Men’s Football
Coaches announced for 2023 East-West Bowl, final rosters released
Anthony Robichaud, the quarterback for the Sherbrooke Vert et Or, shone in the 2023 U SPORTS East-West Bowl, going 18-of-23 on the day for 228 total passing yards while also adding two touchdowns in the process. Robichaud and the rest of Team East put on a dominant performance to secure a 37-0 victory, the team’s first win since 2015.
After opening the scoring at the 9:35 mark of the first quarter on a 1-yard rush by Robichaud, the East came up big on defence and earned a safety to extend the lead to 9-0 early in the second quarter. From there, the East continued to add to its total with two rouges, two rushing touchdowns by Chris John (Windsor Lancers), an 11-yard touchdown catch by Isaiah Okoli (SMU Huskies) and a 43-yard touchdown reception by Liam Stewart (SMU Huskies). Team East scored in every quarter of the contest.
The East owned virtually every statistical category, both on the ground and through the air. The two teams combined for just seven penalties and totalled 556 yards of offence.
Both sidelines were helmed by legendary coaches, with the East led by Dave “Tuffy” Knight, a three-time winner of the Frank Tindall Trophy as the top university football coach in the nation. On the West sideline, Gary Jeffries began his coaching career in 1972 as the linebackers and defensive line coach for the Laurier Golden Hawks after playing football for both Guelph and Laurier as a student-athlete.
Outside of the game, the 2023 East-West Bowl, hosted by McMaster, featured four days of practices, combine testing and a Level 1 officiating course for all 90+ student-athletes present from coast-to-coast. On the sidelines, U SPORTS and community coaches alike had the opportunity to hear from some of the top minds in Canadian university football at the second annual East-West Bowl Coaches Clinic.
The victory gives Team East their first win in eight years at the bowl game, making it seven total wins for the squad since the event began in 2003.