CFL.ca Staff
OTTAWA — The CIS football national semifinals are set following wins by the top-ranked Laval Rouge et Or, No. 2 Western Ontario Mustangs, No. 5 Calgary Dinos and No. 9 Saint Mary’s Huskies in Saturday’s conference finals.
Laval (11-0) will host Western (9-1) next Saturday in the Uteck Bowl at PEPS Stadium in Quebec City, while Calgary (8-2) will host Saint Mary’s (6-3) in the Mitchell Bowl at McMahon Stadium.
Both games will air live on TSN and Radio-Canada, with the Uteck kicking off at 12 p.m. and the Mitchell following at 3:30 p.m. (both times EST).
The Rouge et Or advanced thanks to a 22-17 home win over No. 10 Sherbrooke (6-5) in Quebec’s Dunsmore Cup final; the Mustangs travelled to Ottawa and defeated the No. 4 Gee-Gees (8-2) 26-25 in the 103rd OUA Yates Cup title match; the Huskies dominated visiting Acadia (5-5) 37-8 in the AUS championship game, the Loney Bowl; the Dinos crushed visiting Alberta (4-6) 56-3 in the Canada West final, the Hardy Cup.
Next week’s winners will face off in the 46th Desjardins Vanier Cup on Saturday, Nov. 27, at Quebec City’s PEPS Stadium.
NOTES: Laval won its CIS-record eighth straight QUFL title… Saint Mary’s was crowned for the fourth straight year in the AUS, Calgary claimed its third straight Canada West banner, while Western captured its third OUA title in four seasons (2010, 2008, 2007)… Calgary beat Saint Mary’s 38-14 in last year’s Uteck Bowl in Halifax… The Dinos and Huskies also met in CIS semifinals in 1992 and 1993 – both Atlantic Bowls at Halifax – Saint Mary’s winning 21-11 in 1992 and Calgary prevailing 37-23 in 1993… Laval beat Western 44-21 in the 2008 Vanier Cup in Hamilton in the lone previous playoff contest between the two teams…Laval has an all-time record of 5-4 in CIS semifinals, Western is 12-6, Saint Mary’s is 9-12 and Calgary is 6-4…
OUA final (Yates Cup): No. 2 Western Ontario 26, No. 4 Ottawa 25
At Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, Lirim Hajrullahu kicked a 34-yard field goal – his fourth of the game – with 2.1 seconds left on the clock to lift the Mustangs to their third Yates Cup win in four years under head coach Greg Marshall (2010, 2008, 2007).
Western led most of the afternoon and was up 23-10 after three quarters but the hometown Gee-Gees mounted a furious comeback and took a 25-23 lead with 1:14 remaining on a 19-yard field goal by Matthew Falvo. The Mustangs got the ball back at their own 35-yard line and drove the field all the way to Ottawa’s 27 to set up the winning kick.
Western quarterback Donnie Marshall, in his first season in the starting role, completed 14 of 25 passes for 228 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Nick Trevail was his favourite target, racking up 105 yards and a score on nine catches, while Jerimy Hipperson was named game MVP after tallying 162 yards and a major on 18 carries.
Ottawa pivot Brad Sinopoli, the OUA MVP and Hec Crighton trophy nominee, went 24-of-39 for 341 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
QUFL final (Dunsmore Cup): No. 1 Laval 22, No. 10 Sherbrooke 17
At PEPS Stadium in Quebec City, the top-ranked Rouge et Or got all they could handle from the visiting Vert & Or before prevailing 22-17.
It marked the eighth straight conference title for Laval and their 42nd consecutive overall win at home since 2004, both CIS records.
The Rouge et Or led 18-10 after 45 minutes of play but 2:10 into the final frame, fifth-year senior quarterback Jean-Philippe Shoiry and receiver Simon Charbonneau Campeau connected for a 108-yard score – a CIS playoff record – to cut the deficit to 18-17.
Laval added two late safeties to restore a five-point advantage but on what seemed to be the last play of the contest, quarterback Bruno Prud’homme failed to run the clock all the way down to 0:00 and Sherbrooke was given one last chance from the Rouge et Or 35-yard line. The duel ended for good when Shoiry’s desperation pass in the end zone was intercepted by Maximilien Ducap Kamara.
Prud’homme finished 23-of-37 for 293 yards and one touchdown, while Christopher Milo was perfect on three field goal attempts.
Shoiry was 17-of-27 for 250 yards, two majors and three interceptions. Both TD strikes went to Charbonneau Campeau, Quebec’s Hec Crighton trophy nominee, who ended with 187 yards and two scores on six receptions.
Laval dominated 25-8 in first downs but was flagged 14 times for 130 yards in losses, compared to five penalties for 35 yards for the visitors.
AUS final (Loney Bowl): No. 9 Saint Mary’s 37, Acadia 8
At Huskies Stadium in Halifax, the Huskies jumped out to a 27-6 halftime lead and cruised to a 37-8 victory and their fourth straight AUS banner.
First-year pivot Micah Brown completed 19 of 29 passes for 349 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and added 49 yards and one TD on the ground.
Running back Devon Jones scored once through the air and once on the ground, while Ahmed Borhot caught nine balls for 202 yards.
Acadia quarterback Kyle Graves was 21-of-38 for 251 yards, but was intercepted three times.
Saint Mary’s outgained their visitors 505 total yards to 360.
Canada West final (Hardy Cup): No. 5 Calgary 56, Alberta 3
At McMahon Stadium in Calgary, the Dinos outscored their provincial rivals 28-3 in the second quarter and 21-0 in the third en route to a resounding 56-3 win and their third straight Hardy Cup title.
Two-time Hec Crighton trophy winner Erik Glavic was exceptional at quarterback for Calgary completing 15 of 19 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns in three quarters of action.
Anthony Parker caught two of Glavic’s TD strikes while Richard Snyder and Nathan Coehoorn had one apiece.
Anthony Woodson and Matt Walter scored on the ground and finished with 79 and 77 rushing yards, respectively. Defensive lineman Linden Gaydosh, the 2009 CIS rookie of the year, returned an interception on 20 yards for the major.
Alberta quarterback Julian Marchand was held to 113 yards on 11-of-27 passing, and was intercepted twice.
The Dinos racked up 581 yards of total offence and 29 first downs compared to 225 yards and 11 first downs for the Golden Bears.
