CIS Top 10: Laval reclaims top spot once again

CFL.ca Staff

OTTAWA — The Laval Rouge et Or are back in a familiar spot this week as they were voted No. 1 in the final CIS football rankings of the 2011 season.

It marks the second lead change in as many weeks atop the Football Reporters of Canada rankings. Laval spent the first six weeks of the campaign at No. 1 until the Western Ontario Mustangs took over for two polls in mid-October. The Calgary Dinos briefly grabbed the pole last Tuesday.

Reigning Vanier Cup champion Laval (8-1) received 21 of 29 first-place votes and 278 points in the final Top 10 of the season. Calgary (7-1) follows in second position with four first-place nods from the FRC panel and 242 points, while Western (7-1) is third thanks to four first-place votes and 221 points.

Rounding out the top 10 are the No. 4 McMaster Marauders (7-1), No. 5 Sherbrooke Vert & Or (7-2), No. 6 UBC Thunderbirds (6-2), No. 7 Montreal Carabins (6-3), No. 8 Queen’s Gaels (7-2), No. 9 Acadia Axemen (&-1) and No. 10 Saskatchewan Huskies (5-3).

Laval moves up one position nationally after wrapping up conference play with a comfortable 37-15 win over Bishop’s. The Rouge et Or, who are vying for a ninth straight Quebec title, will try to extend their CIS-record home winning streak to 50 straight games on Saturday when they host Concordia (4-5) in an RSEQ semifinal.

They have already defeated the Stingers twice this fall, 36-8 and 37-4.

Calgary drops one spot in the Top 10 following its first setback of 2011, a 36-23 road loss to No. 6 UBC in the conference finale for both schools. The Dinos open the defence of their three straight Canada West banners against Regina (3-5), Friday night in Calgary.

Western and McMaster switch places in the new poll, despite both teams being inactive last weekend thanks to a bye in the first round of the OUA playoffs.

The Mustangs host upstart Windsor (6-3) in an OUA semifinal on Saturday, while the Marauders take on No. 8 Queen’s in Hamilton in the other Ontario semi. Western and Windsor did not meet in the regular season, while McMaster beat the Gaels 26-2 on opening weekend.

The Vert & Or leapfrog Montreal in the rankings after defeating the Carabins 32-20 in a battle for second place in Quebec. The two rivals meet again on Saturday, this time in Sherbrooke, which will mark the first home playoff date for the Vert & Or since their return to CIS football in 2003.

UBC also moves past Montreal in the Top 10 following its huge win over Calgary. The Thunderbirds host No. 10 Saskatchewan on Saturday in their first post-season game on home turf since 1999.

Queen’s survived a scare in the OUA quarter-finals, edging Laurier 14-10. The Gaels have now won seven in a row after starting the season 0-2.

Acadia easily defeated St. Francis Xavier 34-15 in its Atlantic conference finale and now enjoys a well-deserved break until Nov. 12, when the Axemen will meet either StFX or Saint Mary’s in the AUS championship match.

Saskatchewan completed an up-and-down season with a 67-3 domination of Alberta in Edmonton. The Huskies are confident heading into their Canada West semifinal against UBC, having defeated the T-Birds in eight straight post-season games dating back to 1976.

Other teams receiving votes: Windsor (18), Saint Mary’s (4)