U SPORTS News

The regular season gets under way this weekend in Canada West, a week after the start of league play in the three other U SPORTS football conferences.

2019 U SPORTS Football Schedule & Results

2019 U SPORTS Football Standings

While reigning Vanier Cup champion and top-ranked Laval is among the teams getting an early-season bye on Labour Day weekend, the Week 2 schedule is highlighted by a top-10 matchup Sunday in Hamilton, where No. 6 McMaster is set to host No. 9 Ottawa at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT (OUA.TV & Cable 14).

Here is a game-by-game look at all Week 2 confrontations, as well as a detailed schedule, including all television broadcast and webcast info.

OFF THIS WEEK

No. 1 Laval (1-0), Acadia (1-0), Waterloo (1-0).

FRIDAY

Concordia (0-1) at McGill (0-0)

4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

StretchTV

Last week (Concordia): 10-3 home loss vs. Montreal... Last week (McGill): Bye... Last head-to-head matchup (Oct. 20, 2018 – regular season at Concordia): McGill 31, Concordia 19… In a nutshell: Both cross-town rivals went 2-6 last season... While that record was good enough for a third-place finish for McGill, the team’s highest standing in the RSEQ conference since 2002, Concordia finished last in the five-team league and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013... In a 10-3 season-opening loss to Montreal last Friday, the Stingers bested the nationally third-ranked Carabins in first downs, total offence and time of possession... Keep an eye on (Concordia): Following his East-West Bowl appearance in May, the Stingers expect big things from linebacker Sam Brodrique, who was solid against Montreal with four total tackles, 0.5 tackle for a loss and a pass breakup... Keep an eye on (McGill): Defensive back Benjamin Carré led the RSEQ and ranked second in the nation a year ago with five interceptions, two of them returned for touchdowns.

 

Sherbrooke (0-1) at No. 3 Montreal (1-0)

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

TVA Sports

Last week (Sherbrooke): 41-10 road loss vs. Laval... Last week (Montreal): 10-3 road win vs. Concordia... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 28, 2018 – regular season at Montreal): Montreal 43, Sherbrooke 2… In a nutshell: Montreal is running a seven-game head-to-head winning streak against Sherbrooke dating back to a 17-12 road loss on Oct. 3, 2015, including a pair of convincing victories last season (43-11 / 43-2)... The stingy Carabins defence is off to a great start after setting a single-season RSEQ record a year ago with 46 points allowed in eight league games... In their opener at Laval last Sunday, the Vert & Or led 9-0 with less than three minutes to go before halftime... Keep an eye on (Sherbrooke): In his first career start at the university level, against the reigning Vanier Cup champions, freshman quarterback Anthony Robichaud led the Vert & Or 101 yards down the field for a touchdown on the game’s opening drive... Keep an eye on (Montreal): A conference all-star last season, linebacker Brian Harelimana was named the RSEQ defensive player of the week thanks to his game-leading 7.5 tackles, seven of them solo, and one sack against Concordia.

No. 4 Saskatchewan (0-0) at Manitoba (0-0)

8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

Canada West TV Presented by Co-op & SaskTel maxTV, TELUS Optik TV, Bell MTS Fibe TV

Last week (Saskatchewan): No game scheduled... Last week (Manitoba): No game scheduled... Last head-to-head matchup (Oct. 20, 2018 – regular season at Saskatchewan): Saskatchewan 27, Manitoba 4… In a nutshell: It was quite the turnaround season last fall for Saskatchewan, which claimed its first Canada West title since 2006, a year after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2001... Manitoba also returned to the post-season a year ago, after a two-year hiatus, but fell 37-13 to Calgary in semifinal action... The Huskies won both head-to-head matchups in 2018 (48-46 / 27-4)... Keep an eye on (Saskatchewan): Third-year quarterback Mason Nyhus, a former U-19 International Federation of American Football champion with Team Canada, takes over from graduating senior Kyle Siemens as the Huskies’ starting pivot... Keep an eye on (Manitoba): The undisputed opening-day starter for the first time in his university career, quarterback Des Catellier was impressive in 2018, averaging 287.4 passing yards per game and completing 65.9% of his attempts, a new Bisons single-season record (at least 50 attempts).

No. 5 Calgary (0-0) at Alberta (0-0)

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Canada West TV Presented by Co-op

Last week (Calgary): No game scheduled... Last week (Alberta): No game scheduled... Last head-to-head matchup (Oct. 27, 2018 – regular season at Alberta): Calgary 52, Alberta 6… In a nutshell: Last fall, Calgary looked to be on its way to what would have been its third straight Canada West title and its ninth in 11 years before suffering its only loss of the season in the Hardy Cup final, 43-18 to Saskatchewan on home turf... Alberta is coming off a disappointing 2-6 season, missing the playoffs a year after making its first post-season appearance since 2010... Keep an eye on (Calgary): Quarterback Adam Sinagra, the reigning Hec Crighton Trophy winner, set a U SPORTS single-season record last fall with 3,233 passing yards... Keep an eye on (Alberta): Running back Jonathan Rosery had a solid freshman season in 2018, finishing third in Canada West with 612 rushing yards.

 

SATURDAY

Saint Mary’s (0-0) at Mount Allison (0-1)

1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

AUStv.ca & Bell Aliant Fibe TV1

Last week (Saint Mary’s): Bye... Last week (Mount Allison): 16-6 road loss vs. StFX... Last head-to-head matchup (Oct. 13, 2018 – regular season at Saint Mary’s): Saint Mary’s 28, Mount Allison 16… In a nutshell: Saint Mary’s topped the AUS standings for the first time since 2013 last fall and came one game short of its first unblemished regular campaign since 2001, dropping its conference finale to Acadia... After missing the playoffs for the second straight season a year ago, Mount Allison dropped its 2019 opener last Saturday against reigning conference champion StFX despite dominating in first downs, total offence, passing yards and rushing yards... Keep an eye on (Saint Mary’s): Fifth-year cornerback Antoine Lyte-Myers, a two-time AUS all-star, has a U SPORTS-leading four interceptions returned for touchdowns over the past two seasons... Keep an eye on (Mount Allison): Linebacker Aaron Rose was stellar in the Mounties’ 2019 opener despite the loss, collecting a team-leading nine total tackles, including one for a loss, one fumble recovery and one interception.

No. 7 StFX (1-0) at Bishop’s (0-1)

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

AUStv.ca

Last week (StFX): 16-6 home win vs. Mount Allison... Last week (Bishop’s): 53-13 road loss vs. Acadia... Last head-to-head matchup (Oct. 20, 2018 – regular season at Bishop’s): StFX 12, Bishop’s 11… In a nutshell: StFX upset top-seeded Saint Mary’s 33-9 in last year’s Loney Bowl final to reclaim the AUS crown it had won in both 2015 and 2016... The X-Men lost a number of key players either to graduation or the CFL in the off-season, including reigning conference MVP Kaion Julien-Grant (REC / RET) and U SPORTS rushing champion Jordan Socholotiuk... Including its season-opening loss last Saturday, Bishop’s is 1-16 since joining the AUS conference in 2017 and has lost 14 straight since an overtime win at Mount Allison in Week 3 of the 2017 schedule... Keep an eye on (StFX): Fourth-year kicker Keiran Burnham had three field goals in the X-Men’s opener, after leading the AUS in field goals (18), scoring (78 points) and punting average (39.4 yards) last season... Keep an eye on (Bishop’s): A 2019 East-West Bowl participant, receiver Nathan Walker led the Gaiters in catches (33), receiving yards (450) and touchdown catches (2) a year ago.

Regina (0-0) at No. 10 UBC (0-0)

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Canada West TV Presented by Co-op & SaskTel maxTV

Last week (Regina): No game scheduled... Last week (UBC): No game scheduled... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 14, 2018 – regular season at Regina): UBC 1, Regina 0 (REG forfeit due to ineligible player)… In a nutshell: Regina missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015 last fall with a 1-7 record, after forfeiting three wins due to the use of an ineligible player... UBC overcame a 2-3 start a year ago to finish 5-3, good for second place in the Canada West standings, but went on to suffer a heart-breaking overtime loss on home turf to Saskatchewan in the Hardy Cup semifinals... Keep an eye on (Regina): Entering his final U SPORTS season, Ryan Schienbein needs 35 catches and 564 receiving yards to set school career records in these categories... Keep an eye on (UBC): Linebacker Ben Hladik was named the Canada West defensive player of the year in 2018 after he finished second in the conference with 49.5 tackles and led the league with three fumble recoveries.

SUNDAY

No. 9 Ottawa (0-0) at No. 6 McMaster (1-0)

4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

OUA.TV & Cable 14

Last week (Ottawa): Bye... Last week (McMaster): 25-10 road win vs. Guelph... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 2, 2018 – regular season at Ottawa): Ottawa 18, McMaster 12… In a nutshell: Ottawa was second in the OUA standings last season with a 6-2 record, its best placing since a first-place finish in 2010, but was upset on home turf by Guelph in the conference semifinals... McMaster is off to a convincing start under head coach Stefan Ptaszek, who is back at the helm of the program he led from 2006 to 2015, including a Vanier Cup triumph in 2011... Keep an eye on (Ottawa): Sawyer Buettner was impressive last fall in his first season as the Gee-Gees’ starting quarterback, passing for 14 touchdowns against only five interceptions, including five TD passes in the annual Panda Game against Carleton... Keep an eye on (McMaster): McMaster’s lone OUA all-star on defence in 2018 after he led the team with seven pass breakups, halfback Noah Hallett participated in the 2019 East-West Bowl and is entering his third season as a starter.

Windsor (1-0) at Toronto (0-1)

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

OUA.TV

Last week (Windsor): 34-17 home win vs. York... Last week (Toronto): 33-30 road loss vs. Waterloo... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 29, 2018 – regular season at Windsor): Windsor 26, Toronto 24… In a nutshell: With a victory over York in its 2019 opener under new head coach Jean-Paul Circelli, Windsor equalled its win total from last season, when its only success came against Toronto... The Varsity Blues, who went 0-8 a year ago, are looking to put an end to a 15-game losing streak dating back to a 19-12 win over the Lancers in Week 2 of the 2017 campaign... Keep an eye on (Windsor): Defensive end Dan Metcalfe was third in the OUA last season with 60 total tackles, while also forcing five fumbles... Keep an eye on (Toronto): A 2019 CFL draft pick by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, defensive lineman Malcolm Campbell led the OUA with 12 tackles for a loss a year ago, including a team-leading six sacks.

 

Guelph (0-1) at No. 8 Carleton (1-0)

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

OUA.TV

Last week (Guelph): 25-10 home loss vs. McMaster... Last week (Carleton): 18-12 road win vs. Queen’s... Last head-to-head matchup (Oct. 21, 2017 – regular season at Carleton): Guelph 28, Carleton 23… In a nutshell: Coming off a 5-3 season that was followed by a surprise Yates Cup appearance, Guelph is led by new head coach Ryan Sheahan, who spent the previous four seasons as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator of the Calgary Dinos... After leading U SPORTS in quarterback sacks last season with 24 in eight league games, Carleton racked up five in its 2019 opener against Queen’s... Keep an eye on (Guelph): After averaging 17.6 yards per catch last season, Kian Schaffer-Baker impressed CFL scouts at the 2019 East-West Bowl, finishing as the game’s leading receiver with five catches for 126 yards and a touchdown... Keep an eye on (Carleton): A first-team OUA all-star in 2018, linebacker Jack Cassar opened the new season with 10.5 tackles against Queen’s, after finishing second in the conference last fall with 62.5.

MONDAY

Laurier (0-1) at York (0-1)

1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

OUA.TV

Last week (Laurier): 32-19 home loss vs. Western... Last week (York): 34-17 road loss vs. Windsor... Last head-to-head matchup (Oct. 5, 2017 – regular season at York): Laurier 53, York 31… In a nutshell: In its season-opening loss to Western last Sunday, Laurier gave the defending OUA champions all they could handle, besting the Mustangs in first downs, total offence, passing yards and time of possession... York rivalled Windsor in most statistical categories in its opener last Sunday but was hurt by 18 penalties which resulted in losses of 150 yards... The Golden Hawks have won 13 of 14 against the Lions since the start of the 2003 campaign, their only head-to-head loss over that period being a 33-20 setback in 2013... Keep an eye on (Laurier): Named a first-team all-Canadian last season after he finished second in the country with five interceptions, fourth-year defensive back Will Amoah had his first pick of the new campaign last Sunday against Western... Keep an eye on (York): A three-time OUA all-star, defensive end Rossini Sandjong-Djabome was fourth in the conference in tackles for a loss a year ago (9) and seventh in sacks (4).

Queen’s (0-1) at No. 2 Western (1-0)

7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT

OUA.TV & tape delayed on Rogers TV

Last week (Queen’s): 18-12 home loss vs. Carleton... Last week (Western): 32-19 road win vs. Laurier... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 29, 2018 – regular season at Queen’s): Western 26, Queen’s 23… In a nutshell: Steve Snyder, in his first season as Queen’s head coach after a 19-year reign by Pat Sheahan, is set to face his former team after spending the previous four seasons as Western’s offensive coordinator... The back-to-back OUA champion Mustangs, who lost the services of standout running backs Cedric Joseph and Alex Taylor following their second straight Vanier Cup appearance, were held to 93 rushing yards in their 2019 opener after leading U SPORTS in that category each of the past two years... Keep an eye on (Queen’s): Taking over from graduating senior Nate Hobbs as the Gaels’ starting quarterback, James Keenan was effective if not spectacular last week against Carleton, completing 17 of 28 passes for one touchdown and no interceptions, while also leading the team with 57 rushing yards... Keep an eye on (Western): Quarterback Chris Merchant returns at the helm of the offence after leading the Mustangs to back-to-back Vanier Cup appearances, including an MVP performance in Western’s 2017 triumph.