Montreal holds top spot in CIS Rankings

TORONTO — The University of Montreal Carabins top the CIS football national rankings for the second straight week following a near-perfect performance in their home opener, last Friday.  

After receiving 13-first-place votes and 276 points in last Tuesday’s national media poll, the Carabins (2-0) were a near-unanimous choice for No. 1 this week, earning 27 of 30 first-place nods and 297 out of a possible 300 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel.

The other first-place votes went to the No. 2 Calgary Dinos (2-0), who merited 267 total points and moved up one spot in the poll following a convincing win over the reigning Vanier Cup champion UBC Thunderbirds.

Rounding out the third Top 10 rankings of the campaign are the No. 3 Laval Rouge et Or (1-1 / 221 points / up one position), No. 4 Carleton Ravens (2-1 / 169 / up two), No. 5 Western Mustangs (2-1 / 141 / up two), No. 6 UBC (1-1 / 139 / down four), No. 7 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (2-0 / 101 / up two), No. 8 Ottawa Gee-Gees (2-0 / 99 / previously unranked), No. 9 McMaster Marauders (2-1 / 94 / down four) and No. 10 Saskatchewan Huskies (2-0 / 64 / previously unranked).

Ottawa and Saskatchewan both join the elite group for the first time this fall. The Gee-Gees were last ranked nationally in the fourth poll of last season (Sept. 22), when they earned the No. 9 spot, while the Huskies’ most recent national ranking came the following week, at No. 8.

A week after opening its RSEQ schedule with a comeback win at Laval, Montreal dominated visiting Bishop’s from start to finish last Friday night, to the delight of a sellout crowd of 5,100 at CEPSUM Stadium. The reigning two-time Quebec conference champions racked up 32 first downs and 520 yards of offence while holding the Gaiters to a trio of first downs and 48 total yards.

Also last Friday, in the marquee matchup of the past week, the Dinos beat UBC 35-8 in front of 7,512 faithful, marking the program’s largest home crowd in a generation. The game was a rematch of the 2015 Canada West final which saw the Thunderbirds spoil Calgary’s bid for a perfect season with a 34-26 upset victory at McMahon Stadium.

Meanwhile in the nation’s capital, McMaster was stunned 30-8 by Ottawa, a result that cost the Marauders four spots in the national rankings. With many surprising results marking the early part of the OUA schedule, the Gee-Gees and Laurier are now the only remaining undefeated teams in Ontario after three weeks of league action.

Other Week 3 results involving Top 10 teams included Laval 37, Concordia 18 (at Concordia); Carleton 65, Toronto 7 (at Toronto); Western 75, Waterloo 14 (at Western); Saskatchewan 29, Alberta 17 (at Alberta).

Manitoba and Guelph both dropped outside the Top 10 this week. The Bisons fell to 0-2 on the season following a 41-38 loss at Regina, while the Gryphons (2-1) weren’t overly convincing in a 39-28 home decision over winless Queen’s.

This weekend’s schedule is highlighted by a pair of Top 10 confrontations, including No. 2 Calgary at No. 10 Saskatchewan on Friday evening (7 p.m. CST) and No. 7 Laurier at No. 4 Carleton on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.).

Top-ranked Montreal hosts Concordia Friday at 7 p.m. looking to improve to 3-0 on the campaign.

FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#3) 

Other teams receiving votes: Guelph (32), Concordia (12), StFX (7), Acadia (6), Regina (1). 

WEEK 3 RESULTS (all times local)

Regina 41, Manitoba 38 (at Regina)

September 9

Montreal 61, Bishop’s 0 (at Montreal)

Calgary 35, UBC 8 (at Calgary)

Saskatchewan 29, Alberta 17 (at Alberta)

September 10

Acadia 30, Saint Mary’s 1 (at Acadia)

StFX 29, Mount Allison 14 (at Mount Allison)

Carleton 65, Toronto 7 (at Toronto)

Guelph 38, Queen’s 29 (at Guelph)

Ottawa 30, McMaster 8 (at Ottawa)

Western 75, Waterloo 14 (at Western)

York 56, Windsor 32 (at York)

Laval 37, Concordia 18 (at Concordia)

McGill 19, Sherbrooke 18 (at Sherbrooke)

WEEK 4 SCHEDULE (all times local)

September 16

19:00   Mount Allison (0-1) at Saint Mary’s (0-1) (Bell Aliant Fibe TV1 & AUStv.ca)

19:00   Bishop’s (0-2) at McGill (1-1) (StretchTV)

19:00   Concordia (1-1) at No. 1 Montreal (2-0)

19:00   Alberta (0-2) at Manitoba (0-2) (CanadaWest.TV)

19:00   No. 2 Calgary (2-0) at No. 10 Saskatchewan (2-0) (Shaw TV/Access & CanadaWest.TV)

September 17

13:00   No. 9 McMaster (2-1) at Waterloo (0-3) (Rogers TV Waterloo & OUA.TV)

13:00   No. 7 Laurier (2-0) at No. 4 Carleton (2-1) (OUA.TV)

13:00   Guelph (2-1) at No. 8 Ottawa (2-0) (Rogers TV Ottawa & OUA.TV)

13:00   York (2-1) at Toronto (0-3) (Rogers TV Toronto & OUA.TV)

13:00   No. 5 Western (2-1) at Queen’s (0-2) (City & OUA.TV)

14:00   Acadia (1-0) at StFX (1-0) (Bell Aliant Fibe TV1 & AUStv.ca)

17:00   Regina (1-1) at No. 6 UBC (1-1) (CanadaWest.TV)

September 18

12:00   Sherbrooke (1-1) at No. 3 Laval (1-1) (TVA Sports)

– With files from CIS-SIC.ca