Championships Vanier Cup

Welcome to Weekend Watch, your weekly preview of all the best U SPORTS action you can’t miss across CW, OUA, RSEQ and AUS during the 2022-23 season.


The stage is set for the U SPORTS national football semifinals this Saturday as the final four teams battle for a spot in the 2022 Canada Life Vanier Cup on Nov. 26th at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont.

Uteck Bowl

Saskatchewan Huskies @ STFX X-Men
Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT


The Uteck Bowl will kick off at 12 p.m. ET as the AUS conference champion STFX X-Men (8-0) and the Canada West conference champion Saskatchewan Huskies (9-1) face off at Oland Stadium in Antigonish, N.S.

Mitchell Bowl

Laval Rouge et Or @ Western Mustangs
Saturday, 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT

The Mitchell Bowl will follow at 3 p.m. ET as the OUA conference champion Western Mustangs (10-0) and the RSEQ conference champion Laval Rouge et Or (9-1) face off at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont.

In the AUS, The STFX X-Men are 2022 Loney Bowl champions following a 21-14 victory over the Mount Allison Mounties. A 94-yard punt return early in the first quarter by third-year X-men receiver/returner Ben Harrington (Halifax, NS) helped lift the X-Men to their 16th conference title in program history during the 49th edition of the AUS conference championship game. 

In the OUA, the Western Mustangs ran over the Queen’s Gaels (8-2) by a score of 44-16. Keon Edwards rushed for 260 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown as Western’s run game dominated the Gaels’ defence.

In the RSEQ, the Laval Rouge et Or (9-1) won 25-24 on the final play of the game against their rivals, the Montreal Carabins (7-3). This victory was influenced by the dominant performance of receiver Kevin Mital who scored three touchdowns.

Finally, in Canada West action, the Saskatchewan Huskies (9-1) produced a good aerial attack in snowy weather against the UBC Thunderbirds (5-5) to win their third conference title in four seasons. Mason Nyhus had another strong performance with a completion rate above 78% in the 85th Hardy Cup at Griffiths Stadium.

Western Mustangs

Larry Haylor Award (Most Valuable Player) – Keon Edwards, Western Mustangs

Rushing the ball 130 times for an OUA-best 1,032 yards (7.9 yards per carry), with nine rushing touchdowns in eight games played. Those numbers enabled the Kings College student to become the 15th league MVP produced by the historic Western program.

President’s Award (Outstanding Stand-Up Defensive Player) – Daniel Valente Jr., Western Mustangs

The London, Ont. native and Kings College student was a ball hawk in 2022, leading the conference with five interceptions. The former first-team all-star and first-team all-Canadian also led the OUA in interception yards (116) while adding 16 tackles and a sack for the London squad.

David ‘Tuffy’ Knight Award (Coach of the Year) – Greg Marshall, Western Mustangs

The legendary head coach has added another piece of hardware to an already well-stocked trophy case with his eighth David “Tuffy” Knight Award as OUA coach of the year. Western led the conference in both offence (45 points scored per game) and defence (14.4 points allowed per game), a balance that translated to another perfect 8-0 season with the London, Ont. native at the helm. That dominance on both sides of the ball also helped 14 of Marshall’s players collect OUA All-Star honours this season.

Laval Rouge et Or

RSEQ Most outstanding athlete - Jeff Russell Trophy: Kevin Mital, Laval

The explosive receiver had a stellar fall with 12 touchdowns through the air, tying the RSEQ record. The second-year star wideout made 58 receptions for 751 yards on the year.

RSEQ Lineman of the year: Nathaniel Dumoulin-Duguay, Laval

Thanks to the protection from the Rouge et Or offensive line, quarterback Arnaud Desjardins was sacked only nine times this season, with Nathaniel Dumoulin-Duguay being a stalwart on the front line.

RSEQ Coach of the year, Glen Constantin, Laval

Leading his team to a 9-1 record this fall, Laval’s Glen Constantin was named the RSEQ Head Coach of the Year. Earlier in the season, Constantin became the winningest head coach in Canadian college football by winning his 197th career game.

STFX X-Men

AUS Most Outstanding Player of the Year (Chris Flynn Trophy): Malcolm Bussey, STFX

A second-year human kinetics student from Hammonds Plains, N.S., running back Malcolm Bussey led the AUS in rushing (144), rushing yards (881), yards per game (110.1) and rushing touchdowns (11). He also tallied the second-most yards-per-rush in the conference with 6.1. Bussey’s 11 touchdowns led the nation with ground scores.

AUS Rookie of the Year: Zachary Houde, STFX

Zachary Houde finished his first AUS regular season atop the AUS stats charts, leading the conference in receptions (33), reception yards (511), yards-per-game (63.9) and receiving touchdowns (3). His 511 receiving yards bested the rest of the conference by 100.

AUS Outstanding Lineman of the Year: Alex Fedchun, STFX

A fifth-year human kinetics student from Calgary, Alta., Alex Fedchun led the conference in sacks during the regular season with nine—the second-most in the country—and had the second-most sack yards in the AUS with 39. The defensive lineman also tallied 38 tackles (31 solo, 14 assisted) for an average of 4.8 tackles per game and two fumble recoveries.

AUS Coach of the Year (Larry Uteck Trophy): Gary Waterman, STFX

For the fifth time in his career with the STFX X-Men, head coach Gary Waterman has been chosen by his peers as the Atlantic conference coach of the year. In 2022 regular season play, STFX led the conference in scoring (261), points per game (32.6), yards per game (404.6), passing yards (1940), passing touchdowns (13), rushing touchdowns (13), field goals (16-22), sacks (27) and defensive interceptions (14). Thirteen of his players were also named to the 2022 AUS All-Star Team.

Volunteer Coach of the Year (Phil Hughes Award): Tyler Wilson, STFX

A former player with the X-Men himself, Wilson joined the STFX coaching staff in 2017, first as an assistant special teams coach before transitioning to his current role as wide receivers coach. Originally from Edmonton, Alta., he now calls Antigonish home and works there as a full-time teacher. Wilson is praised for the countless hours he’s committed to the team over the last six years, both in and out of season, when he’ll often attend morning practices before heading to work. He also provides mentorship and academic support to many X-Men student-athletes.

Saskatchewan Huskies

Canada West Player of the Year: Mason Nyhus, Saskatchewan

Nyhus himself averaged an unthinkable 352 passing yards a game, more than a hundred more than the conference's second-place quarterback. His 18 passing touchdowns also led the league. His season will live on in the CW record book, as the Regina product now ranks fifth for most pass yards in a season with 2759. That mark is the best all-time for a Saskatchewan Huskie.

Canada West Rookie of the Year: Jack Warrack, Saskatchewan

Jack is a physical lineman who is able to quickly read plays and adjust on the fly within the trenches. Despite it being his first year at the university level, Warrack rarely makes mistakes. His reliability has allowed him to start every game for the conference-leading Huskies, and he has become a pivotal piece to the Huskies’ offensive line.


Uteck Bowl broadcast information:

Mitchell Bowl broadcast information: