
While barely standing with a defender wrapped around him, he heaved ball that fell in between two receivers near the end zone with 18 seconds left on third-and-20, turning the ball over on downs.
The Golden Gaels last competed for the Yates Cup in 2002 and hadn’t won it since 1978.
“There’s a core of us who have been on this team for a couple of years together and I think that’s made a big difference,” said Brannagan. “The experience factor.”
Faulds, in his final university game, threw for 509 yards and a touchdown. Western lost in the Vanier Cup final last year and won’t get another shot at Laval this year.
“It’s upsetting the career is over,” said Faulds, “but I’m happy with the way the team battled.”
John Leckie ran in three touchdowns for Western.
LONEY BOWL: Huskies 31 X-Men 22
At Halifax, Craig Leger ran for 185 yards while Justin Palardy kicked three field goals as Saint Mary’s claimed a third straight Jewett Trophy over St. F-X as Atlantic champion.
Carl Hardwick and Joe Doherty had touchdown receptions in the victory, while Reed Anderson scored on a one-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
Dylan Hollohan scored on a 40-yard fumble return, Steve Snyder connected with Akeem Foster for a six-yard TD pass and Anthony Alix booted three field goals for the X-Men.
Saint Mary’s and StFX were meeting in the Loney Bowl final for the third straight year. The Huskies prevailed 29-27 last season and 25-24 in 2007.
HARDY CUP: Dinos 39, Huskies 38
At Saskatoon, quarterback Erik Glavic scored on a four-yard run with 2:03 left in regulation as Calgary came from behind for the third time in the game to edge Saskatchewan and capture a second straight Hardy trophy.
Glavic, who was named Canada West MVP in his first season with the Dinos this fall, was sensational in the win racking up 479 yards and three touchdowns on 28-of-36 passing and another 106 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Richard Snyder caught two TDs and Anthony Parker also snagged one with Matt Walter scoring the other Calgary TD on a 10-yard run.
Saskatchewan pivot Laurence Nixon was equally good in the losing effort completing 24-of-35 passes for 422 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Rory Kolhert and Braeden George had TD catches, Keenan MacDougall scored on a 20-yard blocked punt return and Grant Shaw booted five field goals.
The two teams combined for 1,243 yards of offence with Calgary finishing with a 656-587 advantage.
DUNSMORE CUP: Rouge et Or 31, Carabins 7
At Quebec City, top-ranked Laval scored on their first three possessions and never looked back en route to their seventh straight Dunsmore Cup title.
Laval quarterback Benoit Groulx, last year’s Hec Crighton trophy winner, completed 13-of-17 passes for 216 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, while Sebastien Levesque rushed for 120 yards and a score.
Guillaume Rioux and Cesar Sanchez Hernandez also had touchdowns for the reigning Vanier Cup champions, while Christopher Milo had a pair of first-half field goals.
Marc-Olivier Brouillette connected with receiver Kevin Rivet on six yards for Montreal’s lone touchdown which cut Laval’s lead to 20-7 with 41 seconds remaining in the opening half. Brouillette was 13-of-27 for 126 yards, one score and one interception. Dinos 39 Huskies 38.
