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championships"},{"term":"2014 Vanier Cup"},{"term":"2017 season"},{"term":"Al Alderson"},{"term":"Announcements"},{"term":"Barry Rawlyk"},{"term":"Basil Hughton"},{"term":"Blue Jays"},{"term":"Bruno Prud'homme"},{"term":"CBC Sports Plus"},{"term":"CCES"},{"term":"CKNW"},{"term":"Calvin Westbrook"},{"term":"Canada WNT"},{"term":"Canadian Interuniversity Sports"},{"term":"Chantal Vallée"},{"term":"Chris Oliver"},{"term":"Dave Preston"},{"term":"Dax Dessureault"},{"term":"Devon Pierre"},{"term":"Dick Mosher"},{"term":"Dissenting Thoughts"},{"term":"Don't You Forget About"},{"term":"Doping"},{"term":"Edmonton CFL Team"},{"term":"Eva Thouvenot"},{"term":"Frank McCrystal"},{"term":"GNAC"},{"term":"Graham Brown"},{"term":"Greg Jockims"},{"term":"Heather Lund"},{"term":"Jacob Doerksen"},{"term":"Jamelle Barrett"},{"term":"Jay Triano"},{"term":"Jeff Giles"},{"term":"John Levy"},{"term":"Jon Lalonde"},{"term":"Josee Belanger"},{"term":"Justin King"},{"term":"Kentucky 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johnson"},{"term":"do not adjust your set"},{"term":"funding"},{"term":"host berths"},{"term":"international basketball"},{"term":"interviews"},{"term":"journalism"},{"term":"mud fights"},{"term":"schedules"},{"term":"technical difficulties"},{"term":"ted goveia"},{"term":"tiering"},{"term":"tragedy"},{"term":"trinity western"},{"term":"trivia"},{"term":"university sport"},{"term":"Étienne Légaré"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The CIS Blog"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"News and notes on U SPORTS - even if we refuse to change our name"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/-\/Mustangs?alt=json-in-script"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/search\/label\/Mustangs"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/-\/Mustangs\/-\/Mustangs?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=26\u0026max-results=25"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Hastie"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08081415078301065374"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"615"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8748048751045742720"},"published":{"$t":"2017-11-25T18:39:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-11-26T11:44:02.066-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vanier Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Vanier Cup: Western exorcises demons by dominating Laval"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"17.jpg\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/photos-5.dropbox.com\/t\/2\/AADGzV3MedFObY480DMpk9xHnxu135tRO9mvjd8o8a7sOw\/12\/18382718\/jpeg\/32x32\/3\/1511668800\/0\/2\/17.jpg\/ENCe2Q0Y0JkaIAcoBw\/nUWZmbD3L92Hk6jCuUIa3xSnhaM7JiDAsfm-8q5p-AU?dl=0\u0026amp;size=800x600\u0026amp;size_mode=3\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EAlex Taylor stretches out for some of his game-high 150 rushing yards. (Charity Matheson, U SPORTS)\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHurt into hunger. When the Western Mustangs contrived to hand over the Yates Cup last season, of course it was a deep cut there is nothing quite so jarring as a season that ends with a shock defeat, the other guys dog-piling on to each other, and a sudden unexpected slew of time to study for Christmas exams. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was a double whammy for the Quebecers on the Mustangs such as linebackers \u003Cb\u003EJean-Gabriel Poulin\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EPhilippe Dion\u003C\/b\u003E, since a win would have set up a chance to play against Laval in the national semifinal and verify the wisdom of casting their lot with Western, over in Ontario. They, and all the purple ponies, proved their point over and over on Saturday, dominating Laval in all three phases during a 39-17 win in the Vanier Cup at Tim Hortons Field.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"This all started on November 12, 2016 when we lost to Laurier,\" said Poulin, who was Western's second-leading tackler with seven stops. \"We all looked each other in the eyes and that's when we said, 'never again; never again.' That was our saying all season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"This means the world to all of us,\" added Poulin, who's from St-Nicholas, Que. \"It's been four years in the making. We put 1,000 hours every year. There's no team in Canada that out-prepares us or out-works us. This means the world to everyone, not just the Quebec guys. We have guys from B.C. down to Quebec on our team who came here wanting to do this. We showed that football is strong all over Canada.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo in one sense the seeds for this triumph were sown 12 months ago. In another, it started once the mighty Mustangs, who are at the summit of Canadian university football for the first time since 1994, started recruiting in La Belle Province.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EA full house of fans at \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Vanier53?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Vanier53\u003C\/a\u003E today. 🐎🏈 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/purpleandproud?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#purpleandproud\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/purplereign?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#purplereign\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LarXme4IgI\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/LarXme4IgI\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; Western Alumni (@westernuAlumni) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/westernuAlumni\/status\/934503602328088578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 25, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThis is my favourite photo from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E yesterday. I can\u0026#39;t express in 280 characters how much love and respect I have for this man. Best coach I ever played for, even better person. Immeasurable passion for his players. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PurpleReign?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#PurpleReign\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GVoGdy186C\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/GVoGdy186C\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; Tom McConnell (@TheTMCShow) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheTMCShow\/status\/934813377947455488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 26, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EFOOTBALL | Vanier Cup Champions! Mustangs defeat Laval 39-17 to win seventh national title: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RXfIBfU6Ct\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/RXfIBfU6Ct\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PurpleReign?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#PurpleReign\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WJ27ftNWxy\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/WJ27ftNWxy\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; Western Mustangs (@WesternMustangs) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs\/status\/934583755997577216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 26, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003ERespect. Congratulations to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E head coach Greg Marshall on winning his first Vanier Cup as a head coach! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Vanier53?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Vanier53\u003C\/a\u003E 🏆 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nlLbZQmdaU\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/nlLbZQmdaU\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USPORTSca\/status\/934536552465678337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 25, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\"Oh my god, this victory means everything,\" Dion said as the Mustangs accepted congratulations on the field. \"From the moment Coach Marcus (\u003Cb\u003EChris Marcus\u003C\/b\u003E, an assistant coach tasked with recruitng) starting talking to us, coming to Western felt right. We knew that this was a national team that had won and could win. Today we wanted to prove to the rest of the country we're not chokers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"We wanted something different. And this year it was all about finishing. Every rep, every lift in the weight room, every sprint — finishing.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EIn front of a crowd of 10,754 — decent attendance but not outstanding — the game was not as close as the 22-point margin indicated. Laval came in 8-1 all-time in Vanier Cups, with the only loss in overtime, but it was never in the game after halftime. The final spread represented the Rouge et Or's worst season-ending loss since the 2001 Atlantic Bowl, when Laval coach \u003Cb\u003EGlen Constantin\u003C\/b\u003E was in his first season at the helm.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern outgained Laval 578-277 and had zero turnovers. The Rouge et Or's only touchdown in the first 3½ quarters came on a 78-yard drive late in the second quarter that was helped along by two unnecessary roughness penalties on Mustangs pass defenders. The second came in garbage time after Marshall had already received the Gatorade bath, baptized as a Vanier Cup-winning coach after 18 seasons of trying at Western and McMaster.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I'm going to enjoy this one for a while,\" Marshall said. \"We are not going to start looking at tape, that's for sure.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"You learn lessons either way,\" Marshall added. \"Sometimes you learn more about yourself when you lose. You might learn more, but it's a lot better to win.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe unravelling in that 43-40 loss against Laurier — last mention of it, pinky swear — led to a ministerial shuffle in Marshall-land. The head coach became only the head coach and brought in a Londoner,\u003Cb\u003E Steve Snyder \u003C\/b\u003Eby way of St. Francis Xavier, as the offensive coordinator. The end result was that Western was precise and powerful, with any mental fat burned away.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Western offensive line — centre \u003Cb\u003EMark Wheatley\u003C\/b\u003E, guards\u003Cb\u003E Matt Bettencourt \u003C\/b\u003Eand\u003Cb\u003E Grégoire Bouchard \u003C\/b\u003E(another Quebecer), and tackles\u003Cb\u003E Dylan Giffen \u003C\/b\u003Eand\u003Cb\u003E David Brown \u003C\/b\u003E— dictated terms to Laval's force unit all afternoon. The boxscore had Laval's all-Canadian defensive end \u003Cb\u003EMathieu Betts\u003C\/b\u003E down for 7.5 tackles, but very few came at or behind the line of scrimmage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Our offensive line played unbelievable,\" said Mustangs QB \u003Cb\u003EChris Merchant\u003C\/b\u003E, who copped MVP honours after finishing 13-of-20 for 276 passing yards and one touchdown, whilst adding 13 rushes for 89 yards and another two scores. \"We wanted to contain Betts and we were able to do that. I'm going to take them all to dinner; I don't even care where, I'll let them pick.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOffensively, Merchant, graduating running back \u003Cb\u003EAlex Taylor\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ECedric Joseph \u003C\/b\u003Ecombined for 302 yards. Wide receiver\u003Cb\u003E Harry McMaster \u003C\/b\u003Ealso torched Laval for five receptions for 115 yards, and slotback\u003Cb\u003E Cole Majoros \u003C\/b\u003Ehad 92 on just three receptions — two inside the 20 to set up touchdowns, and one that he took all the way to open a 32-10 lead in the third quarter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn the other side of the ball, the linebacker foursome of defensive player of the game \u003Cb\u003EFraser Sopik\u003C\/b\u003E (10 tackles, one sack), Dion, Poulin and Russ Jackson Award winner \u003Cb\u003ENick Vanin \u003C\/b\u003Ewere seldom out of position.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I give them a lot of credit,\" Marshall said. \"We made Laval pass a lot more (35 attempts from Hugo Richard) than they wanted to.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn terms of long-range perspective, it has been a while since a Vanier Cup that was played up to be close ended up so one-sided. The shallowness of OUA, where none of Western's competition was near the top of a growth cycle this season, really only served to obscure how strong Western is — once it had erased that creeping self-doubt that had been an Achilles heel in autumns past.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Mustangs did not have to spring any surprises to beat Laval thorougly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"I give them a lot of credit,\" Constantin said. \"We thought we had a good read on their schemes and they didn't do anything much differently from what we expected. But what we cannot measure from film is the intensity and physicality. They were a better team today. They have a lot of character.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EScary thought, and more on this in the next post: Western loses little from its nucleus. Leading rusher Taylor and aforementioned all-Canadian left tackle Brown from the offense. The medical school-bound Vanin and safety \u003Cb\u003EJesse McNair \u003C\/b\u003Eare the only sure departures on the D side.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8748048751045742720\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/vanier-cup-western-exorcises-demons-by.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8748048751045742720"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8748048751045742720"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/vanier-cup-western-exorcises-demons-by.html","title":"Vanier Cup: Western exorcises demons by dominating Laval"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-791074287912209000"},"published":{"$t":"2017-11-24T17:12:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-11-24T22:55:24.012-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2011 Vanier Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vanier Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Vanier Cup preview: Western has to win one of these, right, while Laval doesn't know the meaning of No. 2"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/rdsimages.cookieless.ca\/polopoly_fs\/1.2572100.1479424961!\/img\/httpImage\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/main-xxxhdpi\/image.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ELaval QB Hugo Richard.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe greatest concern troll ever invented is projecting a \"mental out\" on to the teams in a championship showdown.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDeep down, or so the you-totally-are-parodying-Bill-Simmons-here-are-you-not notion holds, one team or athlete is already bargaining internally about being able to settle for second-best. As an over- simplification, it probably is great for resisting paralysis-by-analysis. The Dodgers were going to beat the Cubs in the National League playoffs since the Cubs were satisfied by getting their World Series championship in 2016. The Ottawa Redblacks and \u003Cb\u003EHenry Burris\u003C\/b\u003E were impelled to win the 2016 Grey Cup due to an understanding it was their last chance, while the Calgary Stampeders side they supposedly upset were just obsessed with playing a perfect game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern and Laval is another matchup of usual suspects, although it is only the third time they have played in November and only the fourth time coaches\u003Cb\u003E Greg Marshall\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EGlen Constantin\u003C\/b\u003E have matched brain trusts and behemoths. There is no mental out on either side. Western has not won the Vanier Cup in 23 years, and an entire conference that has spent the last decade increasingly being sluiced through the Mustang machinery is most vituperative on the subject of this drought: Where's the Vanier Cup? When are you going to get the Vanier Cup? Why aren't you getting the Vanier Cup now?\" And so on. So, please, da Vanier Cup.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Rouge et Or, of course, have the first-world problem of having no concept of second place. They have come away empty-handed at only one of these, against McMaster in Vancouver in 2011. That was an alien environment — 5,000 kilometres from home, CFL building, a crowd clearly eager to throw in with the Marauders. Yet it still took double overtime before Mac sealed it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe best way to tee up any final in university sports, until such time that there's decisive action to take in to help the 99 per cent catch up to the Clobbersauruses (Carleton men's basketball, UNB men's hockey, et al.), is to simply look at what happened when Clobbersaurus has lost. In football, lines win championships and it says here that will probably have the most sway on Saturday. Does the Western offensive line — where all-Canadian tackle \u003Cb\u003EDavid Brown \u003C\/b\u003Eis the only senior alongside \u003Cb\u003EGrégoire Bouchard\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EDylan Giffen\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EMatt Bettencourt \u003C\/b\u003Eand \u003Cb\u003EMark Wheatley \u003C\/b\u003E— handle the Laval force unit, with all-Canadian DI \u003Cb\u003EVincent Desjardins\u003C\/b\u003E and edge rushers extraordinaire \u003Cb\u003EMathieu Betts \u003C\/b\u003Eand \u003Cb\u003EEdward Godin\u003C\/b\u003E? On the other side of the ball, this iteration of Western is the first to allow 300 yards per game since 2010, when coincidentally they outplayed Laval \u003Ci\u003Eat Laval\u003C\/i\u003E in the Uteck Bowl only to get beaten by a nose (13-11 on two late field goals set up by Rouge et Or interceptions).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOther, better sources have the nuts-and-bolts circles-and-X's stuff covered.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIf you're looking for something on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E and Laval for the Vanier Cup, there's information in this. Two meet Saturday. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ldnont?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#ldnont\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/football?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#football\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SekcnW0Q07\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/SekcnW0Q07\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Morris Dalla Costa (@MoDaCoatLFPress) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoDaCoatLFPress\/status\/934050640770293762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EYes Laval has sponsorships but it's tough to teach a bag of money to play any position in football. Credit where credit is due. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VanierCup?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#VanierCup\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/football?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#football\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wEYzjVnxOu\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/wEYzjVnxOu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Morris Dalla Costa (@MoDaCoatLFPress) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoDaCoatLFPress\/status\/934051019645997056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ENew \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/KCU?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#KCU\u003C\/a\u003E Episode : Preview of the 53rd \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VanierCup?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#VanierCup\u003C\/a\u003E between \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026amp; \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rougeetor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@rougeetor\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USPORTSca?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@USPORTSca\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/s0IULZg7sQ\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/s0IULZg7sQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Krown Countdown U (@KrownCountdownU) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KrownCountdownU\/status\/933519514880303104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 23, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOne. More. Sleep. 👏 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Vanier53?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Vanier53\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E🏈: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rougeetor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@rougeetor\u003C\/a\u003E v. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr\u003E⌚️: 1 PM ET\/13h HE\u003Cbr\u003E📍: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TimHortonsField?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@TimHortonsField\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr\u003E📺: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Sportsnet\u003C\/a\u003E 360, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Sportsnet\u003C\/a\u003E 1, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TVASports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@TVASports\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr\u003E💻: Sportsnet Now, TVASports.ca\u003Cbr\u003E📻: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AM900CHML?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@AM900CHML\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KGo2mXVjFh\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/KGo2mXVjFh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USPORTSca\/status\/934251935300911106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 25, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EOn this end, it seems more informative and illustrative to look at the template created by Laval's rare season-ending losses\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2015 Dunsmore Cup, 18-16 against Montréal\u003C\/b\u003E — The Carabins won the day by blocking a 19-yard field goal attempt on the last play. To be honest, as a Minnesota Vikings fan, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sportetudiant-stats.com\/universitaire\/football\/stats\/2015\/2015-S03.htm\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eporing over the boxscore is triggering since the game was decided by field goal follies\u003C\/a\u003E. The reason that Laval was kicking for the win, instead of passing or rushing was that Montréal had two placements from inside of 40 yards go for singles.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo what did Montréal do that Western will have to replicate?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIt built a two-touchdown lead halfway through the third quarter\u003C\/b\u003E, forcing Laval to play catch-up. In\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean Thomas Erlington and change-up back Gabriel Parent were able to get into the open field\u003C\/b\u003E, combining for three rushes of at least 35 yards. Two came on consecutive plays; Thomas Erlington scooted for 38 and checked out for a blow, then Parent went to the house on the next play. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe running game is Western lifeblood and it can tag-team with multiple backs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELes Bleus had three sacks on Laval QB Hugo Richard\u003C\/b\u003E, but all of them came between the 40s and stopped drives.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern's defensive line has earned its epaulets, but its 16 sacks in the regular season were eighth of 11 teams in OUA and the fewest among playoff teams.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2014 Dunsmore Cup, 12-9 (OT) against Montréal\u003C\/b\u003E — As one would anticipate with a field goal battle, there was very little statistical separation; it was pretty much a Quebecois take-off on that 9-6 Alabama-LSU game in 2011.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Carabins pass defence held after Laval drove to the 16-yard line in the final 90 seconds, forcing the Rouge et Or to take a Boris Bede triple for a 9-9 tie. In the mini-game, Montréal promptly got behind the chains with a holding penalty but a 26-yard completion to \u003Cb\u003EPhillip Enchill \u003C\/b\u003Ewas enough to set up a field goal. Laval got pushed back by a sack from \u003Cb\u003EByron Archambault \u003C\/b\u003E— the Carabins' fourth of the day — and a 47-yard attempt for the tie failed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThose extra 10 yards between the 50s are a killer in Canadian football sometimes; the game had offence, just not points. But Cousineau was interception-free on his way to a 312-yard passing day. The Carabins defence picked Richard once, although it didn't lead to scoring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Mustangs' relationship with ball security has been strained by times; they were intercepted once per 24.7 attempts in OUA's regular season, which was ahead of only Toronto. \u003Cb\u003EChris Merchant \u003C\/b\u003Eand backup \u003Cb\u003EKevin John \u003C\/b\u003Ehave not been intercepted during the playoffs, though, so huzzah for small samples and recency!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2011 Vanier Cup, 41-38 (OT) against McMaster (B.C. Place, Vancouver) — \u003C\/b\u003EPro tip: go out and find a \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan \u003C\/b\u003Eof your own, or failing that, his non-union Mexican equivalent. The Marauders walked it off in the second overtime after skunking Laval with an interception before nestling the ball into range for \u003Cb\u003ETyler Crapigna \u003C\/b\u003Eto slot through the sayonara kick.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHow did McMaster pull it off?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThey passed, like, really really well. \u003C\/b\u003EQuinlan was hucking, chucking, for 482 yards. That didn't even include a 101-yard touchdown to wide receiver \u003Cb\u003EMichael DiCroce\u003C\/b\u003E in the third quarter that was negated by a penalty. It didn't count and it did count, since McMaster's confidence was starting to fray.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm not big on time-of-possession — it's a by-product stat — but Mac controlled the clock (34 minutes, 22 seconds) and ran 90 plays to Laval's 57.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EVery few teams have done that to Laval late in the season. Calgary had 399 passing yards in the 2016 Vanier (and a 553-481 edge in total offence), but a blocked punt and own-zone turnovers turned the tide.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThey put Laval in a corner.\u003C\/b\u003E McMaster led 23-0 at halftime as Quinlan, his blockers and the McMaster offensive coaches played Laval's front seven like advanced beginner band sheet music.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd yet, Laval made a 24-point run, helped by two return touchdowns. The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and again during the first mini-game, before McMaster prevailed.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPressure from here, there and everywhere.\u003C\/b\u003E Laval QB \u003Cb\u003EBruno Prud'homme \u003C\/b\u003Ehad 35 dropbacks that night and five ended with him being dropped for a loss. The Mac sacks came from five different players, including one from \u003Cb\u003EScott Martin\u003C\/b\u003E, a rookie defensive back listed at 183 pounds. Two of the sacks came in the red zone and forced Laval to try field goals, cutting 14 potential points down to three.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2009 Mitchell Bowl, 33-30 at Queen's\u003C\/b\u003E — Gaels defensive coordinator \u003Cb\u003EPat Tracey\u003C\/b\u003E, as early as 2003, began poring over Laval game video on the premise the road to a national championship would go through the Rouge et Or. The residue of that design was eight sacks on Hec Crighton-winning QB \u003Cb\u003EBenoit Groulx\u003C\/b\u003E, including 3½ by \u003Cb\u003EShomari Williams \u003C\/b\u003Eand a strip-sack deep in the Laval zone in the final seconds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe key elements:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPressure, as already noted. \u003C\/b\u003EThe biggest of those eight sacks came with 3:10 left in the third quarter and Queen's up by six. With Williams occupying the left tackle and Laval tailback Sebastien Levesque minding the A-gap, Queen's outside 'backer Chris Smith was left completely unblocked and sacked Groulx.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaval had a blown read on second and long that left\u003Cb\u003E Chris Milo \u003C\/b\u003Ewith a 45-yard try on a muddy field. It went wide left, and Queen's cornerback \u003Cb\u003EJimmy Allin \u003C\/b\u003Ereturned it 120 yards for a touchdown to complete a 10-point swing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn Laval's final two plays, Queen's defensive line drew a holding penalty that stanched Laval's momentum. On the next play, Queen's only needed a three-man rush to get to Groulx, with \u003Cb\u003EFrank Pankiewicz\u003C\/b\u003E knocking the ball free for \u003Cb\u003EOsie Ukwuoma\u003C\/b\u003E's win-sealing recovery.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETimely takeaways.\u003C\/b\u003E The reason Queen's built a 20-point lead came through some special teams resourcefulness. Laval had some trickeration blow up real good after the Allin touchdown. A cross-field lateral to speedster Guillaume Rioux created a slew of space, but Rioux had the ball loose and Queen's Ben D'Andrea forced a fumble. Four plays later, Queen's scored.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChunk yardage. \u003C\/b\u003EThe Gaels' \u003Cb\u003EDanny Brannagan \u003C\/b\u003Ewas 17-of-33 for 286 yards with two touchdowns, which represented high-end production for a game on the third Saturday in November in a stadium by a lake. Working behind an offensive line that gave him lots of time, Brannagan was able to take downfield shots, including one to \u003Cb\u003EMark Surya\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;for a touchdown opened a 20-point early fourth-quarter lead that provided jussssst enough cushion.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003ETo sum up, there is no set formula to beat Laval, but a fearsome four-man pass rush and some breaks in the third phase, the kicking\/return games, seem to loom large. Offensively, just do what you do, on all eight cylinders.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaval can be had. Saturday will show whether Western has it in them; we know they would not easily live down a loss.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/791074287912209000\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/football-vanier-cup-preview-western-has.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/791074287912209000"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/791074287912209000"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/football-vanier-cup-preview-western-has.html","title":"Football: Vanier Cup preview: Western has to win one of these, right, while Laval doesn't know the meaning of No. 2"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3102512091169460457"},"published":{"$t":"2017-11-11T15:04:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-11-12T10:31:21.748-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dunsmore Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hardy Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yates Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Conference Championship Saturday thread: Calgary beats UBC on record 59-yard field goal; Laval beats Montréal, and it's That '70s Show For Western"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Football Underground featuring \u003Cb\u003ENiko DiFonte\u003C\/b\u003E gave us some drama, and it is an enduring shame that it was so hard for most of the country to view live. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECalgary and Laval will meet in November for the sixth time in the last 10 years, but it almost unraveled spectacularly for each juggernaut. The Dinos gave up the lead to\u003Cb\u003E Michael O'Connor\u003C\/b\u003E and UBC with only 16 seconds left on the clock in the Hardy Cup. But they got in range to give DiFonte a shot from 59 yards away and he made it for a 44-43 win, a Hardy Cup for the Dinos, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003Ea Canadian university football record for the\u0026nbsp;longest field goal\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈 | DID THAT JUST HAPPEN!!! Niko DiFonte with a 59-yard field goal to win \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HardyCup81?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#HardyCup81\u003C\/a\u003E for the Dinos! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WeAreAllDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#WeAreAllDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/e48NuoQQJ5\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/e48NuoQQJ5\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/929487390476865536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EHere's your winning score from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HardyCup81?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#HardyCup81\u003C\/a\u003E, as the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UCDinos\u003C\/a\u003E earn a thrilling 44-43 win over the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ubctbirds?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@ubctbirds\u003C\/a\u003E on a 59-yard FG to end the game! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YgZqTgBgPb\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/YgZqTgBgPb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Canada West (@CanadaWest) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CanadaWest\/status\/929486872983699456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ELift that cup, Niko! 🏆 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HardyCup81?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#HardyCup81\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vvzKO3qLiB\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/vvzKO3qLiB\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/929491001709805568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe agony of da-foot: UBC's season ends after 59-yard field goal dashes Hardy Cup hopes \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IsOtSaoBhR\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/IsOtSaoBhR\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveEwen\/status\/929532298965299201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EIt made the \u003Ci\u003ESportscenter \u003C\/i\u003ETop 10 ... the American one.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EHow good was Niko DiFonte\u0026#39;s 59-yard FG for the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UCDinos\u003C\/a\u003E to claim \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HardyCup81?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#HardyCup81\u003C\/a\u003E? It was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@espn\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SportsCenter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@SportsCenter\u003C\/a\u003E good. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/d8PB9Hl3dP\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/d8PB9Hl3dP\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; Canada West (@CanadaWest) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CanadaWest\/status\/929614629751234560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003EO'Connor, helped by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EBen Cummings \u003C\/b\u003Edoing some crucial scampering in the rushing phase, merely took UBC 92 yards across 12 plays for a go-ahead TD. That should have done it, but Canadian football has no end to unintended consequences; UBC's deep kickoff carried into the end zone for a single, so Calgary got the ball on its 35 with a slew of time to run two plays.\u0026nbsp;Moments later, elation and dejection.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDiFonte erased a mark set by a Saint Mary's player in a week when powers-that-be were trying to erase Saint Mary's current season. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe former mark of 57 yards had belonged to Saint Mary's \u003Cb\u003EJerry Foster\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;since 1986. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 59-yarder was also a longer field goal in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ECANADA COLLEGE FOOTBALL! 🇨🇦\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENIKO DIFONTE'S GAME WINNING 59 YARD FIELD GOAL IS EVEN BETTER WITH TITANIC MUSIC!!! THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY DINOS WIN THE 81ST HARDY CUP!!! WHAT A KICK!!! (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UCDinos\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E🏈🚢🎶 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HUHqjotLpA\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/HUHqjotLpA\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— 🏈🚢🎶TITANIC TD🏈🚢🎶 (@TitanicTD) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TitanicTD\/status\/929538062442487808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EElsewhere:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003ELaval 25, Montréal 22.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Rouge et Or are heading out west to continue their Vanier conquest; they quelled a Carabins comeback in the final 90 seconds after being up two scores for most of the way. Their defence won the day with five sacks and two big takeaways.\u003Cb\u003E Hugo Richard \u003C\/b\u003Eand the offence were balanced (181 rushing, 204 passing) and that provided enough to win.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern 75, Laurier 32.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003ENow did someone stop Western's\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ECedric Joseph \u003C\/b\u003Eto stop running before he made the border crossing? His passport is still sitting on the table.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern is once again prompting observers to ponder whether it is this good or the rest of OUA has just had a massive drop-off, setting a Yates Cup record for most points (75) and total points (107).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EErr Acadia might want to let SMU have loney bowl and win just to not see uwo come into their house and smack em. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iY2Q2VL1EQ\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/iY2Q2VL1EQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Jon (@jonathanwhudson) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jonathanwhudson\/status\/929467913987268608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EI ball-parked the Laurier-Western line at 21 to 24 points, and suffice to say, even that undersold it. Don't make that face. You knew this could happen. Someone looked up the record for points in a Yates Cup to warn you.\u0026nbsp; That result advances the Mustangs to their first national semifinal in the Maritimes since 1995, although that's the only sure thing about it at this writing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Mustangs have scored 66 and 75 points in their playoff games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd, of course, another title is being decided on the field and in a Halifax courthouse. Saint Mary's gets anoth day in cou\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ECourtroom burst in laughter after Justice Smith says “it must be an important football game with all these lawyers”. In response to AUS lawyer saying “it’s only a football game we’re not curing disease” \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/signalhfx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@signalhfx\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/halifax?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#halifax\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ns?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#ns\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/loneybowl?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#loneybowl\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Tunde Balogun (@kingtundes) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kingtundes\/status\/929486550597099521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ECourt back in session: SMU, AUS \u0026amp; Acadia Lawyer tell Justice Smith that Tuesday must be “drop dead date” to play game \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/loneybowl?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#loneybowl\u003C\/a\u003E. Players need time to rest to play Ontario champions next week \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/signalhfx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@signalhfx\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/n_frew6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@n_frew6\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/halifax?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#halifax\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Novascotia?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Novascotia\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/loneybowl?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#loneybowl\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Tunde Balogun (@kingtundes) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kingtundes\/status\/929505008617492485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EPhillip Currie of AUS has “no comment” when leaving Nova Scotia Supreme Court. Justice Smith, Punts decision until tomorrow 9AM \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/signalhfx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@signalhfx\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/n_frew6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@n_frew6\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/halifax?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#halifax\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Novascotia?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Novascotia\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6VKXAFhexs\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/6VKXAFhexs\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Tunde Balogun (@kingtundes) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kingtundes\/status\/929507836928946177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EBreaking: Justice Smith says “tomorrow night I will like to have decision...I’m really tired. I’ll give yes or no answer tomorrow night” \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/signalhfx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@signalhfx\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/n_frew6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@n_frew6\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/halifax?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#halifax\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Novascotia?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Novascotia\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/loneybowl?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#loneybowl\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Tunde Balogun (@kingtundes) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kingtundes\/status\/929505694524628992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe courtroom battles continues: Decision will be made on SMU, AUS hearing by Sunday night, says justice Smith \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/smMBU4MA4F\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/smMBU4MA4F\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Tunde Balogun (@kingtundes) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kingtundes\/status\/929518652919091200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENotes on all that below.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQuebec — Dunsmore Cup\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaval 25, Montréal 22\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003EKeep calm and get Caron. \u003C\/i\u003ELines win championships, and Laval's D had five sacks on Montréal's\u003Cb\u003E Sam Caron\u003C\/b\u003E. Defenders\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;Mathieu Betts\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Eand\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;Edward Godin\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;both toppled Caron at the most propitious times, right when the U de M was at the lip of the score zone between the 40 and 30-yard line. That entire unit only allowed a touchdown in the final minute.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe offensive line did its best work after Laval took over with 4:20 left, ahead by eight. It o opened sufficiently big enough holes for \u003Cb\u003EVincent Alarie-Tardif \u003C\/b\u003Eto use up almost three minutes and set up a field goal for an all-important 11-point cushion.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Carabins offence came back with its first offensive TD against Laval in more than eight quarters and got both the two-point convert and onside kickoff. But the magic wore off before they could find\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ELouis-Philippe Simoneau\u003C\/b\u003E's field-goal range.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaval's defence accounted for three first-half points with a strip-sack in the Carabins' zone, while a safety touch resulted from the Carabins compounding a bad-field-position situation with a UR penalty.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ENo offence, Carabins, but your offence must score too.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003EThe Carabins' scoring in the first 58½ minutes came through a scoop-and-score defensive TD from linebacker \u003Cb\u003EBrian Harelimana\u003C\/b\u003E, a single on the ensuing kickoff and two field goals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Carabins and\u003Cb\u003E Sam Caron \u003C\/b\u003Efinally had a drive before halftime, but it ended with that conservative-coaching contagion, the fewer than 20-yard field goal (a 16-yarder). You don't win friends with salad, or win with short field goals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECanada West — Hardy Trophy\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECalgary 44, UBC 43\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBest Hardy since 2016, or ever? \u003C\/i\u003EThe lead changed hands twice in the fourth quarter before changing twice more in the final 16 seconds, and perhaps all that happened was that they ran out of time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat completes a triptych of outstanding playoff games in the last three seasons between Calgary and UBC, with the Dinos having the two most recent wins (44-43 this time, 46-43 in 2016, after a 34-26 loss in 2015). The close call should be emboldening, since Calgary surely must know it tempted fate by settling for field goals (DiFonte was 6-of-8, and also had two kickoff singles for a 23-point day) when touchdowns would have wiped out UBC.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HardyCup81?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#HardyCup81\u003C\/a\u003E RECAPS\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPOSTGAME: Ice in his veins, DiFonte kicks record 59-yard FG\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/F9QMddrLge\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/F9QMddrLge\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETHAT 4th QTR: Four lead changes set up epic finish\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nL3ZOHo8tB\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/nL3ZOHo8tB\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WeAreAllDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#WeAreAllDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CWplayoffs?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#CWplayoffs\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/arQIWIBi27\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/arQIWIBi27\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/929521015494815744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003EDifferent breed.\u003C\/i\u003E The main talking point with the Dinos involves the change in offensive opponent. O'Connor and UBC are a passing team. Laval always has a massive front line and\u0026nbsp;Richard\u0026nbsp; has the read-option in his repertoire. It's not a great look on the part of Calgary that UBC had 479 yards despite having the ball for fewer than\u0026nbsp;23 minutes.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESecond crack at Laval. \u003C\/i\u003EAdam Sinagra no doubt prepared for the 2016 Vanier Cup against Laval like he was the starter, rather than a backup to Jimmy Underdahl, whom he replaced early in the game. It's going to be different now that it is solely his show.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaybe that transfers into Calgary playing better situational football. That was almost their downfall against UBC. The boxscore tally has Calgary at 591 yards, but a lot of the \"settling\" came after being stopped on second and short. There will be less allowance for that against Laval.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ENo shame on UBC's end. \u003C\/i\u003EThe 'Birds lived up to their rep as a late-peaking team. It took a record-long field goal to beat them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EO'Connor still has at least one more season in university football. That's a scary thought.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOntario — Yates Cup\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern 75, Laurier 32\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe field tilted after some hit-me-with-your-best-shot haymakers.\u003C\/i\u003E The long and short of that is that 10 games in there is still no idea what Western would do against a defence that could limit it to fewer than 200 rushing yards. Joseph had 21 rushes for 259 yards and three touchdowns, and leading rusher\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EAlex Taylor\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;(knee) will get another week to work back to game readiness.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 59-yard touchdown catch by\u003Cb\u003E Harry McMaster \u003C\/b\u003Ein the second quarter came on a read-option where the influence of a fake handoff left the Golden Hawks with a single-high safety and a straightforward read for\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EChris Merchant\u003C\/b\u003E. I wanted to see\u0026nbsp;Merchant in situations involving cycling through routes in an obvious passing situation, but that didn't happen too often. The first two instances resulted in a misfired timing route, and a sack. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOnce Laurier started to gas, though, that element became more evident. Merchant's best tight-window throw was a touchdown pass to \u003Cb\u003EBrett Ellerman\u003C\/b\u003E that capped a two-minute drill at the end of the fight half.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern had more passing yardage (205) than rushing (171) during the first half, but a lot of it came on play-action passes. It was a beatdown in all senses of the term.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe horses that run the track after \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E score have been unsaddled and appear to be oxygen-starved. Thought they were going to trot a couple of laps, wound up particpating in a long cross-country run.\u003C\/div\u003E— Morris Dalla Costa (@MoDaCoatLFPress) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoDaCoatLFPress\/status\/929457919241814016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ELaurier role reversal.\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003EMichael Knevel \u003C\/b\u003Ereturned from a three-week absence to connect on two long touchdowns, but the Golden Hawks' player usage was the story on that side of the ball. Primary back \u003Cb\u003ELevondre Gordon \u003C\/b\u003Ewas spotted due to a hamstring ailment and slotbacks\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EKurleigh Gittens Jr.\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ECarson Ouellette\u003C\/b\u003E had take handoffs in the backfield. It was a creative stab at a solution, if not a sustainable one.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere really was very little Laurier could do.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe third phase.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Western was spurred early by rookie\u003Cb\u003E Mike Sananes\u003C\/b\u003E, whose nearly 150 return yards included a 95-yard kickoff-return TD. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 'Stangs have some special-teams nits to pick, though. They had two penalties in punt-return situations that extended Laurier drives, and had a wasted timeout before a field goal. Details like that should be tight with a team that had two bye weeks recently, don't you think? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat could actually matter somewhere down the line.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAtlantic\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESaint Mary's and AUS went to court over the cancellation of the Loney Bowl. Could they play on Monday if a judge grants SMU's request for an injunction?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIf we don't end up getting a Loney Bowl there are a lot adults who failed these young men. And a lot of memories lost. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LoneyBowl?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#LoneyBowl\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Tim Micallef (@tim_micallef) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tim_micallef\/status\/929416750013153280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EYou are looking live ... at a courtroom ... deciding the outcome of an amateur football game. Look away, kids.\u003C\/div\u003E— monty mosher (@justplainmonty) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/justplainmonty\/status\/929443711016161281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ESMU lawyer said he’ll stay till midnight. Justice Smith says she is no longer optimistic she will have a decision tonight. May take till tomorrow. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/signalhfx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@signalhfx\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AUS_SUA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@AUS_SUA\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/n_frew6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@n_frew6\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/halifax?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#halifax\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Novascotia?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Novascotia\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HNiAg8UMnm\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/HNiAg8UMnm\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Tunde Balogun (@kingtundes) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kingtundes\/status\/929455051592163329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EOlympic Champion \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/donovanbailey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@donovanbailey\u003C\/a\u003E visits the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SMUHuskies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@SMUHuskies\u003C\/a\u003E Football team today. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoHuskies?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoHuskies\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fCllJf0w9H\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/fCllJf0w9H\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— SMU Halifax (@smuhalifax) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/smuhalifax\/status\/929454342171693057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3102512091169460457\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/football-conference-championship.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3102512091169460457"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3102512091169460457"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/football-conference-championship.html","title":"Football: Conference Championship Saturday thread: Calgary beats UBC on record 59-yard field goal; Laval beats Montréal, and it's That '70s Show For Western"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-716915334083444470"},"published":{"$t":"2017-11-04T22:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-11-04T22:07:40.785-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Editorializing"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Eligibility"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Regina Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Conference Semifinal Saturday thread ... Laurier-Western, SMU-Acadia on one bracket, Montréal-Laval in the other; and Happy Eligibility Controversy Week!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Peak U Sports: a team playing with a receiver whose eligibility was openly questioned in the media wins a playoff game on a missed field-goal single in the last minute.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo, that's not a crisis of an organization's own making\u003Ci\u003E at all.\u003C\/i\u003E Saint Mary's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.atlanticuniversitysport.com\/sports\/fball\/2017-18\/postseason\/postseason-boxscores\/20171104_5a20.xml\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Egritted out a 16-15 AUS semifinal win against St. Francis Xavier\u003C\/a\u003E. While they pulled it out at the eleventh hour, somehow, in the 11th week of a 14-week season, whether receiver\u003Cb\u003E Archelaus Jack \u003C\/b\u003Eshould have been playing games in September became A Thing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELogically, Saint Mary's would not have gone ahead and played Jack if it did not believe the issue had been cleared and wasn't going to be a problem. The wide receiver had a game-high 72 yards, including the only touchdown of the game by either side, one day after \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/atlantic.ctvnews.ca\/smu-football-season-may-be-in-jeopardy-due-to-possible-ineligible-player-1.3662956\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECTV Atlantic got confirmation that Jack was on the Saskatchewan Roughriders practice roster as late as the second week of October 2016\u003C\/a\u003E. There is supposed to be 365-day sit-out rule for any player who was on a CFL \"taxi squad\" after August. 15. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe fact that no one at the highest pay grade where the buck stops noticed a potential issue should be the real within-the-context-of-sports outrage. Either it's checked out by the end of August or it isn't. If it takes until Nov. 3 for a gatekeeper to, guh, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/atlantic.ctvnews.ca\/smu-football-season-may-be-in-jeopardy-due-to-possible-ineligible-player-1.3662956\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E(start) its investigation Friday and is (strike) a committee to look into the allegation\u003C\/a\u003E,\" then that's a broader problem. Hire an auditor to look after football eligibilty and do nothing else, please!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnyway, semifinal — is there any word more thrilling to the human soul! It holds the promise of playing a trophy game the following week and the sheer horror of having a winter of our discontent descend far too soon. Even if one's team was stood to get stomped real good in the conference final, at least you had that extra week of football, eh?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThree of four conference finals will be rematches, including Montréal-Laval for the fifth consecutive season and UBC-Calgary for the third in succession. The Laurier-Western matchup is the first rematch Yates Cup since 2004.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe record for largest Yates Cup blowout is shared by Windsor, but that could change quickly.\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Western, going in reverse order, has scored 66, 63 and 51 points in its last three games, and won by margins of 54, 53 and 37. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers level of domination and I don't see Miami Hurricanes dynasty waiting in the wings.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaurier kept up its end of the bargain with setting up a Rematch! by winning a field goal-fest — my most hated of fests — against McMaster. Montages and oral histories of the last 8½ minutes of the 2016 Yates Cup for everyone. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tmwomfiD2NI\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is not quite the same this time. The meat in the reality sandwich is that Mustangs look even more imperious than they did 52 weeks ago. Laurier can still play some defence, but last year its offence was building toward a peak and this year's Golden Hawks offence has trended in an inauspicious direction since an injury to QB \u003Cb\u003EMichael Knevel\u003C\/b\u003E pushed young \u003Cb\u003ETristan Arndt \u003C\/b\u003Einto the breach.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe last time the same two teams played in the Yates in successive seasons was 2003 and '04, Laurier and McMaster.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI am being a little facetious about the record for largest margin of victory in a Yates Cup game. It won't be that bad, but if this was a game down south Western would probably be a 21- to 24-point favourite and no one would be afraid to state otherwise. I am not averring that Laurier has no chance, since some of those three-touchdown 'dogs win on the field.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe actual record for winning margin in the Yates Cup is 57 points, shared by Queen's (1964) and Windsor (1975). I know, it seemed weird to me too that Windsor is on the right side of a scoring record, let alone one for a championship game.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's squeaks through. \u003C\/b\u003EAs alluded to up top, it is bad optics to have an eligibility issue come up in the first week of November. It's doubtful the furor ended with the St. FX-SMU game itself.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ESaint Mary's appears to believe it has done nothing wrong. But if they broke a rule it would appear forfeit is the only remedy. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wjNbJID3R6\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/wjNbJID3R6\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— monty mosher (@justplainmonty) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/justplainmonty\/status\/926811688107761664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EGonna be an interesting week in AUS football. 16-15 SMU final in semi.\u003C\/div\u003E— monty mosher (@justplainmonty) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/justplainmonty\/status\/926901118529163264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EThere's no remedy to this that won't end without someone saying, \"Well that went slightly better than the worst it could have gone.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary gets its third wind. \u003C\/b\u003EAlways a sucker for a running back jetting outside on third-and-short and scoring a dagger touchdown. Well-done, \u003Cb\u003EJeshrun Antwi\u003C\/b\u003E! And with that, Calgary will host another Hardy Cup game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈 | \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PRime_tiM321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@PRime_tiM321\u003C\/a\u003E with a BIG touchdown as the Dinos take a 36-22 lead with 1:43 remaining!! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QZp1mROwJm\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/QZp1mROwJm\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/926927707853565952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EIn UFC terms, SMU's win against St. FX could get the game-of-the-day bonus since it was not decided until th final play. Some people like offence and \u003Cb\u003EAdam Sinagra\u003C\/b\u003E's Calgary offence (648 yards, 475 passing) and \u003Cb\u003EBrad Bake\u003C\/b\u003Er's Alberta attack (493, 429) had a lot of it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe CFL game on the same field on Friday did not have an offensive touchdown, but that's hardly a fair comparison.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontréal at Laval for the Dunsmore Cup. \u003C\/b\u003EFor only the fifth consecutive season and seventh out of the last nine! \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd if we want to strain the MMA analogies, that was probably like a\u003Cb\u003E Georges St-Pierre\u003C\/b\u003E fight during his peak years. Take a backseat to no one in respecting the technical mastery but boy, was that ever perfunctory.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe games themselves: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAtlantic\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's 16,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003ESt. Francis Xavier 15\u003C\/b\u003E — The Huskies kept up their pattern of putting up numbers on the stat sheet, 435 yards, including 300-plus in the final 30 minutes, if not the scoreboard. I'm glass half-full about that; if the production is there, it's more likely a team will start finishing, rather than stop moving the ball. It's like.when you were a kid and your parents warned you about spoiling your appetite. There's going to be another appetite.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECase in point, the Huskies lost the ball inside X's 10-yard line in the third quarter. But right after \u003Cb\u003EKaleb Scott \u003C\/b\u003Eput together a neat six-play drive that ended with Jack catching a touchdown.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SMUHuskies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@SMUHuskies\u003C\/a\u003E down StFX 16-15 in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SubwayAtlantic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@SubwayAtlantic\u003C\/a\u003E AUS Football Semifinal to advance to next week's Loney Bowl game: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/olBCiLIzyE\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/olBCiLIzyE\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— AUS_SUA (@AUS_SUA) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AUS_SUA\/status\/926903381117014022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAntoine Lyte-Myers\u003C\/b\u003E interception with 1:57 left in a tied game sparked Saint Mary's to get in range for a go-ahead single on a missed field goal. The X-Men opted against a Hail Mary or a Madame Lateral play to let\u003Cb\u003E Jonathan Heidebrecht \u003C\/b\u003Etry a 68-yard field goal on the last play. Please tell me they put men onside for that.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECanada West\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary 39, Alberta 22\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E— It took a good 2½ quarters before the Dinos tilted the field. One snap after Alberta got to even terms midway through the third quarter, Calgary's\u003Cb\u003E Ab Abdel-Rahim \u003C\/b\u003Escored on an 88-yard reception. The Dinos never led by fewer than seven points again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈 | Abdel-Rahim with a touchdown on the Dinos' first play after the Bears touchdown! They lead 23-16! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lXEUpFm7Ey\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/lXEUpFm7Ey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/926915643890270210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Dinos, who were still without receiver Michael Klukas, are apparently back in form but please keep in mind that even with the mail-in job by Calgary last week, the Alberta defence is still statistically week. They allowed the most yards of anyone who made the Canada West playoffs, gave up the most passing yards and were second-last with 24 disruptions. (That's a made-up category for combined fumble recoveries, interceptions and sacks.) \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;No. 6 UBC 28, No. 9 Regina 21\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;— The 'Bird gang, and please come up with a better nickname for that defence, UBC sports communications, made enough plays to thwart a Regina comeback.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EHUGE PLAY! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Elliot_G98?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Elliot_G98\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E'Birds 28 - Rams 21\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBirdsGo?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoBirdsGo\u003C\/a\u003E | \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HardyCup81?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#HardyCup81\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PYhL9C7XZS\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/PYhL9C7XZS\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ubctbirds\/status\/926975323744247809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 5, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Tha_RisingStar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Tha_RisingStar\u003C\/a\u003E knocks down the Hail Mary!!!\u003Cbr \/\u003E'Birds win! 'Birds win!\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBirdsGo?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoBirdsGo\u003C\/a\u003E | \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HardyCup81?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#HardyCup81\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EJJhjrlUNt\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/EJJhjrlUNt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ubctbirds\/status\/926979830171688960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 5, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EBy the way, since that was wide receiver Trivel Pinto breaking up the Hail Mary pass, you can't say the UBC offensive players didn't have any big plays in the second half. In the rain in Vancouver, UBC didn't score any offensive points in the second half. Being sporadic is unlikely to get it done against the Dinos.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOntario\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENo. 5 Laurier 19, No. 7 McMaster 6\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E— Laurier's veteran defensive back\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EScott Hutter\u003C\/b\u003E broke up a potential touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, keeping Laurier ahead and the game from getting interesting.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EConference semifinals in Ontario often do involve one team just trying not to screw up a good thing and that was Laurier in a matchup that presented stout defences and low-risk, low-yield offences with young quarters, the Golden Hawks' \u003Cb\u003ETristan Arndt \u003C\/b\u003Eand Mac's \u003Cb\u003EJackson White\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter Mac got within four points, Laurier did a decent job of closing up. Chunk-yard plays in both offensive phases from \u003Cb\u003ELevondre Gordon \u003C\/b\u003Eand \u003Cb\u003EKurleigh Gittens Jr.\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;helped Laurier seal the win with field goals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EArndt did show a flash of potential by hanging in against a free rusher to deliver the deep shot to Gittens that set up the late field goal that opened a 10-point lead.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMac's longest play from scrimmage was on a fake punt.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"und\"\u003E🔥\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Back4More?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Back4More\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WeAreHAWKS?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#WeAreHAWKS\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LYhQhGCKGI\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/LYhQhGCKGI\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WLUAthletics\/status\/926905851834785792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E110th Yates Cup, we see you 🔥 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WeAreHAWKS?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#WeAreHAWKS\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OCS1NxkZuO\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/OCS1NxkZuO\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WLUAthletics\/status\/926909865376845824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENo. 2 Western 66,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENo. 8 Guelph 12\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E—\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EGuelph might have a chance, they said.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Mustang machine rolled up 28 points during the second quarter to decide the issue very early. They hit half-a-hundred before the game was 42 minutes old.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Gryphons touchdown came through a 102-yard fumble return by \u003Cb\u003ENick Parisotto\u003C\/b\u003E.\u0026nbsp;That runback covered more yardage than the Gryphons netted the entire day. True story. Unless Western had 12 separate misfortunes befall its defensive starters — one maybe; two sure; three there's an outsid chance, but 12? — there isn't much point in offering further commentary.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EFOOTBALL | Final score | \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/westernu?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#westernu\u003C\/a\u003E 66 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/guelph_gryphons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@guelph_gryphons\u003C\/a\u003E 12 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PurpleReign?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#PurpleReign\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Western Mustangs (@WesternMustangs) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs\/status\/926899620063481856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQuebec\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENo. 1 Laval 45, Sherbrooke 0 (fourth quarter)\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;— The Vert et Or are now 0-27 all-time against Laval, and it's now more than two years since its last offensive TD against Laval. Bishop's was allowed to go join another league; might the same accommodation be extended to Sherbrooke? Let them switch with an Ottawa-area school and then have Western join the RSEQ to even the numbers out?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust a thought. Rouge et Or QB \u003Cb\u003EHugo Richard\u003C\/b\u003E had three rushing touchdowns and passed for a fourth. Very\u003Cb\u003E Phill Côté\u003C\/b\u003E-esque.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENo. 3 Montréal 42, Concordia 20\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E— Finally, a game where each team had points. In a way, that makes them both winners but in another, more accurate way, Montréal is the winner.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERichard's Carabins counterpart,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ESamuel Caron\u003C\/b\u003E, had two touchdowns by air and one by land. How drearily conventional. But defensive back\u003Cb\u003E Jordan Perrin \u003C\/b\u003Ehad an 80-yard pick-six. That's better.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EDirection : Coupe Dunsmore. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8LbcpphjVj\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/8LbcpphjVj\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Carabins (@Carabins) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Carabins\/status\/926925257092550662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ENovember 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Stingers got their Big 12 on in the first quarter with a three-play, 86-yard drive that used only 76 seconds.\u003Cb\u003E Adam Vance \u003C\/b\u003Ehad two 42-yard strikes on the drive, the second a touchdown pass to\u003Cb\u003E Jarryd Taylor\u003C\/b\u003E. More of that next season, please, Concordia.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/716915334083444470\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/football-conference-semifinal-saturday.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/716915334083444470"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/716915334083444470"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/11\/football-conference-semifinal-saturday.html","title":"Football: Conference Semifinal Saturday thread ... Laurier-Western, SMU-Acadia on one bracket, Montréal-Laval in the other; and Happy Eligibility Controversy Week!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/tmwomfiD2NI\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2634634764660740286"},"published":{"$t":"2017-10-27T21:30:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-10-29T15:29:31.084-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Top 10 Tracker: Western has to be No. 1 now, eh? Calgary crushed by Alberta; Laval locks up No. 1 in Quebec; McMaster and Guelph win OUA quarters"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Better to be slightly late on the epiphany than the last to know, eh? Western has to be No. 1, what with being the last undefeated team after Calgary went through the motions and lost — wait for it — \u003Ci\u003E53-3\u003C\/i\u003E against Alberta in a game that was immaterial to the Dinos' standings.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe rule of thumb when a 7-0 team that is locked into first place loses is that is shouldn't affect the ranking if the score was respectable. It can be a canary in the coal mine (see Western losing 37-0 against Queen's in its finale in 2011, before losing the Yates Cup at home by three touchdowns three weeks later). It can also be a one-off, or even \"a well-orchestrated loss\" as Queen's coach Pat Sheahan termed it following his team's national championship season in 2009.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut 53 to three, that looks rather abject for Calgary. It's also a huge feat for Alberta, which is making strides toward respectability under coach \u003Cb\u003EChris Morris\u003C\/b\u003E. All that shook out to send in a Top 10 ballot as follows:\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"ro\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EMy \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/usports?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#usports\u003C\/a\u003E FB Top 10\u003Cbr\u003E1 Western\u003Cbr\u003E2 Laval\u003Cbr\u003E3 Calgary\u003Cbr\u003E4 Montréal\u003Cbr\u003E5 UBC\u003Cbr\u003E6 Laurier\u003Cbr\u003E7 McMaster\u003Cbr\u003E8 Guelph\u003Cbr\u003E9 Acadia\u003Cbr\u003E10 Alberta \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/OUA?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#OUA\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/uagree?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#uagree\u003C\/a\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; Neate Sager (@n8sager) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/n8sager\/status\/924715450738417664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe reigning gridiron-football gurus out in western Canada were right to believe the Western (Ontario) Mustangs are Canada's best. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EU SPORTS Football Top 10: Undefeated \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UCDinos\u003C\/a\u003E move up to No. 1\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aCkVxd9nyB\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/aCkVxd9nyB\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OJfZrHyN1u\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/OJfZrHyN1u\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USPORTSca\/status\/922862731048263682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EThat is the way it goes. The FieldTurf always looks greener on the other side of the country.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ECharting the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Power7?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Power7\u003C\/a\u003E teams in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/USportsFB?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#USportsFB\u003C\/a\u003E this year. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KrownCountdownU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@KrownCountdownU\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oxIC5J9XsU\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/oxIC5J9XsU\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Jim Mullin (@Jim_Mullin) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jim_Mullin\/status\/922617419687911425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EOh, the irony. The week I actually move the Dinos off of number one... \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5oiYVIl3C1\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/5oiYVIl3C1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Gord R. (@GARandall) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GARandall\/status\/922928200040116224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe bullet points on this Saturday of action:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlberta 53, Calgary 3.\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThat happened. \u003C\/i\u003EThe Golden Bears, who were 0-4 at one point. won by a sufficiently large enough margin to get the last Canada West playoff berth and a semifinal date against none other than Calgary,. Whether Alberta will be competitive now that Calgary will face actually stakes remains to be seen, but the transformation is enlivening. Receiver\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ETylor Henry \u003C\/b\u003Escored four touchdowns and\u003Cb\u003E Ed Ilnicki \u003C\/b\u003Eincreased\u0026nbsp;his rushing tally to a Canada West-record 1,468 yards. That's \u003Ci\u003E184 per game.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈 The Dinos will have another crack at the Golden Bears: the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CWplayoffs?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#CWplayoffs\u003C\/a\u003E start Saturday. 1 pm, McMahon Stadium.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3XRIgbMZNy\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/3XRIgbMZNy\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/924481533917855744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThere were many people and pundits that counted out the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UABearsFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UABearsFootball\u003C\/a\u003E after 0-4 start, but they gutted it out and are now playoff bound!\u003C\/div\u003E— Jason Hills (@hillsyjay) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hillsyjay\/status\/924482911348301824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThere were many people and pundits that counted out the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UABearsFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UABearsFootball\u003C\/a\u003E after 0-4 start, but they gutted it out and are now playoff bound!\u003C\/div\u003E— Jason Hills (@hillsyjay) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hillsyjay\/status\/924482911348301824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC will host Regina in the Canada West semifinal.\u003C\/b\u003E The Thunderbirds scored 35 points in the second \u003Ci\u003Equarter\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and routed the Rams 44-15. They'll play again. Quarterback Michael O'Connor was out of the game after 2½ quarters.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval strengthens its case for No. 1; then again, Westenr's got stronger.\u003C\/b\u003E The defending national champions blew out Concordia on Friday night; the run for a repeat begins at home next week against Sherbrooke.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELyons roars for No. 7 McMaster.\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;McMaster and Laurier will meet in the OUA semifinal again, after the Marauders' 12-9 closer-than-it-should-have-been win against Queen's. Running back \u003Cb\u003EJordan Lyons\u003C\/b\u003E tied OUA's single-game record for carries (39) and had the second-most yards (319) in a Canadian university playoff game. Still, it wasn't in the bag until Sam linebacker\u003Cb\u003E Eric Blake \u003C\/b\u003Eintercepted a pass at Mac's 35-yard line with 1:20 left.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENo. 9 Guelph gets another shot at No. 3 Western.\u003C\/b\u003E The only team that has been able to hang with the 'Stangs will get another shot at doing so next week in London. Guelph, with QB\u003Cb\u003E James Roberts\u003C\/b\u003E returning from the brain injury he suffered four weeks ago against McMaster, rolled by 22 points against Ottawa.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EHere's the Top 10 tracker for the week, to be updated as results pour in from across Canada.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary (7-1 Canada West, 53-3 loss against Alberta)\u003C\/b\u003E — Is being No. 1 the best thing \u003Ci\u003Ementally\u003C\/i\u003E? It can also prove to be an albatross. \u003Ci\u003E(Note: this was written before the games started.)\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈 | \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Dinos_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Dinos_Football\u003C\/a\u003E comes in at No. 1 in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USPORTSca?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@USPORTSca\u003C\/a\u003E Football Top 10 for the first time since November 2015!\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WeAreAllDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#WeAreAllDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GLUWUwrZUq\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/GLUWUwrZUq\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/922865921592508416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈PREVIEW | The Dinos look to keep things rolling into the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CWplayoffs?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#CWplayoffs\u003C\/a\u003E as they host the Bears.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EREAD➡️\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TVQobkFOsz\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/TVQobkFOsz\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bk80RTtT1W\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/bk80RTtT1W\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/923270590810636288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 25, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EIt was a nothing game for Calgary ... it was a nothing game for Calgary. They can't really be No. 1 after such a lopsided loss, but the floor is No. 3. I can't think of a team which once lost a game by 50 points going on to win the Vanier Cup, but I know of at least one national championship team who had a 35-point loss.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EDinos playing rookies at both corners and its been a work in progress today. Dinos packing box to stop illnicki but that's leaving no help.\u003C\/div\u003E— Jon (@jonathanwhudson) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jonathanwhudson\/status\/924361324741537792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 28, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EDinos playing like they pulled too many pieces out of the Jenga tower for this game.\u003C\/div\u003E— Jon (@jonathanwhudson) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jonathanwhudson\/status\/924374346520444928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 28, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EMostly it was first 7 series. Fumble, Fumble, Missed FG, Fumble, Punt, Int, turnover on downs in end zone. Half finished with two more punts\u003C\/div\u003E— Jon (@jonathanwhudson) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jonathanwhudson\/status\/924449807816523776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval (7-1 RSEQ, 46-14 road win at Concordia )\u003C\/b\u003E — Scored a point-per-minute pace in the first half on Friday as they locked first place in the RSEQ, and\u003Cb\u003E Hugo Richard \u003C\/b\u003Eaveraged a cool 8.8 per pass. It's 1A and 1B with Western at No. 1.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EKrown Countdown U: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Laval?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Laval\u003C\/a\u003E reclaims top spot in Quebec \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Els1yEXN7c\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/Els1yEXN7c\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/USports?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#USports\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NCAA?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#NCAA\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/T7GG9eYoat\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/T7GG9eYoat\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/3DownNation\/status\/923326805204971520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 25, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern (8-0 OUA, host semifinal on Nov. 4)\u003C\/b\u003E — Lines win championships. Western is good on both sides of the line. Ergo, Western has a better argument for No. 1 than it did before, especially with the way it handled its make-it-quick meaningless last regular-season game.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThis story about \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E O-line ran last week. This has a few adjustments. Thanks to David Brown. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fTwLJ4wRvO\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/fTwLJ4wRvO\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Morris Dalla Costa (@MoDaCoatLFPress) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoDaCoatLFPress\/status\/922618358750744576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 24, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontréal (6-1 RSEQ, 27-17\u0026nbsp; home win against McGill)\u003C\/b\u003E — Got the McGill game over with and will face Concordia in the semifinal, for the first time since Gastro-Gate. The Carabins should stay at No. 4.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"fr\"\u003E🏈 - Les Carabins concluent leur saison sur une victoire\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oL0PM14AtR\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/oL0PM14AtR\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Carabins (@Carabins) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Carabins\/status\/924407106865975297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 28, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIs it odd that four of five teams in Quebec make the playoffs, while the Atlantic takes three of five? Not especially. With the egos in Quebec City and Montreal it's impossible to see any acquiescence to the first-place winner getting to rest up, and the Little Three probably could not stand having to compete for one spot, like Olympic divers who all know they're competing for bronze after the Chinese pair finish 1-2.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier (6-2 OUA, host semifinal Nov. 4) \u003C\/b\u003E— Perhaps \u003Cb\u003EMichael Knevel\u003C\/b\u003E, wearing the braid of Yates Cup-winning quarterback who lead a lightning-in-a-bottle comeback against Western, will be healthy in two weeks' time. Or Laurier has\u003Cb\u003E Tristan Arndt \u003C\/b\u003Eto turn loose, possibly against the McMaster team that he lit up last Saturday.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat is for sure is nothing will be confirmed from the depth charts, which in OUA are exchanged on the eve of the game. Laurier played a guessing game before that 40-15 rout two weeks ago.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC (6-2 Canada West, 44-15 home win against No. 8 Regina)\u003C\/b\u003E — They're still unlikely to host a Hardy Cup, but could they end up home for the Mitchell Bowl if Calgary keeps going down its current path? The Thunderbirds defence had five sacks on Saturday, and if Calgary's having pass-protection issues, then look out.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E'Birds win the right to host the Hardy Cup semifinal vs Regina with a 44-15 victory on Oct 28th's fan appreciation day. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBirdsGo?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoBirdsGo\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oFcIcyBjA5\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/oFcIcyBjA5\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ubctbirds\/status\/924419418024587265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 28, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UBC\u003C\/a\u003E football scores huge 44-15 win over \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/reginarams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@reginarams\u003C\/a\u003E to clinch home playoff game. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBirdsGo?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoBirdsGo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E📡: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/htsumura?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@htsumura\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003ERecap: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wBONOMt4bb\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/wBONOMt4bb\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xjXi7nrk50\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/xjXi7nrk50\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ubctbirds\/status\/924445232183222272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EUBC muscles up in second quarter, beats Regina to clinch home field for first round of football playoffs \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vqRBrc4biR\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/vqRBrc4biR\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NBfUNbpRND\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/NBfUNbpRND\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Province Sports (@provincesports) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/provincesports\/status\/924466850850734081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESomeone who is not me has to look up the last time that happened. Going off of memory, it seems like the teams which have won Hardy Cup games in hostile territory were also travelling for the national semifinal (UBC in 2015, Manitoba in 2014, Calgary in 2009, among others).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster (6-2 OUA, 12-9 home win against Queen's in quarter-final) \u003C\/b\u003E— Have you ever seen a spot where both teams were doing the \"we got it\" pointing? That happened in the final minute at McMaster after short-yardage QB\u003Cb\u003E Dylan Astrom \u003C\/b\u003Egained the necessary inchage on third-and-1. It was a bad spot, which was sort of a shame since it was such a cleanly played game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELyons and the hog-maulies such as guards\u003Cb\u003E Josh Lolli \u003C\/b\u003Eand\u003Cb\u003E Jakub Szott \u003C\/b\u003Eand tackle\u003Cb\u003E Nick Firlit\u003C\/b\u003E were the headliners with the back's 319-yard game. But the reason Mac is still a lead-pack team in OUA despite coaching changes and loss of generational offensive talent is the defensive depth. With back-eight defenders \u003Cb\u003EBen Megarry \u003C\/b\u003Eand\u003Cb\u003E Alec Robertson\u003C\/b\u003E both out, Blake stepped up to issue a Hard No to Queen's with his interception in the penultimate minute. Veteran Mark Mackie, who was this commentator's choice as OUA Hec Crighton candidate last season (on the premise it would ever go to an interior lineman), also had a huge fourth-quarter sack.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\"I think we can compete on the national scale every year.”\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcMaster's Mackie making his mark on 🏈, community \u0026amp; MCATs\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vnuC4xAAhL\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/vnuC4xAAhL\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Q1lfXXjFwj\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/Q1lfXXjFwj\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USPORTSca\/status\/924292074161049601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 28, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn a rainy day, field position dictated everything, and Mac was airtight when Queen's and\u003Cb\u003E Nate Hobbs \u003C\/b\u003Egot in range. The Gaels settled for three points after recovering a fumbled punt on Mac's 22 in the third quarter. Another threat fizzled when kicker \u003Cb\u003ENick Liberatore\u003C\/b\u003E (3-of-5) dinged the upright on a game-tying field goal.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt would have been the ultimate in Canadian football weirdness if Mac had contrived to lose when they had a 300-yard game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERegina (4-4 Canada West, 44-15 road loss at No. 6 UBC)\u003C\/b\u003E — Fall back on the \"bad dress rehearsal, great performance\" cliché. One side effect of the loss was that QB\u003Cb\u003E Noah Picton \u003C\/b\u003Ewas mercy-pulled and ended up falling shy of the 10,000-career-yard milestone. By unofficial tally, he's at 9,842.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwo Rams alumni started in the same NFL game. The punter is a starter!\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Giants?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Giants\u003C\/a\u003E ➡️ \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Seahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Seahawks\u003C\/a\u003E! 👏\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LWillson_82?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@LWillson_82\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JonRyan9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@JonRyan9\u003C\/a\u003E receive the 🇨🇦 from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brettjones69?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@BrettJones69\u003C\/a\u003E to continue The Great Canadian Handoff! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CarryCanada?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#CarryCanada\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/o5kzkjQBj1\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/o5kzkjQBj1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFLCanada\/status\/922291114949869568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 23, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph (5-3 OUA, 30-8 road win against Ottawa in quarter-final)\u003C\/b\u003E — Best way to avoid a double-overtime defeat is get a team down early. The Gryphons scored four times in the first quarter and won going away, with \u003Cb\u003EJohnny Augustine \u003C\/b\u003Egaining 156 rushing-receiving yards on 22 touches.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Gryphons might well be the only team which can keep Western from coming out of OUA. There are rumblings about Guelph slipping off the field, but the holdovers from the 2015 Yates Cup team mean they are a potential giant-slayer.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EMooood. We can't hide it! 🏈🥜 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PlayoffFever?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#PlayoffFever\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TeamFirst?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#TeamFirst\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ESwr16xJZa\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/ESwr16xJZa\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Gryphon Football (@GryphonFootball) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GryphonFootball\/status\/924689939031347200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAcadia (6-2 AUS, host Loney Bowl on Nov. 11)\u003C\/b\u003E — A double bye seems like an embarrassment of riches.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAlso in consideration (but not anymore):\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa (5-3 OUA, 30-8 home loss against No. 9 Guelph in quarter-final)\u003C\/b\u003E — Ouchtown, population 47. That the Gee-Gees hosted a playoff game after the stresses of this season is commendable in itself, in light of the emotions with \u003Cb\u003ELoïc Kayembe\u003C\/b\u003E's death days before another excruciating Panda Game defeat to Carleton.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYet the season ended the same way as the last one, having the quarterback, this time\u003Cb\u003E Adam Lavric\u003C\/b\u003E, knocked out of the game and scoring fewer than 10 points. There were triumphs nonetheless this season and \u003Cb\u003EJackson Bennett \u003C\/b\u003Edelivered some scale-model Bo Jackson-esque moments. If he is not an all-Canadian, there should be a Royal Commission.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's (5-3* AUS, 26-25 home loss against Mount Allison) \u003C\/b\u003E— No this won't be salty much. Saint Mary's ended up in second place due to forfeiting a game against St. Francis Xavier, and that win might vault St. FX into the playoffs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E(* One of Saint Mary's defeats was a forfeit.) \u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2634634764660740286\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/10\/football-top-10-tracker-calgary-is-no-1.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2634634764660740286"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2634634764660740286"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/10\/football-top-10-tracker-calgary-is-no-1.html","title":"Football: Top 10 Tracker: Western has to be No. 1 now, eh? Calgary crushed by Alberta; Laval locks up No. 1 in Quebec; McMaster and Guelph win OUA quarters"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7035768548388959779"},"published":{"$t":"2017-10-12T20:27:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-10-12T21:50:09.796-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CFL"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"In For A Dozen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"In For A Dozen: CFL's competitive balance, nit-picking Western's passing stats \u0026 not sticking to sports"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EUntil Twitter gives us 280 characters and focus more on curbing the white nationalists instead of \u003Cb\u003ERose McGowan\u003C\/b\u003E, thoughts go in this space; #notstickingtosports.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECompetitive balance starts with collective bargaining.\u003C\/b\u003E We begin with the CFL, where the East is now 7-27-1 against the West — hey, a winning percentage above .200 — this season. In all the why-ing about the disparity, it seems like the difference in cost of living is seldom raised. A dollar stretches farther in four of five western markets (Vancouver being the exception) than in any four of the eastern cities (Hamilton is beginning to get pricey. .\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat must be a factor in signing players to a rookie contract, and retaining and attracting veteran free agents. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe CFL's negotiation of its next collective agreement has the obvious hook that commissioner \u003Cb\u003ERandy Ambrosie\u003C\/b\u003E was once on labour's side of the table. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayer safety is expected to be one of the main issues, but one that ought to come up is exploring whether it's actually the best policy to have a hard salary cap. Every city and tax jurisdiction is unique. This has been a protracted phenomenon that seems to supersede quality of teams coaching.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESo how would you change the CFL playoff format?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003EPicture yours truly sitting here with a convoluted idea about how to reward the best regular-season performances and keep an East-vs.-West motif for the Grey Cup. Then Venerable \u003Cb\u003EWally Buono\u003C\/b\u003E piped up last weekend (before his team lost at home against an East team, natch): \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"We want national sponsors, we want national appeal. If that’s the case, then, the formula, in my mind, would be the first-place teams get a bye. The next four teams make the playoffs. So you could have the second- and third-place team in either division host a playoff game. We’re still in a society where we reward excellence, right?\" (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/sports\/local-sports\/does-cfl-playoff-system-need-reboot-b-c-coach-thinks-so\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPostmedia\u003C\/a\u003E, Oct. 7)\u003C\/blockquote\u003ESo in that scenario, the East's first-place team with a losing record still has the more direct route to the Grey Cup. Still not fair, but \u003Ci\u003Efairer\u003C\/i\u003E. The division semifinals, semantically, become cross-over quarter-finals. Winnipeg (second-best overall record) would host a game against the sixth overall team, which is currently the B.C. Lions. The fourth seed would host the fifth seed. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf the playoffs were beginning today, these would be the matchups:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECross-over playoffs:\u003Cbr \/\u003E(6) B.C. at (3) Winnipeg\u003Cbr \/\u003E(5) Edmonton at (4) Saskatchewan\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEast final:\u003Cbr \/\u003EHighest remaining seed at (2) Toronto\u003Cbr \/\u003ELowest remaining seed at (1) Calgary\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe league has market placement at either end of the country on the penultimate Sunday of the season — everyone happy, or at least, less upset.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBridge to the CFL's lost generation. \u003C\/b\u003EShould it be a bigger deal that Brandon Bridge of Mississauga, Ontario, is playing quarterback, and playing quarterback well, for the playoff-bound Saskatchewan Roughriders? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is still early in game for the 25-year-old quarterback's career, and Bridge he has tried only 139 passes in the CFL over nearly three seasons. Those are not disclaimers, though, since that is still farther than any Canadian QB has advanced in the last quarter-century, since\u003Cb\u003E Guilio Caravatta \u003C\/b\u003Eand\u003Cb\u003E Larry Jusdanis \u003C\/b\u003Eonly made token late-season starts in the mid-1990s. So, absolutely, the story was under-reported last weekend after Bridge led Saskatchewan to a win against Toronto. \u003Cbr \/\u003E|\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen again, the sport media consumer really needed that 101st take on\u003Cb\u003E Auston Matthews\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EWow is Brandon Bridge ever impressive today. Looks like the 2nd coming if Warren Moon.\u003C\/div\u003E— Bob Irving (@BobIrvingCJOB) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BobIrvingCJOB\/status\/916788810301661184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 7, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EBrandon Bridge is talented, Canadian and speaks french. He was perfect for the Montreal market.\u003C\/div\u003E— Didier Orméjuste (@DidierRDS) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DidierRDS\/status\/916790832535138305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 7, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EI think Brandon Bridge should be starting - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TSNDaveNaylor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@TSNDaveNaylor\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey should stay w\/ Glenn but have him on short leash - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FarhanLaljiTSN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@FarhanLaljiTSN\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CFL?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#CFL\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— CFL News (@CFL_News) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CFL_News\/status\/918552799134265346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe problem with marketing Bridge, apart from the obvious fact it will not happen until he is an anointed No. 1 starter (Because Football), might not lie with the CFL. It's us; while a healthy Canadian skepticism is good, this is where it becomes pound-foolish. One can mentally picture the knees jerking: \u003Ci\u003Eif he's so good, then why isn't he in the NFL, huh?\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Canadians are still generally suspect of anyone trying to achieve success on their terms \u003Ci\u003Ein\u003C\/i\u003E Canada. Never mind that a Canadian has to be demonstrably better than, literally and rhetorically, 100 available Americans to be a ratio-breaker at quarterback or running back.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, the influence any league needs to cultivate is not that subset of the population. It's with children getting into sports who are looking for athletes they can identify with. The problem is, with cord-cutting and market fragmentation and a cratering traditional media, the means to connect a uniquely Canadian sports hero with the seven-year-old kids of 2017 is broken.|\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EFinally, some university sports talk ...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHas the \"Western has thrown a lot of interceptions\" well run dry? \u003C\/b\u003EHell to the nah! Like the lightbulb being screwed in by any number of psychiatrists, the Mustangs have to want to change their ways in the passing phase. Coach \u003Cb\u003EGreg Marshall \u003C\/b\u003Eis working on that after three seasons in a row of failing to advance past the Yates Cup. The Ontario teams which have broken through the Laval force-field in this century — 2005 Laurier (who didn't have to play Laval), 2009 Queen's and 2011 McMaster — all had aerial-circus capability.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for the progress of those initiatives, Western has thrown an OUA-most nine interceptions. That is glaring for a team that makes opponents honour the run so much. At this point, it just doesn't matter since Western also leads OUA in points, yards and rushing (46, 595 and 289 per game, rounded off), as well as yards per rush at 7.4 a tote.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Mustangs are ninth in red-zone conversions at 51 per cent and eighth in touchdown\/interception ratio (10-9). Against Laval or Montréal in November, a team probably has to be at 75 per cent or greater at finishing off drives with touchdowns instead of field goals. Short fields for the opponent created by interceptions are also killers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat being said, the Mustangs are the class of Ontario and probably have the highest odds of anyone at playing in Vanier Cup, due to the semifinal rotation. (Prove me wrong, rest of OUA and AUS, prove me wrong.) Whom is fooling whom?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo is all but buried, but ones comes to praise them. \u003C\/b\u003EWhile Waterloo has\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/oua.ca\/sports\/fball\/2017-18\/teams?sort=thdpct\u0026amp;r=0\u0026amp;pos=con\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eregressed, it has converted more third-down gambles (19 on 41 tries) than all but three other OUA teams have attempted\u003C\/a\u003E. Some of that is dictated by game circumstances, but the Warriors' taking the nothing-to-lose approach is a huge contrast to another longtime straggler, York, being 1-for-10 all season. Who cares enough about York football to second-guess a coach for giving his offence more opportunities?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYou could see why this had to end, clearly. \u003C\/b\u003ENever mind sharing memories of one's own school-days. This is what the atmosphere was like at a Queen's Homecoming football game, at the second iteration of Richardson Stadium, as recently as three years ago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/KPWhfgKBUAM\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KPWhfgKBUAM?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"320\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe stadium will be full, but with only 2,000 free student tickets distributed, the atmosphere and energy cannot be what it was at the old Richardson Stadium, where admission was first-come, first-served. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHaving that dedicated student side opposite the main grandstand created a tremendous back-and-forth between the contemporary students and the rest of the Queen's and Kingston community. The former had to live up to the image, even if it didn't match the reality of most football Saturdays, and the latter got to have a chuckle and remember that they were young once, too. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat grandstand at a homecoming game, or when Queen's went on a playoff run — did I just date myself — also represented a notion that's fallen out of fashion in the contemporary university, the idea that you got to circulate among people who were fundamentally different from you. I'm idealizing it, of course, but people who had nothing in common beyond attending Queen's (and yes, I'm aware of the university's reputation for not exactly reflecting the polyglot of Canada) were brought together, for the cost of nothing more than a 10-minute walk to the a stadium and a flash of their student card. A lot of the first world's problems stem from excessive self-sorting, but here the upper-middle-class city kid in commerce and the rural kid majoring in history could understand each other a little more.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EQueen's Homecoming is over 85% sold out. Don't delay get your tickets now! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GBNITNtf83\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/GBNITNtf83\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Queenshomecoming?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Queenshomecoming\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/queensu?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#queensu\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1M0mBJ4qtW\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/1M0mBJ4qtW\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Queen's Gaels (@queensgaels) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/queensgaels\/status\/918272594054402051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EI didn't always feel welcome or accepted at Queen's, but that was one place that was the exception.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EI got your \"force majeure\" right here!\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Please keep a Spockian eyebrow cocked for \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.journaldequebec.com\/2017\/10\/10\/football-universitaire-un-comite-dappel-se-penchera-sur-le-match-annule-entre-les-carabins-et-les-stingers\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehow the RSEQ rules next week on appeals of the recent Montréal-Concordia cancellation. Each school has appealed the decision to call off the game due to a gastroenteritis outbreak among U de M supporters, with Sherbrooke\u003C\/a\u003E. (The best finish the Vert et Or can achieve is 3-5, but if Concordia finishes 3-4 it will be considered the higher-placed team.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat remedy could be applied at this stage of the game is unclear. Montréal, if it is to be taken at its word, did not have enough players to field a credible team. But the junior hockey meme \"because it's the Q\" could come into play.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMystery meet-up. \u003C\/b\u003EUnless you're plugged into both teams or don't have social anxiety that makes it impossible to pick up a phone and ask, you don't know who will quarterback Guelph on Saturday or line up on \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.therecord.com\/sports-story\/7611051-golden-hawks-play-for-position\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ELaurier's banged-up defence\u003C\/a\u003E.\" That is great for the element of surprise, but a potential fan would love to know whether Guelph QB\u003Cb\u003E James Roberts \u003C\/b\u003Eis game-ready for the Golden Hawks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe CFL posts PDFs of team depth charts on the day before a game. It would not be that hard for a university league to do the same.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImagine the ratings if everyone who tweeted about Dart Guy getting a gig listened to TSN Radio.\u003C\/b\u003E Yours truly touched a nerve on Wednesday.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EWhat a slap across the face to everyone putting in reps in sports media who, y'know, actually put in reps in sports media. Shame on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TSN?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#TSN\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/b1US3Xlc6t\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/b1US3Xlc6t\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Neate Sager (@n8sager) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/n8sager\/status\/918236261562966017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EIt was confrontational and sensational, and of course we are just talking about empty-calories entertainment, but I stand by it. That was for all the hard-working, creative people\u0026nbsp; shut out of a field that is hemorrhaging jobs and has a corporate-mandated monotone sameness to it all. Did the format really need another\u0026nbsp; Hockey Bro from southern Ontario's near hinterlands?\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EI write about hockey for a living and have been on radio. I'm fine. Way too many smart hockey women and PoC who won't get Dart Guy chances. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/l6bBFTSmw1\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/l6bBFTSmw1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Ian McLaren (@iancmclaren) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iancmclaren\/status\/918547357364576256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDoes U Sports hockey need a pre-season showcase weekend? \u003C\/b\u003EIt does seem like the university hockey season has a soft opening. It would do a lot for university puck's profile, both on the men's and women's side, to have a weekend where league games are played on a single site, similar to events held by the USHL and some Junior A leagues.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's all about taking the little-known league to the people, for lack of a less cliché way to put it. The fringe benefit would be that it would be a heat check to see whether a city and university can drum up enough spectator support, in order to host a future nationals. Just a thought.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMost important sports writing of the week.\u003C\/b\u003E Definitely \u003Cb\u003EDave Lozo \u003C\/b\u003Eon the inherent limitations of symbolic gestures at sports events after terrible events.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EI wrote pissed off in Las Vegas \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/P9HXFU5uBI\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/P9HXFU5uBI\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Dave Lozo (@davelozo) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davelozo\/status\/918179660587941888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 11, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe mic drop:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EIt's dangerously unhealthy that nearly 60 people were murdered by a man with an automatic assault rifle and what we're talking about a little more than a week later is how it helped create momentum in a stupid, meaningless sports game. For instance: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"That was unbelievable for us,\" said Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant. \"Tonight was about honoring and remembering the victims. So we came out real strong. To get those four goals was unbelievable.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThe most apt cherry-picked contrast is likely the response in England after the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989, which killed 96 people. That led to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Taylor_Report\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ecommission of the Taylor Report and a huge upgrade in safety standards in soccer stadiums\u003C\/a\u003E. It took time and thoroughness, but the Now Is Not The Time crowd was rightly shouted down.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENot sticking to sports; or, how I am learning to take wins where I can get them.\u003C\/b\u003E My subway read over the last week was Franklin Foer's 2004 book \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.ca\/How-Soccer-Explains-World-Globalization\/dp\/0061978051\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EHow Soccer Explains The World\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, which turned out to be topical. One of the final chapters explored how soccer has been dragged into the blue\/red culture wars in the United States.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut one observation of Foer's that has stuck is that it's hard to be a liberal and find a soccer team aligned with one's political sensibilities. That is probably true for all sports. After all, what sports give us — clear, unambiguous win-or-lose outcomes; emotions and feelings overriding common sense; vicariously projecting social Darwinism on to genetically superior people (let's be honest), appeal to conservatives and rightists.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut it might actual be the mark of a Big Boy Sport that athletes expressing themselves is respected:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EI wrote a thing that will definitely eliminate political strife once and for all:\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VQ3kX7MG24\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/VQ3kX7MG24\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; Varada (a mummy) (@thisthreetime) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thisthreetime\/status\/918475865486368768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI do get challenged by friends, questions along the lines of, \"How can you be progressive and like football?\" The easy answer is that human beings are complex and self-contradicting, period, full stop. The larger perspective is that despite all the times I get a \"stick to sports!\" Twitter response, sports-liking lends itself to a healthy form of code-switching and getting to meet \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/film\/2016\/apr\/06\/everybody-wants-some-richard-linklater-partisan-politics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Esomeone who differs from us in (a) fundamental way\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Some of this perspective is informed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/film\/2016\/apr\/06\/everybody-wants-some-richard-linklater-partisan-politics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eby an April 2016 essay by Noah Gittell in \u003Ci\u003EThe Guardian\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E about the largely unseen but brilliant bro-comedy \u003Ci\u003EEverybody Wants Some!!\u003C\/i\u003E, the filmmaker \u003Cb\u003ERichard Linklater\u003C\/b\u003E's\u0026nbsp; 1980-set self-described spiritual sequel to \u003Ci\u003EDazed and Confused\u003C\/i\u003E. The gist of it:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ELinklater’s script drops life lessons into the proceedings, bits of bro-Zen wisdom like “Embrace your inner weird, man!” and “We all take turns being chumps. You just have to accept your chumpification and pass it on.” It’s easy to breeze over these aphorisms, but they dovetail effectively with the film’s political resonance. They ask us to let down our defenses and experience life with an open mind and heart.\u003C\/blockquote\u003ECall it naive to expect that openness in strangers on the internet, but it beats putting up walls.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFarther along the same tangent, though, is a reality that what the media calls \"left\" and \"right\" really involves a subset who have made \u003Ci\u003Emoronity\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;a life choice. They get roiled when their political masters say \"jump.\" Opposing an updated sexual education curriculum that includes, gasp, consent education. Getting angry over tax law changes that will never affect anyone in their income bracket. Insisting that constitutionally enshrined rights for the usual suspects (women, racialized people, LGBTQ+) should be re-negotiated, when the majority has moved on. Getting news from Facebook. And so on.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ENew from me: Trolls, Scammers, and Verified Facebook Pages Made This Combat-Wounded Vet an Anti-Kneeling Meme\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ox1NvQ4Jhw\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/Ox1NvQ4Jhw\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/oneunderscore__\/status\/918461999490719745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECircling back, though, while there really isn't a big-league sports team for the centre-left humanist, there is no harm in taking glee when karma throws a wicked curve.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EExhibit A: One has to laugh like hell at the chain of events with the Dallas Cowboys. Owner \u003Cb\u003EJerry Jones \u003C\/b\u003Ethreatens to bench players for participating in inequality protests during the U.S. national anthem ...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EUnion hits Jerry Jones with charge over threat to bench protesters: ‘He needs to get back in his lane’ \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8A3H9YjsfI\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/8A3H9YjsfI\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Raw Story (@RawStory) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RawStory\/status\/918493583598071809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E... and then his team loses its starting running back to a suspension. (There's a union issue involved, but still, it hurts Jerry Jones.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ENFL: Ezekiel Elliott's suspension begins immediately \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/s06nXwkdVN\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/s06nXwkdVN\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ProFootballTalk\/status\/918600168576110594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ENFLPA says it is considering all options in Ezekiel Elliott case \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QBtqpRJzZe\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/QBtqpRJzZe\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Liz Mullen (@SBJLizMullen) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SBJLizMullen\/status\/918630751913967616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 13, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt looks good on an owner who goes to the wall to for players who commit intimate partner violence, but rolls over when a demonstration might affect his bottom line. Similarly, one can empathize with fans of the Cleveland baseball team after their season ended so abruptly, but it looks good on one player who was getting into arguments on Twitter \u003Cem\u003Eduring a game\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EDid Trevor Bauer’s support for Trump cost Indians the ALDS? \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pqWmt6CTzL\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/pqWmt6CTzL\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zyhKSUXELo\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/zyhKSUXELo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Newsweek (@Newsweek) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Newsweek\/status\/918607245901991936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 12, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003EHave a great rest of the week. \u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7035768548388959779\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/10\/in-for-dozen-cfls-competitive-balance.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7035768548388959779"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7035768548388959779"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/10\/in-for-dozen-cfls-competitive-balance.html","title":"In For A Dozen: CFL's competitive balance, nit-picking Western's passing stats \u0026 not sticking to sports"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/KPWhfgKBUAM\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-4559052722656350017"},"published":{"$t":"2017-10-06T02:04:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-10-07T20:47:27.050-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Thanksgiving weekend Top 10 (and OUA Clusterfudge '17) tracker"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Cinderella has turned into a pumpkin in Ontario, right on time for Thanksgiving weekend. It was fun buying in on Waterloo while it lasted, but they are who we worried they were.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈 TOUCHDOWN GAELS 🏈\u003Cbr \/\u003EPuskas does it all! Receiving TD Gaels are up 42-17 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CdhrkMtgYz\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/CdhrkMtgYz\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Queen's Gaels (@queensgaels) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/queensgaels\/status\/916100008650428416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 6, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-video\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🏈 TOUCHDOWN GAELS 🏈\u003Cbr \/\u003EMann picks up the fumble and takes it to the house! 58-17 Gaels lead \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ztCHmq9S65\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/ztCHmq9S65\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Queen's Gaels (@queensgaels) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/queensgaels\/status\/916105659778764807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 6, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe Gaels shone bright tonight!!💡⭐ Queen's crushes Waterloo 68-17 in the first ever night game at Richardson Stadium 🏈 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QHEWaPEWBq\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/QHEWaPEWBq\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Queen's Gaels (@queensgaels) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/queensgaels\/status\/916111384294944769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 6, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E Waterloo has allowed an average of almost 59 points and 548 yards over the last four weeks. Their only head-to-head tiebreaker among the teams likely to end up in the anticipated logjam for the final OUA playoff berths is against Carleton (thanks to that 45-43 win on Sept. 23). But that could be potential be taken out of play, since Queen's now comes out ahead in a three-way tiebreaker scenario with Waterloo and Carleton.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat might be the real downside of Waterloo getting exposed is that their four-win streak effectively ran cover for what's been a very according-to-form OUA season; no upsets, no to-the-wire scorefests. Western is rolling, even though some people believe they're not on the level of some of the teams that were Vanier-conversation worthy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003Ethis may be the worst Stangs team in a decade but have the best chance to win a Vanier\u003C\/div\u003E— BrentLaleCTV (@BrentLaleCTV) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrentLaleCTV\/status\/916475400221548545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 7, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis will be succinct (ha!), since only four ranked teams are even playing over the holiday weekend.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontréal (4-0 RSEQ, game cancelled) \u003C\/b\u003E— So Montréal wanted to push back the game date against Concordia and Concordia demurred, at least according to\u003Cb\u003E Danny Maciocia\u003C\/b\u003E. The only change is the point-differential tiebreaker that's effectively created a two-game, total-points affray between the Carabins and Laval every year is now out of play, since the playoffs will be seeded by winning percentage. That means it's either Montréal finishing 7-0 ahead of Laval at 6-2, or 7-1 Laval getting top spot ahead of 6-1 Montréal.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"fr\"\u003EMatch annulé | Danny Maciocia en désaccord : \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lgbCcHOujA\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/lgbCcHOujA\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Carabins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Carabins\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/The_Stingers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@The_Stingers\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QOna46MBgQ\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/QOna46MBgQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— TVA Sports (@TVASports) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TVASports\/status\/916037639677054976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 5, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary (5-0 Canada West, bye week)\u003C\/b\u003E — Note to self: get to some women's hockey games this season.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EProud to be part of World Girls Hockey Weekend as we drop the puck on the 2017-18 season! Home opener Saturday at 6 pm \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WGIHW?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#WGIHW\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jXo7g9hwPZ\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/jXo7g9hwPZ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Dinos WHKY (@DinosWHKY) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DinosWHKY\/status\/915004820490035200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 3, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval (5-1 RSEQ, 46-15 win at Sherbrooke)\u003C\/b\u003E — L\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast year \u003Cb\u003EAntony Auclair\u003C\/b\u003E won a Vanier Cup and on Thursday he played against the team that won the Super Bowl last season.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ELooking for the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rougeetor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@rougeetor\u003C\/a\u003E's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Auclair81?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Auclair81\u003C\/a\u003E on the field tonight in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bucs?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Bucs\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Patriots?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Patriots\u003C\/a\u003E game? He's wearing 82 \u0026amp; is on the punt cover unit \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Usports?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Usports\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/18SPR3YtgE\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/18SPR3YtgE\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DGelevan\/status\/916107872924307457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 6, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern (7-0 OUA, 51-14 home win against Carleton) — \u003C\/b\u003EAnother pro forma pummeling from the purple ponies, who hung half-a-hundred on Carleton in a reprise of the 2016 OUA semifinal.It was a slaughter on stat sheet with Western gaining almost 700 yards and combining Carleton for close to three bills in penalties (a combined 29 accepted flags for 295 yards). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOnce again, they had a multi-interception game in the passing phase that left blemishes on the stat line of\u003Cb\u003E Chris Merchant\u003C\/b\u003E (300 passing on 7.4 adjusted net yards\/attempt, plus another 42 rushing) and it didn't make a single difference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow Western has a well-earned 29-day wait for a meaningful game, the OUA semifinal against the lowest remaining seed on Nov. 4. What does\u003Cb\u003E Greg Marshall\u003C\/b\u003E have planned for all that down time?\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EFOOTBALL | Mustangs look to lock up first place against Carleton: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Fabkihrdee\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/Fabkihrdee\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wAWZe59fWg\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/wAWZe59fWg\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Western Mustangs (@WesternMustangs) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs\/status\/916098003290685442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 6, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier (5-1 OUA, 53-31 road win against York) — \u003C\/b\u003EScorefest was as close as 12 points late in the third quarter before the Golden Hawks pulled away. One has to wonder about Laurier's defence with the points and yards it has been allowing lately. The D was on the field for 75 snaps against York. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EM🏈 WITH ANOTHER WIN 🔥 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WeAreHAWKS?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#WeAreHAWKS\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/94sktt2io6\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/94sktt2io6\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WLUAthletics\/status\/916131633685725184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 6, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat brings up a mental picture of well-rested Guelph with a well-rested\u003Cb\u003E Johnny Augustin\u003C\/b\u003E churning out first downs and keeping \u003Cb\u003EMichael Knevel\u003C\/b\u003E and the Attractions doing endless sound checks on the sideline.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster (5-1 OUA, 43-6 road win against Toronto) — \u003C\/b\u003EThe Marauders defence allowed its first touchdown all year against an opponent other than Western when Toronto's \u003Cb\u003EWill Corby \u003C\/b\u003Ecaught a 17-yard scoring pass late in the second quarter, ending the streak at 17 quarters.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\\With a home game against Windsor next week, it's tempting to say Mac might not give up another one until the Oct. 21 game at Laurier, which is surely going to decide who gets the bye to the OUA semifinal.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EA good crowd on a beautiful night to see our \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/McMasterSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@McMasterSports\u003C\/a\u003E take on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Varsity_Blues?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Varsity_Blues\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoMacGo?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoMacGo\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MfqX2fwDP7\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/MfqX2fwDP7\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Glen Grunwald (@grunwald_glen) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/grunwald_glen\/status\/916077194987954183?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 5, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EPost game wrap up on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TSN1150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@TSN1150\u003C\/a\u003E from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BubbaCHCH?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@BubbaCHCH\u003C\/a\u003E and I at Varsity Stadium as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/McMasterSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@McMasterSports\u003C\/a\u003E defeated \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UofTBluesFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UofTBluesFB\u003C\/a\u003E 43-6 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yVIwhFuvyf\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/yVIwhFuvyf\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Steve Clark (@SteveClarkMedia) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveClarkMedia\/status\/916293861785432065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 6, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC (3-2 Canada West, bye week)\u003C\/b\u003E — This might be the greatest teaser text for a feature on a field hockey player, ever.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIt broke her face, but not Abbey MacLellan's spirit \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bRvPjf3v9N\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/bRvPjf3v9N\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gwVdE530We\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/gwVdE530We\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Province Sports (@provincesports) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/provincesports\/status\/915599931070496768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 4, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERegina\u0026nbsp;(3-2 Canada West, bye week)\u003C\/b\u003E — Uh, go Roughriders?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's (4-1* AUS, bye week)\u003C\/b\u003E — Have full control of their destiny in spite of the forfeit.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ENew AUS football standings to reflect SMU forfeit to X: SMU (4-1), X (3-2), Acadia (3-2), Bishop's (1-3), Mount A (1-4).\u003C\/div\u003E— monty mosher (@justplainmonty) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/justplainmonty\/status\/915959029704294400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 5, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph (3-3 OUA, bye week) \u003C\/b\u003E— I think I posted yesterday that a four-way tie for the last two playoff berths probably involves Guelph upsetting Laurier, then losing against Carleton. Guelph does seem capable of playing with anyone, but also capable of losing to almost anyone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAlso receiving votes:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa (4-2 OUA, bye week) \u003C\/b\u003E— A few good plays from being 5-1. A few more plays from being 1-5, since three wins were by a combined 13 points. With one more Carleton loss, one more Guelph loss and an Ottawa win next week, the Gee-Gees would get their first home playoff game since 2011.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd if you noticed that the first two teams in that scenario whose playoff hopes are fraying are also the two non-combatants for York, congratulations. Carleton's other non-combatant is also winless Windsor, while Guelph missed Queen's.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan (2-3, bye week) \u003C\/b\u003E— Only listed due to getting five points from voters, after three consecutive losses. I don't get the logic here, people.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo (4-3 OUA, 68-17 road loss against Queen's)\u003C\/b\u003E — Remember \u003Cb\u003EDave Chappelle\u003C\/b\u003E's\u003Ci\u003E The Three Daves \u003C\/i\u003Esketch? Here it is, applied to the author and involving Queen's and Waterloo:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1997 Sags:\u003C\/b\u003E Spent several weeks in a snit because Queen's best chance of winning a Vanier during his undergrad years was thwarted by Ottawa, while over in Ontario, Waterloo could, and did, win a conference championship running the goddamned wishbone offence. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis would result in a lot of aimless wandering around downtown Kingston, uncompleted course readings, and playing Marcy Playground's\u003Ci\u003E Sex and Candy \u003C\/i\u003Eso many times that eventually his housemates had to take the CD.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2007 Sags: \u003C\/b\u003EWrote apoplectic e-mails to any Top 10 voters he could find when Waterloo was nationally ranked after starting 3-0 with wins against Windsor, York and Toronto, while Queen's was left out after beating Western, McMaster and Guelph because damned if that didn't fit a narrative of being unjustly overlooked. Became really insufferable when Queen's beat Waterloo by 40-some points at Richardson Stadium in October.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2017 Sags:\u003C\/b\u003E Went along for the ride when Waterloo was nationally ranked after starting 4-0 with wins against Windsor, York, Toronto and Carleton. Just felt empathetic when Queen's beat Waterloo by 50-some points at Richardson Stadium in October.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EConcordia (2-3 RSEQ, cancellation)\u003C\/b\u003E — In a just world, the Stingers would get a chance to show how they stack up against Ontario's upper lower middle class.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton (2-4 OUA, 51-14 road loss against at No. 4 Western)\u003C\/b\u003E — All playoff hopes are not lost for the Ravens, who finish with back-to-back home games against Toronto and Guelph. Based on how three-team tiebreakers work, though, they need someone to knock off Queen's.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/4559052722656350017\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/10\/football-thanksgiving-weekend-top-10.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4559052722656350017"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4559052722656350017"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/10\/football-thanksgiving-weekend-top-10.html","title":"Football: Thanksgiving weekend Top 10 (and OUA Clusterfudge '17) tracker"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7726313592238874073"},"published":{"$t":"2017-10-01T18:30:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-10-01T22:04:31.584-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Regina Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stingers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Calgary and Western make statements with decisive road wins, Regina drops 50 on the Huskies; Guelph guts out win "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A bold Calgary statement on a cold Friday night. The No. 2-ranked Dinos, on the margin of 21 unanswered in the third quarter, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/canadawest.org\/sports\/fball\/2017-18\/boxscores\/20170929_j9wm.xml?view=plays\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewon 31-17 on the road against No. 6 UBC\u003C\/a\u003E, which could help them cadge a few more first-place votes from idle Montréal. The Dinos received five in last week's poll, and had one two weeks ago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere's what I submitted.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EMy \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/USports?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#USports\u003C\/a\u003E FB top-10:\u003Cbr \/\u003E1) Calgary\u003Cbr \/\u003E2) Montréal\u003Cbr \/\u003E3) Western\u003Cbr \/\u003E4) Laval\u003Cbr \/\u003E5) Laurier\u003Cbr \/\u003E6) UBC\u003Cbr \/\u003E7) McMaster\u003Cbr \/\u003E8) SMU\u003Cbr \/\u003E9) Regina\u003Cbr \/\u003E10) Guelph\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/UAgree?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#UAgree\u003C\/a\u003E? \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/OUA?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#OUA\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Neate Sager (@n8sager) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/n8sager\/status\/914643994600189952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 2, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EOther, greater minds of more refined taste are fortunately on hand to balance out the ballot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EMy \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/USports?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#USports\u003C\/a\u003E FB top-10:\u003Cbr\u003E1) Calgary\u003Cbr\u003E2) Montreal\u003Cbr\u003E3) Western\u003Cbr\u003E4) Laval\u003Cbr\u003E5) Laurier\u003Cbr\u003E6) McMaster\u003Cbr\u003E7) UBC\u003Cbr\u003E8) Regina\u003Cbr\u003E9) St. Mary\u0026#39;s\u003Cbr\u003E10) Guelph\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/UAgree?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#UAgree\u003C\/a\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; Gord R. (@GARandall) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GARandall\/status\/914617098680205313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 1, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EHere\u0026#39;s my \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USports_FB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@USports_FB\u003C\/a\u003E Top 10-\u003Cbr\u003E1. Cal\u003Cbr\u003E2. MTL\u003Cbr\u003E3. Western\u003Cbr\u003E4. Laval\u003Cbr\u003E5. Mac\u003Cbr\u003E6. Regina\u003Cbr\u003E7.Laurier\u003Cbr\u003E8. UBC\u003Cbr\u003E9. SMU \u003Cbr\u003E10. Guelph\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026mdash; Casey Dulson (@Casey_Dulson) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Casey_Dulson\/status\/914671010447810561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 2, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs often happens on UFC cards, the preliminaries were better than the main bout in Ontario. Western is in the driver's seat for home-field advantage through to the Yates Cup. The other games involving teams which received votes this week beggar bullet-pointing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern was in control throughout against Laurier during a 29-13 road win.\u003C\/b\u003E That likely leaves the 4-5-6-7 spots unchanged, since the form held for all four teams.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe OUA was pushed toward parity thanks to two frantic finishes by teams who had the short end of the scheduling stick.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton outlasted Ottawa 33-30 in double overtime in the Panda Game,\u003C\/b\u003E making it four in a row in the rivalry game, with three decided on the final snap of the ball. The finish was controversial; to say the least.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph, behind young QB Theo Landers, defeated Waterloo 53-49 and put itself deeper in the Top 10 mix. \u003C\/b\u003ETalk about about a tale of two halves. The Gryphons had three first downs and 64 yards in the first 30 minutes. Then they scored 41 across the final 30 minutes. The Gryphons have two overtime losses against teams with winning records and lost quarterback \u003Cb\u003EJames Roberts \u003C\/b\u003Eduring their other defeat. That's enough to warrant a look at No. 9 or 10, if mostly due to a lack of other lead-pipe locks.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's continues to leave it to the last minute.\u003C\/b\u003E A 50-yard touchdown by\u003Cb\u003E Lerone Robinson \u003C\/b\u003Efrom\u003Cb\u003E Kaleb Scott\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the final 20 seconds vaulted the eastern Huskies to a homecoming-spoiling 22-21 road win against St. Francis Xavier.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESayonara, Concordia. \u003C\/b\u003EThe Stingers lost 30-13 at home to Sherbrooke ... losing to a heretofore winless team seems to be happening a lot lately.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003ERegina will be sticking around for another week after beating Saskatchewan by a junior high school basketball score, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/canadawest.org\/sports\/fball\/2017-18\/boxscores\/20170929_ck5k.xml\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E50-40\u003C\/a\u003E, with \u003Cb\u003ENoah Picton\u003C\/b\u003E doing Noah Picton things. While it was a big fireworks display in the Paris of the Prairies, what it says about the calibre of the teams depends on how much of one or both flavours of green Kool-Aid the observer has consumed since August.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontréal (4-0 RSEQ, bye week) \u003C\/b\u003E— The Carabins are not in action this weekend. Then again, neither were the Alouettes,\u003Ci\u003E hi-yoooo! \u003C\/i\u003E(The Calgary Stampeders routed Montreal 59-11 on Friday.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ECan the Carabins and or Rouge et Or play for Als the rest of the year? They might give a damn, at least.\u003C\/div\u003E— Joel Gasson (@JGasson_21) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JGasson_21\/status\/913977306753798144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for bye weeks, Bronko Nagurski didn't get no bye weeks!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/NeHKEHIU5kA\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NeHKEHIU5kA?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"480\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary (5-0 Canada West, 31-17 road win against at No. 6 UBC) \u003C\/b\u003E— The Dinos are No. 1 as far as Eastern bastard is concerned, especially since they essentially have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs on lock, barring several misfortunes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Dinos got their first big night out of Richard Sindani, the receiver who previously starred at Regina and had a look-see from the CFL Stampeders in the pre-season. Sindani (four receptions, 63 yards) was Calgary's third option in the passinig phase, but he made the chunk-yardage catches that set up back-to-back Dinos touchdowns when they surged ahead in the third quarter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy the way, you might think you are cool, but you'll never be \"Michael Klukas flipping the ball after catching a touchdown on a corner route\" cool.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ETOUCHDOWN \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Dinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Dinos\u003C\/a\u003E! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/klukatron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@klukatron\u003C\/a\u003E hauls in the 20-yard pass from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adsinagra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@adsinagra\u003C\/a\u003E, and CGY leads 16-10 early 3rd \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hzpI91qm7j\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/hzpI91qm7j\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/913968104341872642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ETOUCHDOWN \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Dinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Dinos\u003C\/a\u003E! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/antwi_jeshrun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@antwi_jeshrun\u003C\/a\u003E with an 18-yard TD run, and it's 23-10 CGY with 5 to play in the 3rd \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wHKdX70RJH\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/wHKdX70RJH\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/913971775347630081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ETOUCHDOWN \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Dinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#Dinos\u003C\/a\u003E! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/antwi_jeshrun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@antwi_jeshrun\u003C\/a\u003E with another - this one through the air from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adsinagra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@adsinagra\u003C\/a\u003E - and it's 30-10 CGY late 3rd quarter \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoDinos\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7WVFzrqG8m\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/7WVFzrqG8m\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UCalgary Dinos (@UCDinos) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos\/status\/913974885415665664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval (3-1 RSEQ, 34-0 home win against McGill)\u003C\/b\u003E — Sus As the calendar flips to October, there is an impetus for Laval to make a big statement by routing McGill by about a bajillion points. But do we really need to see it? It's Laval. They'll have a huge say in how it plays out in the last three weeks of the season.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"fr\"\u003E🏈 Démonstration défensive du \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/rougeetor?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#rougeetor\u003C\/a\u003E contre \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/McGillAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@McGillAthletics\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDétails du gain de 34-0 dimanche: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026gt;\u0026gt; \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nEExYmWFcP\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/nEExYmWFcP\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026lt;\u0026lt;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoLaval?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoLaval\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qqsDmDleb6\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/qqsDmDleb6\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Rouge et Or (@rougeetor) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rougeetor\/status\/914603669106171911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 1, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"fr\"\u003E🏈 MATHIEU BETTS! Sac du quart dans la zone des buts = touché de sûreté, 26-0 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/rougeetor?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#rougeetor\u003C\/a\u003E sur \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/McGillAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@McGillAthletics\u003C\/a\u003E (4:19 3e Q) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FootRSEQ?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#FootRSEQ\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoLaval?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoLaval\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/z67n20Jehq\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/z67n20Jehq\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Rouge et Or (@rougeetor) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rougeetor\/status\/914568798161850371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 1, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003ELaval D-halfbacks \u003Cb\u003EKevin McGee\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EGabriel Ouellet\u003C\/b\u003E sat out one-game suspensions after delivering hits to the head against Concordia on Sept. 25.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"fr\"\u003EDÉCISION DU RSEQ: \u003Cbr \/\u003E-Aucune action vs. #36 du Rouge et Or sur T. Miller.\u003Cbr \/\u003E-Un match de suspension au #24 du R\u0026amp;O. Contact sur joueur vulnérable\u003C\/div\u003E— CA Sinotte (@CASinotte) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CASinotte\/status\/913797604684820481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 29, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern (6-0 OUA, 29-13 road win against No. 5 Laurier)\u003C\/b\u003E — The running game is still a thing! Western averaged 7.8 yards per tote with Alex Taylor and Cedric Joseph offering the lightning-thunder combo while Chris Merchant put up totals one would have seen in Norman, Okla., circa 1975, with 109 yards passing and 143 rushing. Laurier's Michael Knevel had 317 yards, but it was an empty-calories 300 with a lot of it coming on underneath routes.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ELaurier moving the ball through the air but the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E playing soft hoping the clock runs down\u003C\/div\u003E— Morris Dalla Costa (@MoDaCoatLFPress) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoDaCoatLFPress\/status\/914210174575022080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WesternMustangs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WesternMustangs\u003C\/a\u003E win huge game over Laurier 29-13. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ldnont?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#ldnont\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/oua?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#oua\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Morris Dalla Costa (@MoDaCoatLFPress) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoDaCoatLFPress\/status\/914213055025831936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EFrom the looks it, the 'Stangs defence made Laurier relatively one-dimensional, with defensive back Bleska Kambabma causing the victory-sealing takeaway. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier (4-1 OUA, 29-13 home defeat against No. 4 Western) \u003C\/b\u003E— The Golden Hawks will probably be No. 5 and holding, since everyone behind them either lost, played lesser competition or doesn't have the overall body of work.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ECongrats to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WLUAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@WLUAthletics\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KurleighG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@KurleighG\u003C\/a\u003E with his 18 catches he moves into second in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OUAsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@OUAsport\u003C\/a\u003E record books for most catches in a game\u003C\/div\u003E— Jason (@JHagholm1) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHagholm1\/status\/914235659333902336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EExtra cold tubs might be in Laurier wideout \u003Cb\u003EKurleigh Gittens Jr.\u003C\/b\u003E's future after making 18 receptions for 174 yards. If memory serves, the single-game high of 19 is held by another Golden Hawk,\u003Cb\u003E André Talbot\u003C\/b\u003E, who played in the late 1990s.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC (3-2 Canada West, 31-17 home defeat agianst Calgary)\u003C\/b\u003E — Do the T-Birds get dropped after a decisive home loss against the best team in the country? They probably should hold their spot, since they were competitive in three out of four quarters.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E6 degrees of parity, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CanadaWest?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@CanadaWest\u003C\/a\u003E 🏈 style:\u003Cbr \/\u003EAB beats MB who beat UofR who beat UBC who beat SK who beat AB\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5 weeks in, only UofC is unscathed\u003C\/div\u003E— Brian Swane (@BrianSwane) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrianSwane\/status\/913996355672039426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETrue, Regina did beat UBC, and Regina's results against Calgary and Saskatchewan are comparable to the Thunderbirds', give and take a few points and where the games were played. But Regina lost last week to winless Manitoba which proceeded to lose at home to winless Alberta. That looks pretty bad. As for UBC's blackout uniforms, those are just bad-ass.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIt's Black Out night tonight (6:30 pm) at Thunderbird Stadium. UBC dons new black jerseys tonight vs. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UCDinos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@UCDinos\u003C\/a\u003E ! Here's a sneak peak! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ubctbirds?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@ubctbirds\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USports_FB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@USports_FB\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UqKUBDiPKL\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/UqKUBDiPKL\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Howard Tsumura (@htsumura) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/htsumura\/status\/913918508118925312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheTrueQB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@TheTrueQB\u003C\/a\u003E ▶️ \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Tha_RisingStar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@Tha_RisingStar\u003C\/a\u003E 💣\u003Cbr \/\u003E'Birds on the board at 'Black Out'.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BirdsvsDinos?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#BirdsvsDinos\u003C\/a\u003E | \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBirdsGo?src=hash\u0026amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E#GoBirdsGo\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NtG1y7rkgM\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/NtG1y7rkgM\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ubctbirds\/status\/913949375868444672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003ELooking ahead, second place in Canada West will likely come down to the Rams-Thunderbirds on Oct. 28. Whoever wins would host the following week.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster (4-1 OUA, 32-2 home win against York)\u003C\/b\u003E — One Lyons was better than 47 Lions, since \u003Cb\u003EJordan Lyons\u003C\/b\u003E rushed for 186 yards at 7.4 per tote. And\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EJackson White\u003C\/b\u003E had his first 300-yard passing day. Oh, and the Mac defence has now had four full games where it kept the opponents' offence out of the end zone. Maybe that should have been mentioned first.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcMaster is at Toronto on a short week before Thanksgiving. So is that drive for five? Or five without any drives?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EConcordia (2-3 RSEQ, 30-13 loss home loss against Sherbrooke)\u003C\/b\u003E — Take it away, Sarah McLachlan! \u003Ci\u003EI will remember you ...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E🐝🏈- FINAL \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PKgGbTtRfX\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/PKgGbTtRfX\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Concordia Stingers (@The_Stingers) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/The_Stingers\/status\/914241248621363200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ELe Vert \u0026amp; Or brise la glace \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QMM4o7tzJh\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/QMM4o7tzJh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Sébastien Lajoie (@sebastienlajoie) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sebastienlajoie\/status\/914285517851815941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EOctober 1, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EThe Stingers will drop out of the rankings after losing against a heretofore winless team. This seems to be happening a lot lately!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERegina (3-2 CW, 50-40 road win against at Saskatchewan.)\u003C\/b\u003E — Likely to scoot up to the vacant No. 8 spot after rolling up 50 points and 613 yards against their provincial rival. \u003Cb\u003ENoah Picton \u003C\/b\u003Ewas uber-efficient with 11.0 adjusted net yards \/ pass, throwing five touchdown passes without giving up an interception or a sack.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ERams beat Huskies, improve to 3-2!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E▶️ \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/npicton4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@npicton4\u003C\/a\u003E: 33-44, 384 yards, 5 TD passes, 1 TD rush\u003Cbr \/\u003E▶️ \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/At_simon10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@At_simon10\u003C\/a\u003E: 18-163, 1 TD rush, 1 TD catch \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RgJp7Ms0cd\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/RgJp7Ms0cd\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— U. of Regina Rams (@reginarams) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/reginarams\/status\/913982416464764928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EThe Rams and the Huskies combined for 90 points, 76 first downs and 1,143 yards, so of course that means embedding a clip of the victory-sealing strip-sack.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-video\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ENicholas Dheilly with the biggest defensive play of the game and the Rams get the ball back in Saskatchewan territory with 2 minutes to go! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/imnST7Z5Gl\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/imnST7Z5Gl\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— U. of Regina Rams (@reginarams) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/reginarams\/status\/913975328246075392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EOkay, fine, one offensive highlight, where Picton showed great self-awareness to throw a touchdown pass an instant before crossing the line of scrimmage on a scramble.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-video\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ERams with another touchdown! Noah Picton with his fifth TD pass of the game, this time to Schienbein! Rams up 43-32 in the fourth. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9P5Q6hIrRe\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/9P5Q6hIrRe\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— U. of Regina Rams (@reginarams) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/reginarams\/status\/913969044239220736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's (5-0 AUS, 22-21 road win against St. Francis Xavier)\u003C\/b\u003E — The hockey cliché for a player who is getting scoring chances with no goals to show for it is, \"all Swedish and no Finnish.\" The Huskies, once again, found themselves behind on the scoreboard and ahead on the stat sheet late in the game. The culprits? Having an interception inside St. FX's 20 and having a 12-play drive produce only a 20-yard field goal.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYet, when faced with needing to cover 97 yards in 86 seconds, they made it happen. The winning TD was an all-or-nothing, since it came on a second-and-12.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EHuskies earn 22-21 come-from-behind victory over X-Men - Saint Mary's University \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tIpo2cRMMh\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/tIpo2cRMMh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— SMU Huskies (@SMUHuskies) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SMUHuskies\/status\/914266485438152705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EQB Kaleb Scott picks up \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SubwayAtlantic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003E@SubwayAtlantic\u003C\/a\u003E player of the game with 288 yards passing, 68 yards rushing in 22-21 win over STFX \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KfdD6X3FTx\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/KfdD6X3FTx\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— SMU Huskies (@SMUHuskies) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SMUHuskies\/status\/914228591201746944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 30, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWith Concordia losing, Guelph should have the inside track on No. 10.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph (3-3 OUA, 53-49 road win against Waterloo)\u003C\/b\u003E — Guelph's been in too many of these, since this is at least the fifth time dating to 2009 that the Gryphons were in a game where the losing team scored at least 39 points. They simply wore out Waterloo through veteran rusher \u003Cb\u003EJohnny Augustine\u003C\/b\u003E (who had one yard at halftime and finished with 91, including the winning 22-yard scoring rush with 23 seconds left) and thrust-into-the-starting-job\u003Cb\u003E Theo Landers\u003C\/b\u003E responding by making plays with his arms and legs. As noted, two of their losses were in overtime and the other was to a decidedly better team.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa (4-2 OUA, 33-30 overtime defeat at home against Carleton)\u003C\/b\u003E — Given the emotional tumult of Ottawa's week with the death of \u003Cb\u003ELoïc Kayembe\u003C\/b\u003E last weekend, and the reality overtime is a crapshoot, there is a case for giving the Gee-Gees partial credit. Carleton, which got the last-play win on a quarterback keeper by \u003Cb\u003EMichael Arruda\u003C\/b\u003E (who was at the Gee-Gees training camp and left after a week last year — ouch), is better than its record. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut those who didn't have the Gee-Gees in will say a loss is a loss is a loss. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPerhaps the hell of it for Ottawa with this latest Panda heartbreaker was that the football cosmos gifted the Gee-Gees with a late break. The reason it went to overtime was because Carleton kicker\/punter\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMichael Domagala\u003C\/b\u003E flubbed a punt with 20 seconds left and the Ravens up by three after forcing a turnover on downs. That created the opportunity for Ottawa\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ELewis Ward \u003C\/b\u003Eto force overtime with a 45-yard field goal at the buzzer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen it all reversed in the second mini-game, when a holding call wiped out a touchdown by Ottawa running back \u003Cb\u003EBryce Vieira\u003C\/b\u003E. Two plays later, Vieira was stacked up trying to leap over the pile. So Ottawa got three points, so Carleton could win with a touchdown instead of needing one to match. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan (2-3 CW, home defeat against Regina.)\u003C\/b\u003E — The Huskies have been outscored 35-8 in their last two fourth quarters, and they have a 42-15 edge in third quarters. The glass-half-full takeaway from that is this is a well-coached team that makes the halftime adjustments, but might not have the athleticism to sustain it across an entire second half.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo (4-2 OUA, 53-49 home defeat against Guelph)\u003C\/b\u003E — Waterloo finishes on the road, with a short week before a Thursday game at Queen's, followed by a visit to Ottawa. Their playoff position isn't quite secure and honestly there could be a four-team pile-up of 4-4 squads for the last three spots.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENot sure how often this happens, but a two-play touchdown drive is still a two-out from the perspective of a defence. Waterloo was fighting the current the whole second half. Guelph got within six points through an 11-play touchdown drive to get within six. Waterloo put in its option wunderkind\u003Cb\u003E Tre Ford \u003C\/b\u003Eto shift momentum, which worked too well with Ford completing a 65-yard pass to set up his touchdown on the next play. Guelph went right back out and went 66 yards over seven plays to get right back in striking distance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStill, it took until the final 30 seconds for Guelph to get the decisive score.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESt. Francis Xavier (2-3 AUS, 22-21 home defeat against No. 10 Saint Mary's) \u003C\/b\u003E— The X-Men blocking group got \u003Cb\u003EJordan Socholotiuk\u003C\/b\u003E going, as he was a one-man show with 32 rushes for 210 yards. But SMU has Kaleb Scott.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease feel feelings for \u003Cb\u003EKeiran Burnham\u003C\/b\u003E, the X-Men punter. Burnham booted a 48-yarder into touch in the final two minutes to pin Saint Mary's.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7726313592238874073\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/09\/football-calgary-ubc-western-laurier.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7726313592238874073"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7726313592238874073"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/09\/football-calgary-ubc-western-laurier.html","title":"Football: Calgary and Western make statements with decisive road wins, Regina drops 50 on the Huskies; Guelph guts out win "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/NeHKEHIU5kA\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5919498891823123902"},"published":{"$t":"2017-09-27T18:19:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-11-05T15:26:22.144-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"In For A Dozen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pan Game"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"recruiting"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Roy Rana"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"In For A Dozen: Loïc Kayembe, heat warnings, a pox on Panda Game profanity and a kickoff-reduction rule"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EStuff that really should presented in podcast form, but let's not kid ourselves: you don't have time to listen! Instead it gets presented in written word format. How Web 2.0! In For A Dozen will be a weekly middle-of-the-week ritual that strives to put university sports in the context of a world where one can no longer Stick To Sports.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIt really beggars processing that Ottawa defensive end Loïc Kayembe is dead and his teammates are carrying on by trying to prepare for the Panda Game, which will be in front of a crowd that dwarfs their usual audience by a factor of 10.\u003C\/b\u003E One day the 24-year-old Kayembe was playing a football game. The next day the Congolese-born Montrealer was gone, leaving a void in dozens of lives. There's no predicting or extrapolating how the Gee-Gees will respond once they return to competition.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EJoin us before 12:50pm at TD Place on Saturday. We will be honouring Loic with a moment of silence prior to the start of the game. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LK49?src=hash\"\u003E#LK49\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— uOttawa Gee-Gees (@uOttawaGeeGees) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/uOttawaGeeGees\/status\/913063438729056256\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EA GoFundMe to help pay for Kayembe's memorial service reached its goal inside of a day.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EClick here to support In Memory of Loic Mukendi Kayembe organized by Stephanie Asenso \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hECtsD5A7z\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/hECtsD5A7z\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Mr.Ranger17 (@FrankSpanti17) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FrankSpanti17\/status\/912489060433883137\"\u003ESeptember 26, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHindsight is 20\/20, but it feels like 37 C.\u003C\/b\u003E It was stinking-hot in Ontario during the last two football Saturdays, with temperatures ranging above 30 C and high humidity, which was exacerbated by the sun's warming effect on rubber-pelleted FieldTurf playing surfaces.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo doubt every team took every precaution to make sure players were hydrated and had some shade on the sidelines. One does wonder — and please don't read this as finger-pointing — how humid it has to be before teams move game times away from the hottest time of day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELogistically, could there be some edict from on high to push a game times to late afternoon? It's one variable that can be controlled.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Panda Game is going to have a higher attendance than some teams will play in front of all season, again.\u003C\/b\u003E Both Carleton and Ottawa sold out their ticket allotments three days in advance.\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EOver 22k tickets have been sold for the Panda Game. Ottawa \u0026amp; Carleton have sold out their allotment. Only place to get tickets is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TD_Place\"\u003E@TD_Place\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E— AJ Jakubec (@AJonSports) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AJonSports\/status\/913071923885731842\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EOf course, what will be different is the sensitive situation with a death in the Gee-Gees football family. It's probably not going to stop Carleton supporters chanting, \"Fuck you Ottawa U\" and \"what the fuck's a Gee-Gee?\" \u003Ci\u003Ead nauseam\u003C\/i\u003E at the uOttawa team and students, with Gee-Gees supporters riposting in (un)kind with F-bombs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI have never been able to get on board with that being cute or endearing, which is how it seems to be portrayed by the schools and the Ottawa media. This isn't about political correctness; it's just about preferring creativity and originality to tacky, trite tribalism:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ethat's the best you can come up with?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe chants are going to happen, but it will seem tone-deaf, please excuse the wet-blanketing. At least Ottawa is the home team so it gets the north side of TD Place where the player benches are, while Carleton will get the south side. That could defuse any tension.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBasketball update: Tanor Ngom from Senegal, who comes advertised as a 7-foot-2 post player with NBA potential, is headed to Ryerson. That ... that seems like a good get. \u003C\/b\u003ENgom has\u0026nbsp; shown enough promise to represent Africa in the Basketball Without Borders event, and it probably doesn't require much exposition to explain that having him pick Ryerson over a D1 high-major down south speaks to the reputation of the OUA's Big Two.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RyersonRamsMBB\"\u003E@RyersonRamsMBB\u003C\/a\u003E bring in 7 recruits including 7'2\" Tanor Ngom, projected future NBA'er from Senegal 🇸🇳 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/weRrams?src=hash\"\u003E#weRrams\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E📝: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uhhYIYbewD\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/uhhYIYbewD\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KzsLBVje82\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/KzsLBVje82\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Ryerson Rams (@ryersonrams) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ryersonrams\/status\/913104786127556610\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RyersonRamsMBB\"\u003E@RyersonRamsMBB\u003C\/a\u003E add 7-foot-2 Tanor Ngom from Dakar, Senegal for the upcoming season. RU began recruiting him after camp in Senegal in May.\u003C\/div\u003E— Ben Waldman (@BenjWaldman) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BenjWaldman\/status\/913109466387816453\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo prospect has ever missed a shot on YouTube, but here is Ngom in competition. It's hard to glean much about his offensive game, since it's mostly finishing uncontested dunks against much smaller players. But he picks up a point guard on a switch!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/TVeJxrAHS1U\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TVeJxrAHS1U?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"480\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith the state-sponsored hostility toward Black, Muslim and Hispanic populations in the U.S., the time is now to advertise that Canada is a good place to study and play sports. It won't happen, though.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIf you care about university hockey, take some vicarious pride in San Jose Sharks wing Joel Ward, who said he might bring the protest movement against inequality to the NHL, being an Atlantic University Sport alumnus.\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;That's not the reason why Ward is considering speaking out, but his four seasons with the UPEI Panthers was obviously a different environment than most NHL players get in their early 20s.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EJoel Ward not ruling out taking a knee during the national anthem. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0aVvhq9dxS\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/0aVvhq9dxS\u003C\/a\u003E (via \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GackleReport\"\u003E@GackleReport\u003C\/a\u003E) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3bWcB6lDQc\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/3bWcB6lDQc\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Ian McLaren (@iancmclaren) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iancmclaren\/status\/912811439362072576\"\u003ESeptember 26, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003ECould kneel for both the Canadian and American anthems. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zl9IpjuNtO\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/zl9IpjuNtO\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Patrick O'Sullivan (@realPOSULLIVAN) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realPOSULLIVAN\/status\/913158806187716609\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003ETo those who call taking a knee symbolism, what do you think standing for the anthem is? Symbolism is important and should be chosen carefully.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOne digression from sticking to sports: Never underestimate America's ability to have a sports scandal conventionally come up when everyone should be mad about something else.\u003C\/b\u003E The FBI dragnet into corruption in college basketball, which has already taken down \u003Cb\u003ERick Pitino\u003C\/b\u003E at Louisville and is likely to ensnare further high-major D1 coaches, defys downplaying. When the FBI is looking into bribery and kickbacks, it goes well beyond \"what's always happened.\" And if it brings an end to the Shamateur Sports Industrial Complex in the States, so much the better.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt the same time, this taking up time in the conversation when the real scandal is having a president who, at worst, is willing to build a political base on white supremacy, and attained the office after an election that involved serious interference from a Hostile Foreign Power who shall remain nameless. What should really be the outrage that prompts a great reckoning?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Whether HFP's interference swung the outcome last November cannot be established, but the likelihood of one candidate winning Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin all by 1 per cent is extremely low. Also, it's been shown HFP tries to interfere with everyone's national elections.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIt's no coincidence that Trump picked a fight with NFL players and Russian trolls used it as an opportunity to seed division on social media\u003C\/div\u003E— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JYSexton\/status\/913166719383990272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe Russians got exactly what they paid for, and it doesn't matter if he passes a single bill as long as he keeps the wound bleeding.\u003C\/div\u003E— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JYSexton\/status\/913167350748368898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThat awkward moment when the Russian government forgets to turn off location services on their disinformation network Twitter accounts. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SqV2eArN7g\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/SqV2eArN7g\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Vets Against Trump (@commondefense) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/commondefense\/status\/913119245835304960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPoint being, is the biggest thing happening really a bunch of coaches being glorified bagmen?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETen years ago, the American media seemed to be a lot more interested in pushing people's buttons over\u003Cb\u003E Barry Bonds \u003C\/b\u003Ebreaking the home run record with a chemical boost than President \u003Cb\u003EGeorge W. Bush \u003C\/b\u003Einvading Iraq on false pretenses. And the early 1920s might be more remembered for the Chicago \"Black Sox\" dumping a World Series than the Teapot Dome scandal, and so on and so on.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECall this 6B. It's high-larious to see MLB's water-bearers make Mark McGwire the go-to guy for a testimonial about baseball's new crop of sluggers.\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;It definitely reads like an attempt to rehabilitate the Great American Home Run Chase of\u0026nbsp; 1998, when McGwire and\u003Cb\u003E Sammy Sosa\u003C\/b\u003E, both goosed on steroids, shattered Roger Maris' seasonal standard. It's also funny since Bonds \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/news\/giancarlo-stanton-credits-barry-bonds-helping-monster-season-045929233.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eactually coached \u003Cb\u003EGiancarlo Stanton \u003C\/b\u003Efor a season in Miami\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-video\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EEven Mark McGwire is in awe of what Aaron Judge is doing \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Yankees?src=hash\"\u003E#Yankees\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Padres?src=hash\"\u003E#Padres\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Athletics?src=hash\"\u003E#Athletics\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZXtfAxpQKa\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/ZXtfAxpQKa\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLBNetworkRadio\/status\/913159783036923904\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcGwire gets that, because white privilege, and Bonds never will. One can see the not-so-subtle attempt to convince people that the 70 homers McGwire hit in '98 is the real record. Either every stat from the 1993-2003 ArenaBall era is valid, or all are invalid.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBack to our bailiwick; contact to the head is a \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Etopic du semaine\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E after video circulated of some of the shots Concordia's skill players took from Laval defenders last Sunday. \u003C\/b\u003EThe one hit on a Stingers receiver would have been a targeting foul in the NCAA and resulted in ejection for the offending defender.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EDear \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RSEQ1\"\u003E@RSEQ1\u003C\/a\u003E officials. Protect your players from head-to-head hits. Signed, Logic. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qPAEjydn1t\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/qPAEjydn1t\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Jim Mullin (@Jim_Mullin) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jim_Mullin\/status\/912772343830683648\"\u003ESeptember 26, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EPeople have received one-game suspensions for far, far less. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESpeaking of Concordia ... Shrine Bowl week!\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIt's not often that Georges Laraque is not the biggest man in the room. Stinger Maurice Simba joins him to promote the 2017 Shrine Bowl. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QnTvQMQudo\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/QnTvQMQudo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Concordia Stingers (@The_Stingers) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/The_Stingers\/status\/913053605191700480\"\u003ESeptember 27, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKickoffs are on the endangered special teams play list. \u003C\/b\u003EOn The Athletic, there is a non-paywalled piece by\u003Cb\u003E Nicole Auerbach \u003C\/b\u003Edetailing how the Ivy League's experimental kickoff rule has reduced brain injuries among players. Brain injuries happen more often on kickoffs than on scrimmage plays due to the speed with which players collide.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Ivies moved the kickoff spot up to the 40-yard line, reducing the number of returnable kicks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EFollowing up on my kickoffs story last week -- What the Ivy League found in 2016 when it moved kickoffs up 5 yards: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/go2P4PyjP8\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/go2P4PyjP8\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NicoleAuerbach\/status\/912654529002434560\"\u003ESeptember 26, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003EMea culpa; I've long beefed about U Sports placing kickoffs on the 45-yard line instead of the 35, as in the CFL, without giving enough space to player safety. Too often, it contributes to a snowball effect for the straggler teams; returner gets downed shy of the 20, offence goes short run-incomplete pass for a two-and-out, and the defence is right back out trying to defend a short field. But that's a small thing compared to making football safer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat said, the kickoff cannot be eliminated entirely, since coaches still need the option of trying to recover a short kickoff. This is a topic perhaps better expanded upon at a later date, but here's a modest proposal:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKickoff to start each half;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKickoff after the first touchdown of the second and fourth quarters, if it comes before the 10-minute mark (10:00 to play). \u003C\/b\u003EThis allows for a chance to flip field position shortly after changing ends and a chance to recover a short kickoff. It can also be woven into the mid-quarter media timeout. Granted, it's an arbitrary cut-off point, but you want any rule to be easy enough for competitors and officials to remember.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKickoff after any score after the three-minute warning of each half. \u003C\/b\u003EThat's the CFL and national rule in U Sports. There could be a waiver on it if the lead is 25 or more points. Twenty-five seems like a good number since most coaches would concede defeat by that point.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPossession begins at the 35 after a field goal and on the 25 after a touchdown in all other scenarios (this is negotiable).\u003C\/b\u003E Do more coaches try for the first down\/touchdown if it helps them on the other side of the ball?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003EThe Laurier-Waterloo game (as it were) had 13 kickoffs. With my suggestion, there would have been \u003Ci\u003Ethree.\u003C\/i\u003E (Start of each half, and after a Laurier touchdown with 27 seconds left in the second quarter).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/oua.ca\/sports\/fball\/2017-18\/boxscores\/20170916_txyg.xml\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EOn Sept. 16, when Waterloo won that 45-43 scorefest against Carleton, the game had 17 kickoffs\u003C\/a\u003E. This rule would have cut it to eight (start of each half, two after touchdowns early in the second and fourth quarters, four after scores in the last three minutes).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThose are cherry-picked convenience samples, granted, but there's probably a minimum 50-per-cent reduction of the most dangerous play in the game.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAhead of No. 4 Western at No. 5 Laurier on Saturday, the key stat to fixate upon is probably the touchdown-to-interception ratios of the purple powerhouses' passers.\u003C\/b\u003E It is 8-to-7 for the Mustangs' \u003Cb\u003EChris Merchant\u003C\/b\u003E and change-up quarterback \u003Cb\u003EStevenson Bone\u003C\/b\u003E, compared to the 10-to-3 for the Golden Hawks'\u003Cb\u003E Michael Knevel \u003C\/b\u003Eand backup \u003Cb\u003ETristan Arndt\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIn terms of story and setting in Canada West, UBC needs to defeat on Calgary on Friday. \u003C\/b\u003EThat's not to say it will happen, since the Dinos offence is the Golden State Warriors on fake grass in its capacity to go to another option when one is nullified. If Calgary wins, it's pretty much wrapped up home-field advantage straight through the Hardy and Mitchell Bowl playoffs. The Thunderbirds would wrest away the first-place tiebreaker if they win, although they would also have to win out to get top spot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPoint being, the compact on-campus confines of Thunderbird Stadium \u0026gt;\u0026nbsp; utilitarian McMahon Stadium. That's all. Both Calgary's\u003Cb\u003E Adam Sinagra \u003C\/b\u003Eand UBC's \u003Cb\u003EMichael O'Connor \u003C\/b\u003Ehave run hot and cold, and whoever makes the fewest damaging mistakes will probably get the W.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHandicapping the Hec Crighton.\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;At this writing, Saint Mary's dual threat\u003Cb\u003E Kaleb Scott \u003C\/b\u003Eis akin to Louisville's\u003Cb\u003E Lamar Jackson\u003C\/b\u003E down south in 2016: the eye-popping yardage totals, the wow factor, the drawback of playing for a team that doesn't have a big national profile, relatively speaking. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's hard to ignore Scott, and AUS has not had a Hec winner since\u003Cb\u003E Erik Glavic \u003C\/b\u003Ein 2007. An Atlantic conference player also won in 1997, '87 and '77, incidentally.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESticking with strained similes, Laurier is like Penn State — do you pump the passer's tires or the rusher's? \u003Cb\u003EKnevel \u003C\/b\u003Ehas an adjusted net yards average of 9.89 and his floor is likely a 2,500-yard regular season, presuming good health. But\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ELevondre Gordon \u003C\/b\u003Eis also a beast. Western's \u003Cb\u003EAlex Taylor\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;will have the career achievement case.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe big four's quarterbacks — \u003Cb\u003ESam Caron\u003C\/b\u003E of Montréal, \u003Cb\u003EHugo Richard\u003C\/b\u003E of Laval, O'Connor of UBC and Sinagra of Calgary — are not really standing out in any way.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5919498891823123902\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/09\/in-for-dozen-loic-kayembe-heat-warnings.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5919498891823123902"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5919498891823123902"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/09\/in-for-dozen-loic-kayembe-heat-warnings.html","title":"In For A Dozen: Loïc Kayembe, heat warnings, a pox on Panda Game profanity and a kickoff-reduction rule"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/TVeJxrAHS1U\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7077024032233525250"},"published":{"$t":"2017-07-13T22:47:00.005-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-07-14T11:42:12.858-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"McMaster Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mounties"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Regina Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Ultimate U Sports all-star team — one player per school for 27 positions"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oit2QtTW4T4\/WWD4xR2W5sI\/AAAAAAAADO0\/i0Ufczw22vwMCdqSrJDux0tlvkae2FN9ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/Akiem%2BHicks%252C%2BRams%2Band%2BBears.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"480\" data-original-width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oit2QtTW4T4\/WWD4xR2W5sI\/AAAAAAAADO0\/i0Ufczw22vwMCdqSrJDux0tlvkae2FN9ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/Akiem%2BHicks%252C%2BRams%2Band%2BBears.jpeg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EAkiem Hicks with the Regina Rams in 2011 and with the CFL's Chicago Bears in 2016, when he had seven sacks.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EThere are 27 football-playing universities across our country. There are also, give or take a special teams selection, 27 spots to fill when an all-star team is chosen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA fun writing exercise — read: it's summer and there's not a lot going on — was hatched from that numerical coincidence. Pick an all-star team drawing from the past 40-some years of the university game while using\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eonly one player from each team\u003C\/i\u003E. No loading the lines with Lavals (any number of CFL all-star linemen), or stacking the team with 'Stangs (do you pick two-time Hec Crighton Trophy winner\u003Cb\u003E Tim Tindale \u003C\/b\u003Ewho went on to NFL glory with the Buffalo Bills or record-setting receiver \u003Cb\u003EAndy Fantuz\u003C\/b\u003E, who won a receiving title in the CFL?)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETalk about a Sophie's Choice, although this does not purport to be some all-time all-star team. Leaving out defunct programs (or the departed, hey there Simon Fraser) means being unable to select a legit legend such as \u003Cb\u003ETony Proudfoot\u003C\/b\u003E, since he played at the University of New Brunswick.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother controlled variable was confining choices to a loosely defined modern era. A hard-line historian type would say the modern era begins in 1965 with the establishment of the Vanier Cup. Or 1967, the centennial year, when the format went from an invitational to a four-team playoff, 47 years before the U.S. finally got one. As a habitual goalpost-mover, I'll slide the start of the modern era to some point around 1971, when the Old Four (Queen's, Western, McGill and University of Toronto) was phased out and the current four-conference alignment began taking shape in earnest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EWithout further ado, here's a squad that reflects the best of each and every program from Acadia on the east coast to to UBC on the west coast and all points in between.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESpecial thanks for this post to Jim Mullin, who was great with putting forward some 1970s players.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EDefence\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive end — Leroy Blugh, Bishop's (Edmonton, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EBlugh was a prototype for the Canadian pass rusher as an all-Canadian at Bishop's when the \u003Cb\u003EIan Breck\u003C\/b\u003E's Gaiters punched above their weight on the regular in the 1980s. Born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, raised in Napanee, Ont., Blugh twice had double-digit sack totals during his Gaiters years. From there, he played 15 seasons in the CFL, 14 with Edmonton, during a Canadian Football Hall of Fame career.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlugh has \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/montrealgazette.com\/sports\/football\/cfl\/herb-zurkowsky-tackling-cancer-diabetes-puts-life-in-perspective-for-cfl-great-leroy-blugh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Edealt with cancer and diabetes in recent years\u003C\/a\u003E, but still works in football as the defensive line coach for the Ottawa Redblacks. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive tackle — Israel Idonije, Manitoba (Chicago Bears, NFL). \u003C\/b\u003EA true Canadian success story, having gone from playing one high school season on a re-constituted team to making the NFL as an undrafted free agent who had a long-term career at both end and D-tackle. Idonije, fittingly for someone who played in Chicago, was also a Walter Payton Man of the Year Award finalist for his humanitarian work with children in Africa, Manitoba and Chicago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIdonije, if memory serves, was a defensive end during his U of M days, but he can slide inside for purposes of making an imaginary lineup of football players.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive tackle — Akiem Hicks, Regina (New Orleans Saints, NFL). \u003C\/b\u003EWell, it wouldn't be a complete list without a Californian who found succor in Canada West. Wait, this isn't a basketball article. The great thing about university sport is that the tent is big enough to accommodate Americans who, to put it elegantly, fall off the conveyor belt of the shamateur sports-industrial complex down south and need a Plan B.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHicks, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/sports\/football\/hickss-path-to-the-2012-nfl-draft-has-been-a-long-one\/article4102628\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eafter his plans to play at LSU were thwarted\u003C\/a\u003E, found a home playing at the U of R in 2010 and '11, becoming the first Ram to be taken in the NFL draft.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELong-time Seattle Seahawks punter\u003Cb\u003E Jon Ryan \u003C\/b\u003Elikely also gets the honourable mention from the Rams' alumni roll.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive end — Ricky Foley, York (Argonauts, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EThe first really tough choice on a school representative, as the pick from the Lions boiled down to either Foley or running back\u003Cb\u003E Andre Durie\u003C\/b\u003E. In the end, the difference in stature between the two long-time Toronto Argonauts mainstays wasn't as big as it was between two other OUA running backs extraordinaire from early aughts (oh, guess which ones) and other possibilities from their respective teams.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThree of the four defensive line picks have small-town roots. Foley came out of Courtice, Ont., to develop at York, before going on to an 11-year CFL career that included contributing to three Grey Cup-winning teams. It's a shame his playing days might have ended so inelegantly — \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/sports\/football\/cfl\/ricky-foley-argos-released-by-text-1.4050503\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Egetting cut from the Argos by text message\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;— but what endures is about Foley with the Argonauts is that he \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ublicly%20stuck%20up%20for%20and%20believed%20wholeheartedly%20in%20his%20hometown%20organization%20when%20others%20wouldn%E2%80%99t.\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Epublicly stuck up for and believed wholeheartedly in his hometown organization when others wouldn’t\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELinebacker — Michael O'Shea, Guelph (Ticats and Argonauts, CFL).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003EBreaking this team down to distinct defensive and offensive line positions is way too granular, even for this blog. It is safe to say O'Shea is the Mike linebacker.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou already know the boilery stuff with O'Shea — second player in CFL history to record 1,000 career tackles across 16 seasons on each side of the Argos-Ticats rivalry. One seared memory is of his first go-round in Hamilton in the mid-1990s. The Tiger-Cats were a gong show for pretty much the whole decade, but you couldn't laugh at them as long as the Canadian linebacker from North Bay was out there competing so intensely.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EO'Shea's string of championships include leading Guelph to a Yates Cup in 1992.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELinebacker — Jason Van Geel, Waterloo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003ERunning back\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMike Bradley\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Eis the ultimate Warrior, of course, and could fill the role of \"national player who's third on the depth chart at running back and plays on all special teams,\" since that's what Bradley did for six seasons in the CFL with Edmonton. Bradley's position, though, has competition.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat shifted the Warriors' shortlist over to the dark side, defence, and it came down to same-name stars from Waterloo's first Yates Cup winner in 1997, Van Geel at linebacker and\u003Cb\u003E Jason Tibbits \u003C\/b\u003Eat cornerback. Twenty years ago this fall, Van Geel was the national defensive player of the year after helping Waterloo reach a summit many UW folk probably thought was unattainable in the days when the school set a dubious mark for consecutive football losses.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe first point of reference with those Waterloo teams that won the Yates in '97 and '99 — against Western at J.W. Little Stadium both times, the latter time in the final game there — is probably the offence. Tuffy Knight had the Warriors running the wishbone, with Ryan Wilkinson as the triple-option triggerman. The second point of reference, of course, is that a Waterloo guy got tackled illegally by Ottawa's mascot during the '97 national semifinal.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, the Warriors also had success they had never seen before (or since) because they played some great defence. Van Geel was at the forefront of that, and Tibbits (a five-times OUA all-star, four times at corner and once as a returner) covered things well on the back end.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELinebacker — Frank Balkovec, University of Toronto (Edmonton, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EHere's your hook for this linebacker selection: Balkovec \u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ewas the top pick back in 1984 after playing just a single season of football for the Varsity Blues\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBalkovec, at least from a three-decades-removed vantage point, embodies a bygone era before everyone and everything became over-scheduled and multi-sport student-athletes were still easy to find. Everything is more intense now and in some ways we're poorer for it.\u0026nbsp;Balkovec was a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/varsityblues.ca\/hof.aspx?hof=149\u0026amp;path=row\u0026amp;kiosk=\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ethree-sport guy at U of T\u003C\/a\u003E who contributed to a Yates-winning team in 1983 and was also a three-time Canadian champion in indoor shot put. After university, he was an eight-year CFLer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back — Marc-Olivier Brouillette, Montreal (Alouettes, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EWait, is this based on university feats or pro accomplishments? To quote Abe Simpson, it's a little from Column A, a little from Column B. Brouillette converted from quarterback with the Carabins to a hard-hitting defensive player with the CFL's Als, playing both safety and linebacker.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrouillette recently retired as a player to pursue a legal career. He was a CFL East all-star in 2016, so he ended on a personal high note.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back — Mark Montreuil, Concordia (San Diego Chargers, NFL). \u003C\/b\u003EBefore Laval, Montréal and Sherbrooke came along to create a truly Quebec conference, Montreuil came up through the North Shore Broncos juniors and the Stingers to make the NFL. The cornerback, who remains the last Stinger chosen in the NFL draft, played three seasons with the San Diego Chargers and also played in NFL Europe with the late and lamented London Monarchs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAn alternate from the Stingers is linebacker \u003Cb\u003ECory Greenwood\u003C\/b\u003E, an undrafted free agent who was a special teams player for Kansas City earlier this decade. Greenwood is the second-most accomplished Kingston, Ont., athlete to wear No. 93.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back —\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurent Deslauriers, UBC.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003EA \u003Cb\u003EJim Mullin \u003C\/b\u003Enomination, Deslauriers was an all-Canadian and Vanier Cup champion for the Thunderbirds and a CFL West all-star and Grey Cup champion as a pro with Edmonton. Deslauriers was primarily a defensive halfback — by the way, isn't that position due for a renaming? — but \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.gothunderbirds.ca\/hof.aspx?hof=40\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewas dominant in all three phases\u003C\/a\u003E. He set still-extant school records as a return man and played slotback when the Thunderbirds won the Vanier in 1982.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back —\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPaul Bennett, Laurier. \u003C\/b\u003ESomething about Canadian football that's often lost on its detractors is how it still makes room for a certain amount of community spirit and volunteerism. (Some of that is borne from necessity; or as one former player once put it to me, \"everyone knows there's no money in Canadian football.\")\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat was cool, at least to an incorrigible sports nerd, about reading up on Bennett, was a testimonial from \u003Cb\u003EScott Taylor\u003C\/b\u003E about how \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/mytoba.ca\/news\/paul-bennett-still-a-manitoba-hero\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehis greatest work might have come after he left the game\u003C\/a\u003E.\" Bennett, a volunteer high school coach in Winnipeg, also came up with the idea of creating community recognition awards for people \"who have devoted their lives to acting without thought of reward for themselves.\" That speaks to the personalities that football developed in the 1960s and '70s, people were about social justice.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUntil last year, Bennett was the only Ontario conference player with five punt return touchdowns in one season.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDefensive back — Richard Karikari, St. Francis Xavier. \u003C\/b\u003EIt was a six-of-one decision with St. FX, since linebacker\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EHenoc Muamba \u003C\/b\u003Eand now-retired defensive back Karikari have each been CFL all-star selections. Muamba was also a league-wide pick whereas Karikari was a East selection.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, Karikari might have been a more impactful university player. In the early aughts, he gave the X-Men that \"offensive defensive back,\" as a pass defender who was also a touchdown threat as a return man. It's relatively rare for a defensive player to be a finalist for the Hec Crighton, but Karikari achieved that in 2002.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt goes without saying that the greatest X-Men footballer remains\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EPaul Brule\u003C\/b\u003E, who scored 45 touchdowns in two seasons — including eight in one game — in the 1960s.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhether it's Karikari or Muamba from St. FX, five of the 12 defensive players were born outside Canada. \u003Ci\u003EBig tent, people!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOffence\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line — Miles Gorrell, Ottawa (Stampeders, Concordes, Rough Riders, Ticats and Blue Bombers, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EThe roster would be incomplete if the Gee-Gees rep was someone who was not part of the all-time dominant 1975 team. Gorrell might be the first person to gently point out he was in his first season on the varsity in '75. However, one can only extrapolate how good he must have been in his final season with the Gees, 1977, in order to rate being named team MVP whilst at a position that generally gets the least attention.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat period where Gorrell \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ottawasun.com\/2013\/10\/02\/ottawa-redblacks-scout-miles-gorrell-entering-canadian-football-hall-of-fame\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Egrew up in Ottawa\u003C\/a\u003E\" sowed the seeds for an association with the CFL that's gone on almost 40 years. As a scout, Gorrell had a vital role in helping the CFL's Redblacks win the Grey Cup as a third-year team in 2016.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI wasn't alive in 1975, but those Gee-Gees \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/sports\/football\/fast-football-friends-1975-gee-gees-walk-in-glory-together\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Estill have a hold on the city's sports imagination, especially among sportswriters of a particular vintage\u003C\/a\u003E. They are the only football team ever inducted into the city's sports hall of fame.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line — Mike Schad, Queen's (Philadelphia Eagles, NFL).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;A personal reason for getting emotionally invested in university football as an adolescent around 1989 was the discovery that Schad, who blocked for my first favourite football player, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback \u003Cb\u003ERandall Cunningham\u003C\/b\u003E, had grown up 30 minutes down the 401 in Belleville, Ont, and had played at Queen's, not one of those U.S. football factories featured on ABC and CBS on Friday afternoons. \u003Ci\u003EWow, he made it from here to the NFL\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGranted, there were other reasons for becoming a hardcore football fan around that point in my miseducation (one, my mother went back to school and that created a bond to Queen's and two, I kept getting cut from rep teams in hockey and fast-pitch softball and was too short for basketball, so football became the refuge for my sports fantasies). But enough about me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchad remains the lone Canadian university player ever selected in the first round of the NFL draft, going No. 23 overall to the L.A. Rams in 1986. His NFL years were spent mostly in Philly, where he played guard on some teams that were playoff regulars. Going in the first round is a singular achievement unlikely to ever be matched. Every year around NFL draft time when my Twitter timeline fills with updates on Canadian players who might get picked up in the seventh round or get a mini-camp invite I can't help but have a haughty internal response (poor character, I know): \u003Ci\u003EYeah, but my alma mater produced a NFL first-round pick.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line — Pierre Lavertu, Laval (Stampeders, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EProof positive that the upper crust of university football has pro-ready graduates. Lavertu has yet to dress out for Calgary this season due to injuries, but as interior lineman who can play centre or guard, he has been part of a Stampeders offensive line that has arguably has the most sustained success of any position group in the CFL since 2014.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELavertu was an RSEQ all-star in all four of his seasons with the Rouge et Or from 2010-13 and since he was at Laval, you know all four of those seasons involved making it to the last game of the season. It seems fitting that the power program of the past two decades is represented by an offensive lineman. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line — Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, McGill (Kansas City Chiefs, NFL). \u003C\/b\u003EStarting guard on a playoff team, while also working toward becoming a doctor. Duvernay-Tardif and his ghostwriter at \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theplayerstribune.com\/le-docteur-laurent-duvernay-tardif-kansas-city-chiefs\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Players' Tribune can explain that better than I can\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe McGill \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/sports\/football\/j-p-darche-and-laurent-duvernay-tardif-tread-remarkably-similar-paths\/article33888922\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ealternate is also a doctor who played in the NFL with Kansas City\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EJean-Philippe Darche\u003C\/b\u003E. A linebacker at the university level, Darche was a long snapper in the NFL and played in Super Bowl 40 with the Seahawks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOffensive line —\u0026nbsp;Scott Flory, Saskatchewan (Alouettes, CFL).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;It could be either Flory or Gene Makowsky repping Huskie Pride.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFlory: 15 seasons with the same CFL team, nine-time all-star, two-time Outstanding Offensive Lineman recipient, president of the CFL Players' Association, now helping coach the Huskies\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMakowsky, 17 seasons with the same CFL team, five-time all-star, now a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Saskatchewan, deadpan \u003Ci\u003ECorner Gas \u003C\/i\u003Eguest spot.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETheir teams went head-to-head in the 2009 and '10 Grey Cup games. Flory's team won both. So, totally arbitrarily, Flory \u0026gt; Makowsky, although the latter played more offensive tackle.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf positional integrity is a must, there are Laval and Saskatchewan alumni who currently start at right tackle in the CFL — \u003Cb\u003EJason Lauzon-Séguin\u003C\/b\u003E with Ottawa and\u003Cb\u003E Patrick Neufeld \u003C\/b\u003Ewith Winnipeg.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn to the GLORY BOYS:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceiver — Andy Fantuz, Western (Roughriders, CFL).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Granted, offensive stats accumulated in the '00s-era OUA have to be taken with the same grain of salt as scoring stats from the 1980s NHL, but it's wild to revisit just how far ahead of everyone Fantuz is on the career lists for yards and receiving touchdowns. His tally of 4,123 in the former is almost 1,000 ahead of \u0026nbsp;the next most prolific pass receiver and his 41 TD catches (remember, regular season only) is eight more than the next guy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo put the second one in perspective: \u003Cb\u003EDanny Vandervoort\u003C\/b\u003E, who is getting his feet wet at slotback with the B.C. Lions, averaged almost one touchdown per game across four seasons with McMaster. He finished 12 TDs shy of Fantuz' mark.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFantuz delivered on his potential over 11 seasons in the CFL, with the high point coming in 2010 when his league-most 1,380 yards made him the first Canadian to win a receiving title since another 'Stang, \u003Cb\u003EDave Sapunjis\u003C\/b\u003E, back in 1995.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceiver — Brian Fryer, Alberta (Washington, NFL; Edmonton, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EA \"first\" guy — the first Canadian university receiver to gain 1,000 yards in a season and the first player, full stop, to be drafted by a NFL team and go directly into the league, as he played for the Washington NFL team during the American bicentennial year of 1976. Out of context, that's impressive enough, but in context it stands out even more since that was during the\u003Cb\u003E George Allen \u003C\/b\u003Eera in D.C. and Allen was known to over-emphasize playing veterans.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter calling it a career on the field — with a Vanier Cup title with the Golden Bears and a role in the five-in-a-row Edmonton CFL dynasty —\u0026nbsp;he made a successful move into a second career as executive director of Football Alberta.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceiver — Don Blair, Calgary (Lions, CFL).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;The first non-lineman to represent Canada in the East-West Shrine Game showcase! The Dinos have had their share of superlative offences and individual talents over the last four decades. It will take something ludicrous to bump out the seared image of the 1995 Vanier Cup, when Blair scored four touchdowns (three receiving, one by recovering a blocked punt) when Calgary dropped 54 points on Western. Fun fact, unless you're from London: the Dinos did most of the damage with their backup quarterback after the starter was knocked out of the game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlair was a No. 1 overall choice who had a stellar CFL career. Like Fantuz and Fryer, he set a national receiving record and won the Hec Crighton. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReceiver — Samuel Giguère, Sherbrooke (Ticats and Alouettes, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EThe second-newest program manages to sneak a player in at a deep position. While Sherbrooke has generally been the Partick Thistle to Laval and Montréal's Celtics and Rangers in the Quebec conference, the small school has helped a few individual talents blossom over their 14 seasons.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiguère was one of the first bona fide prospects to emerged at Sherbrooke, possessing enough specs to earn a couple NFL trials before returning north to fulfill the role of national wide-side receiver. Now 33 years old, he's playing for the Alouettes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother Vert et Or receiver who's in the CFL, \u003Cb\u003ESimon Charbonneau\u003C\/b\u003E, could have also been the pick. Charbonneau was borderline unstoppable in the 2010 Dunsmore Cup when Sherbrooke nearly upset Laval. (That day, we were just a couple plays away from an Ottawa-Sherbrooke Uteck Bowl instead of a been-there-done-that Western-Laval matchup.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERunning back — Daryl Stephenson, Windsor (Blue Bombers, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003EIn 2006, there was some discord when Stephenson won the Hec Crighton, but it wasn't about him. It was more about having seven winners in a row from the OUA. To some extent, and I didn't articulate this well enough at that time, it was also about the virtues and drawbacks of the \"career award bias,\" so-called. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELikewise, for reasons having nothing to do with Stephenson, the only rusher to ever top 5,000 career yards, this was the hardest piece of the puzzle. First it involved whether to have a fifth pass receiver to reflect the Canadian game of 2017 instead of a second running back. There was also a thought that the choice should reflect that this fictional team would actually play against fictional juggernaut, like the Monstars with Laval's and UBC's combined budget. That would mean giving some weight to receiving skills.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUltimately, though, better to have a second running back. That brought it down to, as hinted in the preamble, the three star rushers from the early-aughts: Stephenson of Windsor, Durie of York and, you guessed it, \u003Cb\u003EJesse Lumsden\u003C\/b\u003E of McMaster. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUltimately, the (ir-)rationale was that Stephenson exemplifies the best of Windsor so much more than anyone else. He was a dogged competitor and gave everything to make Windsor, for a time, a playoff team. As a pro, he also made a great adjustment to being a depth player with the Blue Bombers, which surely must be tough for university players who are used to being the focal point as a feature back.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo that's how it turned out: Stephenson in, Lumsden over to the bobsleigh track.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERunning back \u0026nbsp;— Éric Lapointe, Mount Allison (Alouettes, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003ELapointe is in the Hall of Fame as an amateur player, but it could just as easily be as builder. I'll just do a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/neatesager.blogspot.ca\/2007\/02\/ric-lapointes-lasting-impact-just-ask.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emini-oral history from some people who were around him every day at Mount A\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMathieu Gauthier, defensive end:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"Éric was one of the first French football players to make it into the mainstream pop culture in Quebec ... One quick example of his influence is in a recent recruiting event at a Montreal CEGEP. While the MTA recruiters had qualified only 5-6 guys who seamed like a right fit for MTA (only these kids got an invitation to the event), 34 kids showed up for the presentation when they learned that Éric Lapointe was going to be there.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"He certainly had an influence on a generation of kids, who chose football instead of hockey and other sports.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJorge Barrera, a Mounties rookie in 1995 who is now an investigative reporter with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network:\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E\"Éric Lapointe had the aura of a star the moment he walked into the Mount Allison football locker room in his rookie year. While other rookies were subjected to the humiliating rituals of initiation, Lapointe moved above it all, his hair long and safe from the clippers.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"On the field he made things simple for his coaches. The offensive co-ordinator once remarked that running the Mt. A. offence with Lapointe was like playing Nintendo football: Sweep right, sweep left and Lapointe outran them all.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJulian Dickinson, receiver: \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"If you never saw him play at Mount Allison, you have no idea how good he really was. There was one play that probably best illustrates what he could do on the football field and what he could do for a team. It was 1996, Eric's second year. We were playing St. FX in the AUAA finals in Antigonish and we got absolutely pummelled in the first half. We must have been down at least three touchdowns and I'm sure most people in the locker room thought that game was over.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"But Eric came out in the second half and ripped off a 99-yard run that snaked all over the field, left about 10 defenders rolling on their bellies in the mud and ended with Eric in the end zone. It was the best individual play I've ever seen in a football game. He went on to rush for about 300 yards that game and brought us within a few points of winning that game. And this wasn't a cupcake defence. There were All-Canadians on the X defence, which would eventually play in the Vanier Cup.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"It was an amazing feat. At the end of the game he was bloody, bruised, covered in mud and his jersey was torn like he'd been through a war. I remember he did a TV interview after the game with his helmet on because he was so busted up about losing, he couldn't show his face.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwenty-three spots down. By process of elimination, you should know who is QB1.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQuarterback — Chris Flynn, Saint Mary's (Montreal Machine, World League; Rough Riders, CFL). \u003C\/b\u003ENo. Words. Necessary.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/S4P12kfxMNk\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/S4P12kfxMNk?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"320\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Flynn legend only grows with time, perhaps in part since it was an unfinished symphony-type thing since there was no second act in the CFL.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESpecialists\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKicker \u0026nbsp;— Al Charuk, Acadia (Lions, Argonauts).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Total Calvinball cop-out with choosing the \u003Ci\u003Ebotteur\u003C\/i\u003E, since it's more about picking a definitive Acadia player whose feats included using his foot. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn a four-season span in the 1970s, Acadia had three Hec Crighton winners — Charuk in '74, followed by The Bobs back-to-back with receiver\u003Cb\u003E Bob Stracina \u003C\/b\u003Eand quarterback \u003Cb\u003EBob Cameron \u003C\/b\u003Ein '76 and '77. \u0026nbsp;In 2014, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/usports\/top-50-cis-football-players-of-vanier-cup-era\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESportsnet\u003C\/a\u003E ranked Cameron the 28th-best player of the Vanier Cup era with Charuk 35th and Stracina 37th. The former, of course, punted in the CFL for nigh on a quarter-century. Charuk and Stracina, between scoring touchdowns and placekicker, each scored more than 100 points in a season for Acadia.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe default selection was Cameron, due in perhaps to a stronger association since he had the longest pro career. On second thought, Charuk was a two-way player who won the Hec as a defensive back — where he once had a 10-interception season — and fashioned a CFL career as a receiver.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERush cover — Jason Arakgi, McMaster (Lions).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;As the man himself put it, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/vancouversun.com\/sports\/football\/cfl\/bc-lions\/jason-arakgi-qa-on-the-art-of-the-tackle-anthropology-and-furniture-building\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eyou're only as good as the bottom guy\u003C\/a\u003E\" and well, Arakgi is the CFL's career leader in special teams tackles and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3downnation.com\/2016\/08\/18\/life-outside-spotlight-fine-arakgi\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eplayed on all special teams even in his final season, 2016\u003C\/a\u003E. One could also hold up his career arc — \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bclions.com\/2017\/06\/19\/jason-arakgi-story-quiet-leader\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Espend nine seasons all with one team, perform a significant function very well and then leave the game on one's own terms to step into a second career\u003C\/a\u003E — as a good example for young athletes to emulate. Only a very, very few get to play forever, but there are other entry points to parlaying athletic aptitude into a good life.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReturner — Tunde Adeleke, Carleton (Stampeders).\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Special teams touchdowns are supposed to be a rare treat, but Adeleke made them a staple in Carleton's offensive diet over his four seasons. In 2016, he became the first player since\u003Cb\u003E Paul Bennett \u003C\/b\u003Ewith five punt return touchdowns in one season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/LWAfpV3myPU\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LWAfpV3myPU?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"320\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was just wild how people around the Ravens just came to expect the brilliant breakaway runs. Like no one before him (at least in my time), Adeleke combined with psychic peripheral vision with high-class wheels, since he also had the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2017 CFL combine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFeel free to disagree with the selections, or the process. But please remember that any substitutions either have to be at the same position or require a two-position switch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7077024032233525250\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/07\/football-ultimate-all-star-team-one.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7077024032233525250"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7077024032233525250"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2017\/07\/football-ultimate-all-star-team-one.html","title":"Football: Ultimate U Sports all-star team — one player per school for 27 positions"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Oit2QtTW4T4\/WWD4xR2W5sI\/AAAAAAAADO0\/i0Ufczw22vwMCdqSrJDux0tlvkae2FN9ACLcBGAs\/s72-c\/Akiem%2BHicks%252C%2BRams%2Band%2BBears.jpeg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7697693470631646383"},"published":{"$t":"2016-11-06T19:29:00.004-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-11-06T19:29:57.893-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vanier Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Vanier Cup ticket sales are, uh, stable"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The worst Vanier Cup in pertinent memory, in terms of the crowd and the game, was 2004 in Hamilton. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/40th_Vanier_Cup\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Wikipedia entry summarizes it well\u003C\/a\u003E. Now may we never speak of it again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe game will surely be better than the touchdown-free turnover-fest Laval and Saskatchewan, loosely speaking, played 12 years ago. The crowd was announced at 14,227 that clear Saturday afternoon ... and one hopes that won't look good by comparison in 20 days' time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHometown rooting interest McMaster is out; you know that since the Mac was the only OUA semifinalist \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.marauders.ca\/news\/2016\/11\/5\/football-no-7-mcmaster-falls-to-no-5-laurier-in-oua-semifinal.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewith a press release up\u003C\/a\u003E within a hour of the games ending on Saturday, but that is a post for someone else. There is also a distinct possibility of losing the boost from having an OUA team involved, since the Yates Cup winner (cough, Western) will have to win the Uteck Bowl against Laval or Montréal.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESuffice to say, one might want to be braced for the possibility of a very small crowd at Tim Hortons Field on Nov. 26.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EMcMaster AD \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/grunwald_glen\"\u003E@grunwald_glen\u003C\/a\u003E on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TattiAndMarsh\"\u003E@TattiAndMarsh\u003C\/a\u003E \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USportsCA\"\u003E@USportsCA\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VanierCup?src=hash\"\u003E#VanierCup\u003C\/a\u003E tickets sales are around 4,000 so far.\" ... Time for Hamilton to step up\u003C\/div\u003E— Marshall Ferguson (@TSN_Marsh) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TSN_Marsh\/status\/794668368078995456\"\u003ENovember 4, 2016\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TSN_Marsh\"\u003E@TSN_Marsh\u003C\/a\u003E hence why when \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tim_micallef\"\u003E@tim_micallef\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sportsnet\"\u003E@Sportsnet\u003C\/a\u003E would do the former CIS games there was outside interest in the league.\u003C\/div\u003E— Mike Daly (@DalyNews8) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DalyNews8\/status\/794727466162130944\"\u003ENovember 5, 2016\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EIf \"Hamilton\" steps up, great. Consumers are not obligated to buy tickets to a sports event just because it is a national championship happening in their city, especially if they have no idea who plays for the participating teams. It will not be \"Hamilton's\" fault if there is a small crowd.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt will speak to how the organization and structure of university sports works against creating the type of event atmosphere that permeates other Small Sport (hat tip: Gare Joyce) tentpole events such as the Brier, Scotties Tournament of Hearts or Memorial Cup. That is somewhat justifiable since U Sports \/ CIS trades in true student-athletes. Curlers are independent contractors and the designation of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.guelphtoday.com\/local-sports\/judges-ruling-has-to-worry-those-that-own-junior-hockey-teams-456103\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ejunior hockey players' work is, well, a matter for the courts to decide\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne presumes the reasonable goal at U Sports' new HQ is to hold a national championship game that attracts 20,000-plus spectators, which is the ballpark figure for a CFL crowd. That \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2012\/11\/23\/record-attendance-at-vanier-cup-a-beautiful-thing\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eturnout of 37,000 four years ago in Toronto was an illusory one-off\u003C\/a\u003E. The bar is likely set at the level of the golden-anniversary game in Montreal in 2014, which drew \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2012\/11\/23\/record-attendance-at-vanier-cup-a-beautiful-thing\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E22,649\u003C\/a\u003E with the hometown Carabins making their first appearance (in what was only nominally a neutral site game, he did not add).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern, with the groove that Chris Merchant is in, might have a chance of winning in Quebec.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 2010 Mustangs almost did it and they didn't have a passing game. Whether Western's presence would goose sales remains to be seen. The Mustangs have \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lfpress.com\/2016\/10\/25\/dalla-costa-western-mustangs-support-dismal\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Estruggle enough getting people to watch them play in their own city\u003C\/a\u003E, let alone one 90 minutes east. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaurier might not have anything left emotionally and physically if it upsets Western after also defeating McMaster.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThe working assumption is the game is going to end up being the UBC-Calgary Hardy Cup winner against the Laval-Montréal Dunsmore Cup winner. That isn't going to help, but it shouldn't let everyone who is in position to raise the profile of university football off the hook either.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7697693470631646383\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/11\/football-vanier-cup-ticket-sales-are-uh.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7697693470631646383"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7697693470631646383"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/11\/football-vanier-cup-ticket-sales-are-uh.html","title":"Football: Vanier Cup ticket sales are, uh, stable"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7953453829154374630"},"published":{"$t":"2016-11-05T17:37:00.004-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-11-05T19:49:03.795-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yates Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"OUA Football: Marshall's Mustangs against Faulds' Golden Hawks in 109th Yates Cup"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The coaching matchup is going to be the built-in storyline for the Yates Cup, but what's more to the point is wondering what chance Laurier rates of beating Western on the road in November.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Mustangs continued a characteristic \u003Cb\u003EGreg Marshall\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Elate-season run with a clinical and convincing 51-24 win against the Carleton Ravens. Laurier, in a game that almost projects as a microcosm of an Ontario University Athletics season full of parity, shaded McMaster 21-19 in the other semifinal, meaning Hawks honcho\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMichael Faulds\u003C\/b\u003E will go to his first Yates as a HC after going 2-2 in them as Western's quarterback from 2005 through 09.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EConvenience sample: in 2015, Western defeated Laurier by 50 points in the regular season and by 14 (with a backup quarterback) in the semifinal. They won by 19 in the regular-game, so ipso facto?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern's offence, with quarterback\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EChris Merchant\u003C\/b\u003E settled in, is working at ludicrous speed. Nothing is guaranteed in football but one can almost start skipping ahead to wondering whether they can finally match up well against a non-Ontario team in the Uteck Bowl. Will what wins in OUA work in Laval or Montréal on Nov. 19? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EHere the drive summary from the first half, when Western rang up a 35-10 lead on Carleton after 30 minutes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETwo plays, 22 yards, 29 seconds, touchdown.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETom Marshall\u003C\/b\u003E catches a five-yard scoring pass for a 7-0 lead.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003E11 plays, 55 yards, 4:48, missed field goal.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EMarc Liegghio\u003C\/b\u003E misses a 42-yarder.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ENine plays, 90 yards, 3:08, touchdown.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ECedric Joseph \u003C\/b\u003Ebolts over from six yards away for the first of his four touchdowns. Western's longest second down on the drive was a second-and-5.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETwo plays, eight yards, 49 seconds, punt.\u003C\/i\u003E A two-and-out after a being backed up to the 14-yard line by a holding penalty on a punt return.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003EFour plays, 65 yards, 1:47, touchdown.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EHarry McMaster\u003C\/b\u003E catches a 41-yard TD from Merchant to take the lead back out to 21-10.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETwo plays, seven yards, 1:35, punt. \u003C\/i\u003ETwo-and-out. Which Western's defence's negates by stopping Carleton from making the line to gain after having first-and-5.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003EFour plays, 76 yards, 1:19, touchdown.\u003C\/i\u003E McMaster for a quick 30, give or take a yard.\u003Cb\u003E Alex Taylor \u003C\/b\u003Egets through Carleton's secondary. Pass to Tom Marshall for a quick 30, give or take a yard. Joseph touchdown. What, no tackle-eligible play?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETwo plays, 41 yards, 0:21, touchdown.\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003EJean-Gabriel Poulin\u003C\/b\u003E and\u003Cb\u003E John Biewald\u003C\/b\u003E combine for the tackle for a turnover on downs on third-and-one in Carleton's zone. On a rushing down, second-and-2, short-yardage QB \u003Cb\u003EStevenson Bone\u003C\/b\u003E throws a 33-yard TD pass to Marshall.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd it just went on like that: 32 first downs, 598 yards, 8.4 per play. The 23 penalties for 287 yards needs to be cleaned up, but apart from that ...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe point is the obvious: Western has very few empty possessions, to borrow the basketball term. Their 51 red zone irruptions was 16, or two more per game, than anyone else. \u0026nbsp;Laurier is going to need a lot more finish than it has shown by times this year. Being only 9-of-18 on field goals prior to Saturday is a worrying thing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaurier's defence is light-years removed from Carleton's, but they still got lit up 45-26 against the Mustangs back on Oct. 1. Laurier's leading rusher\u003Cb\u003E Eric Guiltanan \u003C\/b\u003Ewas hurt in the fifth minute against McMaster on Saturday, which amplifies concerns about whether the Golden Hawks will be able to give their defenHazarding a guess, Laurier should keep it close for two, 2½ quarters.\u0026nbsp;ce breathers and long fields to cover. Laurier passes only sparingly and has not scored more than 27 points against a playoff team all season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's a premium unit with the likes of DE \u003Cb\u003EKwaku Boateng\u003C\/b\u003E, DE \u003Cb\u003ERashari Henry\u003C\/b\u003E, LB \u003Cb\u003ENakas Onyeka \u003C\/b\u003Eand 320-pound DT \u003Cb\u003EJalen Price\u003C\/b\u003E. Laurier had 62 disruptions (combined total of fumble recoveries, interceptions, sacks) during the regular season compared to Carleton's 34 in the regular season. That illustrates the difference in competition, but Western typically avoids those mistakes in the Ontario playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn any event, protégé Faulds being across the sideline from mentor Marshall makes for a great storyline. Laurier certainly will not be intimidated. It's their third visit to London in the last year. If they win, it could fairly be called a major upset.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Postscript: Come to think of it, Laurier at seemingly invincible Western in a Yates Cup? Maybe there's some déjà vu. Or not.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2twSUTr9oSc?start=93\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMore déjà vu? Laurier went 1-7 in 2013 and is in the Yates three seasons hence. In 2002, they went 1-7. You might remember what happened three seasons hence.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7953453829154374630\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/11\/oua-football-marshalls-mustangs-against.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7953453829154374630"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7953453829154374630"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/11\/oua-football-marshalls-mustangs-against.html","title":"OUA Football: Marshall's Mustangs against Faulds' Golden Hawks in 109th Yates Cup"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/2twSUTr9oSc\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7522861567187198986"},"published":{"$t":"2016-10-23T10:53:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-10-23T11:02:33.568-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA Football Recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"OUA football: Western, Laurier get byes, Ottawa-Carleton \u0026 Guelph-McMaster in quarters"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Paraphrasing Bud-Lite Kaminski in the 1993 cinematic masterpiece \u003Ci\u003EThe Program\u003C\/i\u003E, \"Great Week 9 in OUA football -- wish I'd seen it.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Half-full disclose: the stuff one watches on YouTube on the weekend while packing up to move to a new city and also tracking down Canadian divers who are 12 time zones away in Malaysia \u0026nbsp;never ceases to amaze.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELong story short, OUA shook out in way that could have been foreseen in August: Western in first, Laurier, McMaster and Carleton getting a home playoff game, and Ottawa being inscrutable Air Raid team. The Ravens will have their first on-campus playoff game since 1986, while the rivals in the nation's capital will meet in the post-season for the first time since '96.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnyway, now that the IV drip of Red Bull is inserted, we have narratives:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWestern got a good scare from McMaster, a potential Yates Cup opponent, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lfpress.com\/2016\/10\/22\/football-stangs-finish-first-with-win-over-mcmaster\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eafter squeaking by 19-18\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in a first-place battle. It was a wind-affected game, which certainly hurt the probability of success, but chances are the weather will not better for the Yates on Nov. 12.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChris Merchant\u003C\/b\u003E,\u003Cb\u003E Alex Taylor \u003C\/b\u003Eand Co. were 30 points and 200-plus yards below their seasonal average. And as Morris Dalla Costa's column notes, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lfpress.com\/2016\/10\/22\/football-stangs-finish-first-with-win-over-mcmaster\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewith third-and one with 30 seconds left, for some reason, the Mustangs’ left\u003Cb\u003E Simon Bahru \u003C\/b\u003Eall alone in coverage. The Marauder receiver got behind in but quarterback\u003Cb\u003E Asher Hastings \u003C\/b\u003Emissed him\u003C\/a\u003E.\" Western typically doesn't repeat mistakes or leave their leaks unattended, which is why they are always playing into November.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern prevailed on the margin of a missed field goal single after\u003Cb\u003E John Biewald \u003C\/b\u003Egot downfield to make the tackle two yards deep in the end zone. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOne is welcome to the Hot Take that a Carleton-Western semifinal would be a de facto championship game. Those are the two squads with the best offensive lines, and capable front sevens on the other side of the ball. Each has explosion play capability in the third phase.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOne presumes Laurier defensive coordinator\u003Cb\u003E Ron VanMoerkerke\u003C\/b\u003E might have glean some things from seeing how McMaster defended against Western. The upshot for the No. 2 seed Golden Hawks is they have the bye, but the three-score loss in London still has some stickiness. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMany good teams have got it right the second time. Four of the last eight OUA champions finished second in the regular season (2008 and '10 Western, 2011 McMaster and 2015 Guelph).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOnly Western, in 2007, has won the conference without benefit of the bye.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Carleton Ravens' path to the Yates goes through two teams they have defeated, Ottawa next week and potentially Western in the semifinal (although Western in November and Western on a hot summer night on Labour Day weekend ain't one and the same).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe way McMaster and\u003Cb\u003E Mike Kashak\u003C\/b\u003E (11½ sacks) get after it gives them a strong shot at being the second. (If they get upset by Guelph, this bullet point never happened.) Likewise, being in the 4 seed might work out for Carleton.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETo the Jim Mullin Red Book! It can be ascertained that an Ottawa-Carleton postseason matchup has happened twice, in 1986 at Keith Harris Stadium and 1996 at Frank Clair Stadium. Each was a 4 vs. 1 semifinal, and the home team prevailed each time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn 1970 and '73, Ottawa and Carleton also finished first and fourth respectively. In 1967, they were second and third in the 12-team Central Canada Intercollegiate Football Conference (where were the marketing people to shorten that name?)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECoach of the week honours to the Gee-Gees' Jamie Barresi, one for going for the high-reward all-or-nothing plays twice to defeat Queen's 42-41 in overtime.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs you might have heard, all-Canadian\u0026nbsp;candidate Mitch Baines grabbed a tipped pass for the winning two-point convert.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ou3rfHezevY?start=30\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003Eddd\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs Barresi explained: \"It meant everything to get that sixth win. The fact of the matter is that we learned from last year’s overtime against Carleton. That was a big lesson learned because we should have ended it then. Today, the players on the bench were in my ear a bit to go for it – we knew had a play. We all felt confident about it, and they urged me on to do it. But right away I thought about that Panda Game last year.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBarresi and the Gee-Gees also went 'double or nothing' on the last play of the first half. Queen's \u003Cb\u003EChris Osei-Kusi\u003C\/b\u003E fumbled while trying to return a well-short 55-yard field goal attempt and Ottawa recovered with 10 seconds left. Ottawa worked the shallow cross \/ wheel combo pattern perfectly so that\u003Cb\u003E Bryce Vieira\u003C\/b\u003E was wide-open for an easy touchdown, cutting Queen's lead to nine points.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Gees had a lot of mental outs: bad loss to Western, dank weather, the prospect of being locked into fifth place since Carleton was 99.98 per cent likely to win at Waterloo. They made it matter.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA sign of being in the upper quadrant of second-rate minds is believing Queen's can be held to account for the Homecoming \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/10\/football-queens-failing-to-fill-new.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Edebacle\u003C\/a\u003E,\" while having a heart for the coaches and players. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA season-ending\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;walk-off\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;must feel devastating. Queen's defensive back \u003Cb\u003EJason Shamatutu\u003C\/b\u003E, who tipped the ball, did his job by reading and side-shuffling into the window \u003Cb\u003EDerek Wendel\u003C\/b\u003E had to throw to Baines. The ball just happened to deflect right to a likely all-Canadian receiver.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Gaels hung in while losing starting QB \u003Cb\u003ENate Hobbs\u003C\/b\u003E, and having another injury-dictated change in the kicking game.\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;Kyle Gouveia \u003C\/b\u003Ehad\u0026nbsp;a decent 17-of-26, 172-yard, two-TD passing line in relief on a wet day. They also had\u0026nbsp;a contacting the kicker penalty that extended Ottawa for a field goal drive in the third quarter.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESo Baines put Queen's out of the playoffs, and put Guelph and his brother, OLB\u003Cb\u003E Riley Baines\u003C\/b\u003E, into the playoffs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWendel upped his CIS single-season completions record to 232. Regina's\u003Cb\u003E Noah Picton\u003C\/b\u003E has 197 heading into his final game at Manitoba on Saturday. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere is a chance, then, that Wendel could have a national record nicked by a Canada West QB. Last season, of course, he got the passing yards mark with 3,136, which set the bar for Calgary's \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Buckley\u003C\/b\u003E to go off against Alberta and finish with 3,162.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003EEnjoy the playoffs.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7522861567187198986\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/10\/oua-football-western-laurier-get-byes.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7522861567187198986"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7522861567187198986"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/10\/oua-football-western-laurier-get-byes.html","title":"OUA football: Western, Laurier get byes, Ottawa-Carleton \u0026 Guelph-McMaster in quarters"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ou3rfHezevY\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7812730314818941235"},"published":{"$t":"2016-10-08T15:02:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-10-08T15:03:12.417-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA Football Recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"OUA football: Scrambling, rambling thoughts; Western-Ottawa play with first at stake, Guelph, Queen's and Windsor have must-wins "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Week 8 includes a 'first and third' scenerio with Western visiting Ottawa, who are each unblemished apart from road defeats against Carleton.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMeantime, Guelph is up against Laurier, and Windsor's is at Queen's. Three of those four teams are fighting for their postseason life.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. Western (5-1). Remaining: bye, @Ottawa, McMaster\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStyles make fights. Western's juggernaut rushing game, accentuated by Chris Merchant, goes against a fast but undersized Gee-Gees defence on Saturday. Meantime, Derek Wendel, who made a 514-yard night look routine against York, will try to test the Mustangs defence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf this game were Sept. 15, Ottawa would stand a stronger shot. The seasonal change probably works in Western's favour, but a Jamie Barresi offence should make the Gees a tough out at home.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003Et-2. Laurier (5-1). Remaining: Guelph, @Windsor\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Golden Hawks, back in the day, were everyone's second-favourite OUA team. Wonder if that will be the case when they have a chance to help Guelph appreciate the concept of \u003Ci\u003Esic transit gloria\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003Et-2. Ottawa (5-1). Remaining: Western, @Queen's\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe million-dollar questions about the Gee-Gees stem from the line of scrimmage, on each side of the ball. Their biggest O-lineman,\u003Cb\u003E Ibra Ndiaye\u003C\/b\u003E (brain injury protocol), was held out against York. Sack leader\u003Cb\u003E Sam Randazzo \u003C\/b\u003Ealso did not play. Ottawa is first-rank in the passing phase with a varied repertory among the receivers and some fluid coverage in the second and third levels. The offensive line and the pass rush count as question marks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOttawa had a punt blocked against York. Western will surely try to block another.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003Et-2. McMaster (5-1). Remaining: \u0026nbsp;@York, @Western\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGetting 36 points against Queen's with one offensive touchdown, that's pretty amazing. No one seems able to contend with The Power That Is\u003Cb\u003E Mike Kashak\u003C\/b\u003E, who had 4½ sacks and a 'hockey assist' on a defensive TD after forcing a fumble that was recovered in the end zone. The lack of finish in the score zone is concerning.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcMaster (+8) has the tiebreaker advantage over Ottawa (+2) and Carleton (-10), should they all end up either 5-3 or 6-2. Carleton would have it over Ottawa, since they won the head-to-head matchup.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E5. Carleton (5-2). Remaining: bye, @Waterloo\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECarleton is closing in on a home game, although it is likely contingent on an Ottawa defeat.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOnly flies on the was a slow start during the 53-10 rout against Windsor. It was 4-4 early in the second quarter. Then, p \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003Et-6. Queen's (2-4). Remaining: Windsor, Ottawa\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELegit playoff team, or are they just collecting W's against weaker teams? Queen's did little to disabuse any of the latter suspicion while going touchdown-free against McMaster. Queen's has scored 20 or fewer points in 4-of-6 games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003Et-6. York (2-4). Remaining: McMaster, @Guelph\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere is talent in Lions territory; \u003Cb\u003EBrett Hunchak \u003C\/b\u003Ehas a fantastic arm at this level and his 329 yards on Friday was the most any team has had against Ottawa. York under offensive minds Kyle Quinlan and Kamau Peterson is playing exciting football, even when they they are losing by 20.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe degeneration on defence was stark. On top of the 741 yards (528 aerially) against Ottawa, the Lions committed some undisciplined penalties. There was a bad hit to the head on Gee-Gees cornerback\u003Cb\u003E Ty Cranston \u003C\/b\u003Ewhile he was catching a short punt. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003Et-6. Windsor (2-4). Remaining: @Queen's, Laurier\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETallied only 231 yards against Carleton, and 164 came through\u003Cb\u003E Tarrence Crawford\u003C\/b\u003E. As an observer, it was frustrating to see an underdog miss opportunities.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth of their sudden-change takeovers inside Carleton's 30-yard line only produced\u003Cb\u003E Clark Green \u003C\/b\u003Efield goals. On the first instance, Nick Vincent recovered a fumbled punt on Carleton's 27. An illegal procedure penalty negated a first-down completion, and then a swing pass to Crawford on second-and-11 only got 10 yards. On third-and-1, Windsor kicked the field goal.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the third, an end-over-end kickoff ricocheted off Windsor's \u003Cb\u003EEvan Martin\u003C\/b\u003E and rolled to\u003Cb\u003E Kaeden Walls\u003C\/b\u003E, who turned a broken play into a 71-yard return to Carleton's 25. All the Lancers could do with that fluky play, and a defensive holding on the next down, was a two-yard rush and an overthrown fade route that someone who never played football could tell was coming.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDoes anyone else get annoyed by that?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003Et-6. Guelph (2-4). Remaining: @Laurier, York\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGuelph-Laurier is essentially a playoff game. The Gryphons are playing for their postseason life, and the Golden Hawks would stay in the bye hunt.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7812730314818941235\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/10\/oua-football-scrambling-rambling.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7812730314818941235"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7812730314818941235"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/10\/oua-football-scrambling-rambling.html","title":"OUA football: Scrambling, rambling thoughts; Western-Ottawa play with first at stake, Guelph, Queen's and Windsor have must-wins "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6705475687334968863"},"published":{"$t":"2016-08-30T16:02:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-08-31T10:21:29.178-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mounties"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stingers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"#Top10VoterProblems: UBC opens the season No. 1, by slim margin over Montréal"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A buzzsaw named \u003Cb\u003EDeezar \u003C\/b\u003Ecame through B.C. last weekend, but that was not enough to change voters' minds for the first football Top 10 of the season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EVoters in the poll have free reign to decide how much stock to give to exhibition results, such as Manitoba's 50-7 win against defending national champion UBC last Friday at Westhills Stadium on Vancouver. Those games aren't played at full intensity, and the road team is often coming with a lean travel squad whereas the hosts will carry extra players.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe first poll of the season is always as the hardest; an invisible hand -- thank you, \u003Cb\u003EAdam Smith\u003C\/b\u003E -- tends to help a consensus develop. Six teams got at least one No. 1 vote, and there seems to be strong consensus around eight teams. That's really all that should be ranked, but for marketing purposes, you need 10 teams. A novel total would break the haters' brains.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC Thunderbirds (266, 20):\u003C\/b\u003E Never been a fan of the 'they are champs until proven otherwise' argument, since it defeats the purpose of having an opinion about who is the best. The 'Birds are young, but they showed last season that the early stages of a season aren't a be-all.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontreal (261, five):\u003C\/b\u003E The line out of the Carabins' camp: \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tvasports.ca\/2016\/08\/29\/la-carte-cachee-des-carabins\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EEven the pope is replaceable\u003C\/a\u003E.\" New quarterback\u003Cb\u003E Samuel Caron\u003C\/b\u003E has been in the system for a few seasons, and aged-out\u003Cb\u003E Gabriel Cousineau \u003C\/b\u003Ehas stayed on as an assistant coach. Time will tell how U de M manages the transition.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaval (218):\u003C\/b\u003E For the first time in memory, Laval comes out of the chute without someone thinking they are No. 1. They are rebuilding, relatively, and perhaps the age cap finally is starting to have an effect.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern (188, two):\u003C\/b\u003E As a greater mind put it, good to see the blowout issue has been addressed in Ontario! The Mustangs beat Windsor by 72 points in the opener. Last season, they met in Week 1 and Western won by 69. Defensive lineman \u003Cb\u003EJohn Biewald\u003C\/b\u003E, who was in camp with the Ottawa RedBlacks, returns to #The613 for Sunday's game against Carleton. As if he won't find motivation intrinsically.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManitoba (182, one): \u003C\/b\u003ESomeone put stock in the wipeout at Westshore, judging from the first-place vote. \u003Cb\u003ETheo Deezar\u003C\/b\u003E had three touchdown passes. The Bisons welcome in Calgary on Thursday.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph (177): \u003C\/b\u003EAll three rotational tailbacks got exactly 11 totes against U of T, with aptly named \u003Cb\u003EMack Jones \u003C\/b\u003Ecounting 92 yards and two TDs. Outside linebacker \u003Cb\u003ERiley Baines\u003C\/b\u003E, who missed the Yates Cup season while upgrading some courses, made his return with a sack last week.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalgary (147, two):\u003C\/b\u003E Lose the Hardy Cup two seasons in a row and everyone forgets you have been pretty damn good for a long time. I put Calgary in my top 5, and not just because new QB1 \u003Cb\u003EJimmy Underdahl\u003C\/b\u003E is a left-hander, which is rare in three-down football for reasons no one has ever been able to explain.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster (146, one): Asher Hastings\u003C\/b\u003E,\u003Cb\u003E Dan Vandervoort \u003C\/b\u003Eand the whole Maroon and Grey gang averaged 9.8 yards per play in the 40-10 win against Carleton. Mac's September slate is Toronto-Waterloo-Ottawa-bye, so there might be some opportunity to be a little experimental before that circled date on the calendar, Oct. 1 vs. Guelph. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn little more than a hunch, I had Mac at No. 4 with Montréal, Western, Calgary as the top three and Laval at No. 5.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton (37):\u003C\/b\u003E The Ravens certainly were caught off-guard against McMaster, and it doesn't get much easier with Western coming to the nation's capital on Sunday. It is a pivotal season for CU, since underachieving is going to slow the momentum the program had at the launch phase. A greater concern than the 30-point loss is that key defender\u003Cb\u003E D'Sean Thelwell \u003C\/b\u003Egot banged up last Sunday. Still a good chance of being a 6-2 team.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier (37):\u003C\/b\u003E Since the other two big-boy conferences have yet to play, having a fourth OUA team as a placeholder at No. 10 makes sense. There's some evidence on them, compared to Concordia or Saskatchewan. Laurier's Onyekas were outstanding against Queen's: \u003Cb\u003ENakus Onyeka \u003C\/b\u003Ehad nine tackles and two sacks, whereas \u003Cb\u003EGodfrey Onyeka \u003C\/b\u003Ehoused an interception return for the ahead-for-good TD.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003EAlso receiving votes: Concordia (18), Saskatchewan (13), St. Francis Xavier (6), Mount Allison (5), Sherbrooke (2).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;3½\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6705475687334968863\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/08\/top10voterproblems-ubc-opens-season-no.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6705475687334968863"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6705475687334968863"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/08\/top10voterproblems-ubc-opens-season-no.html","title":"#Top10VoterProblems: UBC opens the season No. 1, by slim margin over Montréal"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-4348570749692665409"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-20T19:15:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-20T20:43:12.422-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Martlets"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tommies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wishful Thinking Wednesday"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Women's Puck Bracketology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Women's Puck Bracketology: Montreal routs out newbie UBC; SMU medals; a passionate plea for STU"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003E(Editor's note: In the interest of sustaining conversation, the plan for the three hockey and hoops nationals threads that I am off-site for is to have some belated Wishful Thinking Wednesday posts that pertain to each championship. Below that will be an open thread with results and whatnot.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Super Championship weekend, let's get this inked in right off the hop, is a winner for CIS.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd, and I swear this occurred to me before the St. Thomas Tommies -- shunted to the No. 8 seed so the Calgary \u003Cb\u003EHayley\u003C\/b\u003E's Comet Has Gones could play the prime-time Friday quarter-final, l\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/wice\/2016\/boxscores_champ\/20160317_x11u.xml\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eost to No. 1 Guelph\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhy not try to have the women's hockey and hoops championships \u0026nbsp;as close together as possible, and aim to have the men's basketball Final 8 and men's hockey University Cups in cities that are safe driving distance, for the diehards or alumni that might have a school make both?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe SCW is a great idea; this Shelbyville Idea is a next step. The regionalists will howl, but everyone will get a turn, and this gets out in front of the coming day when some of these tournaments are going to get too extensive for one school to bid. In fact, that day is already here?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe SCW should not be walked back. You need to be seen, and as it stands, wall-to-walling it with the eight semifinals and four finals in hockey and hoops makes sense.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat of having an atmosphere? 'Having a national conversation about CIS, it might make sense to somewhat tether these tentpole tournaments.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EThe female teams might have a better forum for their talent and effort if the hockey and hoops tournaments were staged in close proximity. More work for the host(s), but more CIS-fluent people descending on one spot for 4-5 days, more of a cluster occurs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey would probably come up with better ideas than this off-the-cuff stuff. Does it sound like I am spending a second consecutive weekend blogging at a university with a combo basketball\/hockey facility?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe same could work for the University Cup and men's Final 8, although in that case, it just be more workable to get schools within a two-hour drive of one another hosting. There are, and will soon, be a lot more OHL-size arenas that can be converted for basketball.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust a thought. Suppose St. Thomas and UNB — \u0026nbsp;if only, if only, there was a power couple, say a V-Reds man and a Tommies woman, who are passionate about sports and Fredericton could get 'em around the table — had partnered. UNB hosting the W-Final 8, then they put in a bid for women's hockey, with STU as the host team. It would involve that whole Freddy Beach community, and win-win-win, make reparations for UNB dropping its women's varsity a few years ago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EResults so far\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMedal Games\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGold\/silver: Montréal 8, UBC 0\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003E— \u003C\/b\u003EThe more established program was ready and UBC was a little out of its depth. The mere fact that the Thunderbirds were there is great.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBronze: Saint Mary's 3, Guelph 1\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EMake it two CIS bronze medals for women's Huskies teams in the same day, and two in hockey for a total of three. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo what happened? Saint Mary's\u003Cb\u003E Nicole Blanche \u003C\/b\u003Egot the icebreaker 1:49 into the game, and SMU got to play from ahead the whole afternoon.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat's French-language school, West Coast school and East Coast school on the podium. Great to see for a CIS league that is still shy of its 20th anniversary.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESemifinal Saturday\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC 2 Guelph 1 (OTS) \/ Montreal 3 Saint Mary's 2\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003E— \u003C\/b\u003EVery, very few sports seem to get a final four of conference champs, or even one with all four involved. Each was a close game. Focus there!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQuarter-finals\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2\/7\/3\/6 pod\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's Huskies 1 Western Mustangs 0 — \u003C\/b\u003EThe karma just keeps on coming, does it not? Former UNB player\u003Cb\u003E Sylvia Bryson\u003C\/b\u003E wins her case to have the women's hockey Varsity Reds reinstated. Then Saint Mary's, once pulled back from the chopping block, has won AUS and took out the defending champs. The Huskies'\u003Cb\u003E Rebecca Clark\u003C\/b\u003E's 26-save shutout including facing down a 44-second two-woman power play in the third.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMight we retire the \"goalie stood tall with [X number of] saves\" cliché? Even \u003Cb\u003EDarren Pang\u003C\/b\u003E stood tall. By definition, this is the only way to stand, although there is no end of ways to stop a shot.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMontréal Carabins 4 Calgary Dinos 0 — \u003C\/b\u003EThe same two cities that played in the Clarkson Cup last weekend.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1\/8\/4\/5 pod\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph 3, St. Thomas Tommies 0\u0026nbsp;—\u003C\/b\u003E It is truly lamentable that STU got Lamenta'd, as Guelph goalie \u003Cb\u003EValerie Lamenta\u003C\/b\u003E had an 18-save shutout.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUBC Thunderbirds 4, McGill Martlets 2 (eng) \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E— We like a 'bird' team from a school that faced Montreal in football last fall in the semi. Now, if you haven't \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/british-columbia\/danielle-dube-39-year-old-mother-leads-ubc-into-hockey-playoffs-1.3473084\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eread the story from two weeks back about UBC's 40-year-old goalie\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EDanielle Dube\u003C\/b\u003E, please do, and share it on social media.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/4348570749692665409\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/womens-puck-bracketology-guelph.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4348570749692665409"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4348570749692665409"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/womens-puck-bracketology-guelph.html","title":"Women's Puck Bracketology: Montreal routs out newbie UBC; SMU medals; a passionate plea for STU"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3157487700366596077"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-20T18:30:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-21T00:03:40.412-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Puck Bracketology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Patriotes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"University Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Puck Bracketology: Varsity Reds return to the summit; AUS medal sweep"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cb\u003EChampionship Sunday\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E— \u003Ci\u003EUNB 3 St. Francis Xavier 1\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwo goals in 17 seconds in the mid-second put the Varsity Reds on the path, with \u003Cb\u003ERandy Gazzola\u003C\/b\u003E, the St. Catharines, Ont., native who helped Val-d'Or come one goal from the 2014 Memorial Cup, chipping in an assist from his D spot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELooks like this was the usual muck-a-thon that prevails late in the season, that hockey types will tell you is tense and great and you can't get it since You Never Played The Game. This contest had 83 faceoffs, one each 43.37 seconds. So, it was a lot of souvenir pucks, and a lot of tedium.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGazzola, like the X-Men, has played some triple overtime. He was in that record-OT semifinal at the 2014 Cup that the Ottawa Senators' \u003Cb\u003ECurtis Lazar \u003C\/b\u003Eended in the third extra session, sending Edmonton to the final where it beasted the Guelph Storm and \u003Cb\u003ERobby Fabbri\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBronze-medal game\u003C\/b\u003E — \u003Ci\u003ESaint Mary's 5, Saskatchewan 2\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalder Brooks\u003C\/b\u003E (Calgary\/P.A.\/Spokane, WHL) has two goals, and he is from Emerald Park, Sask., so sick burn on his home province. Good finish for Saint Mary's, going with the bronzes in women's basketball and women's hockey. If only they could be third in AUS in football!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaturday's semifinal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E—\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESt. Francis\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E2 Saskatchewan 1 (3OT);\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUNB \u003C\/b\u003E4 Saint Mary's 0\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERecord for longest CIS University Cup overtime, or it did not happen! Well, it \u003Ci\u003Edid\u003C\/i\u003E: \u003Cb\u003EMichael Clarke \u003C\/b\u003E(Cape Breton, QMJHL) ended the 107-minute 35-second gruelathon with the triple-OT winner in St. Francis Xavier's 2-1 decision against the Saskatchewan Huskies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow the X-Men get to verify that there was nothing aberrant about the two-game sweep of UNB in the AUS final, when both teams were playing for the higher seed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETalking point: is this tournament showing the worth of a two-year host cycle, where the host schools rotate? St. FX was in as host last season, and no doubt that experience fed having to play more than 100 minutes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJordon Cooke\u003C\/b\u003E (Kelowna Rockets, WHL), Saskatchewan's goalie, made 61 saves. Cooke has logged 223 minutes 46 seconds in the tournament, which normally, would mean the backup gets the next start.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMeantime, New Brunswick has won each of its games by four goals. That is not a portent of anything, plus the opposition was barely-ranked Western and Saint Mary's, the third or fourth-best AUS.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EQuestion: Should Cooke be MVP if Saskatchewan wins the bronze game? Probably a little too radical an idea, but 11 periods of hockey in 48 hours, and the goalie allowed four goals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo excuses for Halifax not to have a crowd. It's kismet since the hockey went to a conference for a two-year run instead of a one-off hosted by a school.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's also the last good hockey Halifax will have till September, since the Quebec League's Mooseheads are an also-ran after reaping some \u003Ci\u003Esic transit gloria\u003C\/i\u003E. That is Latin for \"\u003Cb\u003ENik Ehlers\u003C\/b\u003E made the Jets.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFriday's\u0026nbsp;1\/8\/4\/5 pod\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;—\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's Huskies\u003C\/b\u003E 3\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETrois-Rivières Patriotes 2\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EUNB Varsity Reds\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;5, Western Mustangs 1; \u003Cb\u003EUNB \u0026amp; SMU play the late-afternoon semifinal at 5 p.m. ET\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiven that the Saint Mary's Huskies are bolstered by \u003Cb\u003EStephen (Birdman) MacAulay\u003C\/b\u003E, who had two primary assists in the 3-2 takedown of Trois-Rivières, it's not surprising they won in the host vs. top seed game.\u0026nbsp;Remember, MacAulay might be one of the winningest players who ever graced the Quebec League, with four finals, three President's Cup titles and Memorial Cup wins with the 2011 Sea Dogs and 2013 Mooseheads. On top of that, if there was a friendler player on any Q team at the 2010-14 Cups, he must have been a black ace who wasn't requested for interviews.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMemory of MacAulay saving a slow news day at 2012 Memorial Cup in Shawinigan. Word got around Centre Bionest that the night before, MacAulay had set a plastic bag containing a T-shirt down on his hotel room's hotplate, which was turned on, although no player owned up to it. Suddenly, there was a smell of burning plastic assailing nostrils up and down the hall. A high odor tolerance is a vocational necessity to play hockey, but eventually, Tomas Jurco went down the hall and said, \"Hey Mac, I think your room's on fire.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe point of the story is that MacAulay was cool about an awkward moment being shared in the media. Just one more reason to pay attention to the junior exes in CIS.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIncidentally, rough end to a season for UQTR 'tender\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003ESébastien Auger\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;(QMJHL, Saint John Sea Dogs). Auger was the 55-game workhorse in Saint John two seasons back when they finished second-last in the Q and had to make four visits to the Metro Centre to face the Mooseheads with Ehlers and \u003Cb\u003EJonathan Drouin\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENote on the first game: \u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EPhilippe Halley\u003C\/b\u003E would appear to be where he's needed, and where he needs to be. Halley (Gatineau\/Victoriaville, QMJHL) had a hat trick in the 5-1 V-Reds' victory against Western Mustangs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease remember that Halley, who was a two-time 40-goal scorer in the Q, took a shot at the Coast league two seasons ago with Gwinnett. Over 2½ seasons with \u003Cb\u003EGardiner MacDougall\u003C\/b\u003E, Halley's put up numbers at about a point-per-game rate. A hatter in a University Cup is pretty special since teams have so much time to video-analyze opponents. There are no surprises at at a hoops or hockey Final 8. That only goes for the teams, not us media types.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThursday's 2\/7\/3\/6 pod\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;— \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan Huskies\u003C\/b\u003E 3, Carleton Ravens 2 (4OT); \u003Cb\u003ESt. Francis Xavier\u003C\/b\u003E X-Men 6, Alberta Golden Bears 2, so \u003Cb\u003Ewestern Huskies \u0026amp; X-Men at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPour one out for Carleton's fourth-year forward\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EJoey West \u003C\/b\u003E(OHL, Peterborough Petes).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow, you heard that the longest CIS University Cup game undulated in Halifax until \u003Cb\u003EParker Thomas \u003C\/b\u003E(MJHL, Selkirk Steelers) scored in the fourth overtime to give No. 2 seed Saskatchewan \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thestarphoenix.com\/sports\/local-sports\/u-of-s-huskies\/thomas-scores-in-4th-ot-huskies-win-longest-game-in-university-cup-history\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ethe 3-2 quarter-final win against wild-card Carleton after 116 minutes 11 seconds\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt would be a hell of a twist had Saskatchewan, after finally being the higher seed out of Canada West instead of Alberta, had lost. Huskies goalie\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EJordon Cooke\u003C\/b\u003E (WHL, Kelowna Rockets) handled 58-of-60 shots for the Huskies. Carleton's cord-cottage counterpart, \u003Cb\u003EPat Killeen\u003C\/b\u003E (OHL, Brampton Battalion) made 65 saves before Thomas poked in his own rebound for the decider.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOf course, all clichés about the end-at-any-moment tension of apply, but one keeps coming back to West, a fourth-year Ravens forward. In 2013, Carleton had also had season-ending quadruple-overtime loss, falling to Trois-Rivières in OUA playoffs. It turns out, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mice\/2016\/boxscores_champ\/20160317_kdrt.xml\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eat least based on Thursday's summary\u003C\/a\u003E and the HockeyDB for the '12-13 Ravens, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hockeydb.com\/ihdb\/stats\/leagues\/seasons\/teams\/0048962013.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EWest has the only Raven who competed in both games\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cb\u003EFrancis Dupuis\u003C\/b\u003E was the backup goalie in both times.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's just sports, but damn, how many people who plays 4-5 years in any team sport that can multiple-overtime games experience that \u003Ci\u003Etwice? \u003C\/i\u003EAnd West is already an OHL\/OUA rarity, as a one-team player in each league. His entire OHL tenure, which was actually only five years, was with the Peterborough Petes, and although West was universally regarded as an outstanding leader, the Petes did not win a playoff series the whole time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlso, Alberta's not in the semifinal? Next thing you know the province will have a NDP premier.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3157487700366596077\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/mens-puck-bracketology-carletons-joey.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3157487700366596077"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3157487700366596077"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/mens-puck-bracketology-carletons-joey.html","title":"Men's Puck Bracketology: Varsity Reds return to the summit; AUS medal sweep"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-1078838450495051030"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-09T13:37:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-09T13:54:27.153-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS women's hockey"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lakers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Martlets"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tommies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Women's Puck Bracketology"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Women's Puck Bracketology: Guelph goes for No. 1 seed, Western tries to win one for Saint Mary's"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"There is a great feature some national sports network could produce about No. 1 Guelph's coach, \u003Cb\u003ERachel Flanagan\u003C\/b\u003E, and her now five-year-old child.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Gryphons' guide was, as you would recall, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thestar.com\/sports\/hockey\/2011\/03\/03\/gaels_gryphons_women_set_hockey_record.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Edue any day that night five years ago this month\u003C\/a\u003E when Guelph and Queen's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.gogaelsgo.com\/news\/2011\/3\/3\/HOCKEYW_0303115525.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eengaged in a six-overtime playoff series opener\u003C\/a\u003E. There is some human drama for you. Plus the Gryphons, under the leadership of someone who captained the team in its nascence, have become a world-beater.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThey grow up so fast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003EIt can be easy to forget women's hockey has\u0026nbsp;been on Canadian Interuniversity Sport's roster for fewer than 20 years. Or that even 10 years ago, the nationals were usually a roll call of usual suspects: Alberta, Laurier and McGill, lather, rinse, repeat, add a host team, an assigned team and the AUS, add stir. Now it is one of the most unpredictable sports when it comes to who shows up at nationals. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHierarchy? McGill and Montréal as 1A and 1B in Quebec notwithstanding, this is a democratic sport. Take Nipissing, a new-ish team. The Lakers eliminated next year's nationals host, Queen's and then played the equivalent of a four-game series against Western last weekend. The Mustangs finally coaxed a series-winning goal past NU's\u003Cb\u003E Jacqueline Rochefort \u003C\/b\u003Eafter nearly 112½ scoreless minutes in Game 3 last weekend. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnyway, the seeding.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EWomen's hockey not only tries to avoid same-conference quarter-finals, but same-conference semifinals whenever possible, assuming that I read\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/static.psbin.com\/a\/u\/ai0i52l0tflb12\/HockeyW.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESection 4.2.2 correctly\u003C\/a\u003E, and had an administrator at a school whose team is out explain it slowly enough to me. The Western-Guelph McCaw Cup matchup on Saturday will determine the seeding.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/wice\/top10\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EUsing the current Top 10\u003C\/a\u003E, essentially Guelph will be No. 1 next week in Calgary if it wins. The Mustangs are playing for No. 3 at nationals, but a win means McGill next Thursday instead of Saint Mary's.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf Guelph wins on Saturday, everything falls into place:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGuelph (OUA champion)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMontréal (RSEQ champion)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESaint Mary's Huskies (AUS champion)* \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUBC Thunderbirds (Canada West champion)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMcGill Martlets (RSEQ assigned)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWestern Mustangs (OUA assigned)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESt. Thomas Tommies (AUS assigned)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECalgary Dinos (host)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003EA Western win, sighs of relief all around, will not cause any controversy. Calgary to No. 7 is an easy pivot. St. Thomas and Montréal meet in the quarter-final either way, and each stay in the same half of the bracket. It's not relevant that Calgary gets a 7 seed even though it was not ranked all season and went two-and-out in the first round against Regina.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMontréal (RSEQ champion)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESaint Mary's (AUS champion)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWestern (OUA\u0026nbsp;champion)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUBC (Canada West champion)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGuelph (OUA\u0026nbsp;assigned)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMcGill (RSEQ assigned)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECalgary (host)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESt. Thomas (AUS assigned)*\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003ESaint Mary's becomes the big winner, presumably, since it goes from defending national champion Western to Calgary, which was ousted on Feb. 20. For what it is worth, every so often a host team that is on hiatus for that long comes back refreshed and focus and wins, like the 2005 Weyburn Red Wings and 2012 Shawinigan Cataractes in junior hockey.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Dinos' layoff adds up to 25 days, which is almost as long as some of the more dubious Memorial Cup host teams of recent vintage. There's another story!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E(* already determined) \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/1078838450495051030\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/womens-puck-bracketology-guelph-goes.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1078838450495051030"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1078838450495051030"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/womens-puck-bracketology-guelph-goes.html","title":"Women's Puck Bracketology: Guelph goes for No. 1 seed, Western tries to win one for Saint Mary's"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5664071880299263045"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-09T11:55:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-09T20:54:55.089-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Puck Bracketology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Patriotes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pronghorns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"University Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Puck Bracketology: AKA the 'St. Francis Xavier wins' edition"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003E(Updated: the X-Men, with Sudbury Wolves alumnus Nathan Pancel sniping a tiebreaking goal 1:59 into the third, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/atlanticuniversitysport.com\/sports\/mice\/2015-16\/postseason\/boxscores\/20160309_mh95.xml\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ebeat No. 1-ranked UNB 5-3 to sweep the AUS championship series\u003C\/a\u003E. Time to change our tenses!)\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDrew Owsley \u003C\/b\u003Ecreated a domino effect.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESt. Francis Xavier finished the job against No. 1-ranked UNB on Wednesday in Game 2 of the best-of-3 AUS championship, which semi-halfway radically altered the seeding for the CIS University Cup. Men's hockey is relatively straightforward about its seeding. The winners of each sport conference form the top three \"based on their respective team national ranking in the final Top Ten of the season.\" The OUA runner-up draws into the No. 4 seed, and everyone else is arranged accordingly.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo we have some idea of the fallout from the X-Men winning,\u0026nbsp;especially in a format that looks deep within each team's soul and assigns them a seeding based on their place in a media poll. Please bear in mind this is using this week's Top 10. There is no anticipating whether there will be a shift when the contributors submit their final, final Top 10 on Saturday night after the OUA Queen's Cup (Trois-Rivières at Western)\u0026nbsp;and play-in bronze game (Guelph at Carleton).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETrois-Rivières (OUA champion) —\u003C\/b\u003E Based on having 140 points to take the No. 2 spot in the poll. Former Saint John Sea Dogs goalie \u003Cb\u003ESébastien Auger\u003C\/b\u003E was a game-stealer in the sealer last Saturday against Carleton.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan Huskies (Canada West champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ESweeping Alberta, 4-0 and 3-2, did not nudge them over the Pats in the poll.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESt. Francis Xavier X-Men (AUS champion)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EOne would think that the X-Men might even siphon away No. 1 votes if they take down the the \u003Cb\u003EGardiner MacDougall \u003C\/b\u003Egang. They were still 34 points adrift of Saskatchewan in last week's penultimate Top Ten.\u003Cb\u003E Brad Peddle\u003C\/b\u003E's lads had some bounce-back in the clincher. They spotted the V-Reds the first two goals, levelled, and former OHLer\u003Cb\u003E Nathan Chiarlitti\u003C\/b\u003E had a mid-second period response goal only 55 seconds after UNB had taken its second lead.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern Mustangs (OUA runner-up)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EAnything can happen in a one-game final on the Mustangs' home ice, just saying.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUNB Varsity Reds (AUS runner-up)\u0026nbsp;—\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;Not a bad loss for UNB if the form holds in London, Ont., on Saturday. The V-Reds would get a quarter-final against a team which was unranked much of the season. Being in the 4 vs. 5 game also puts them in the same scheduling bloc as Saint Mary's, which is probably also helpful.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith the ex-OHLers Nathan Chiarlitti and Nathan Pancel getting big goals for the X-Men on Wednesday, any Ontarian named Nathan might not be welcome around the Aitken Centre for a while.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlberta Golden Bears (Canada West runner-up)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ESaskatchewan goalie \u003Cb\u003EJordon Cooke\u003C\/b\u003E, a Kelowna Rockets alumnus, was named Canada West player of the year. The last time a goalie got the honour was Lethbridge's \u003Cb\u003ETrevor Kruger \u003C\/b\u003Ein 1993-94. You know what else Lethbridge did that season? \u003Cb\u003EMike Babcock\u003C\/b\u003E coached it to the national title. There's \u003Cstrike\u003Ea very small sample size\u003C\/strike\u003E an omen for you.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton Ravens (OUA bronze medal)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EConfidence check: 72 per cent sure that the Ravens get 'er done against Guelph on Sunday in the play-in, AKA the OUA bronze-medal game.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's Huskies (host)\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ESMU has a 48-44-29 poll lead against Western and Guelph. A pair of upsets by the OUA West teams might nudge them into the 7 vs. 2 quarter-final. That would segue into the meaning of \"try to avoid\" same conference matchups. It has occurred in the past, albeit in other sports, that a conference winner and the team that won the bronze-medal play-in game for the conference's third berth were matched in the first round.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5664071880299263045\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/mens-puck-bracketology-aka-what-if-st.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5664071880299263045"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5664071880299263045"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/mens-puck-bracketology-aka-what-if-st.html","title":"Men's Puck Bracketology: AKA the 'St. Francis Xavier wins' edition"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8954291087154802021"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-05T10:22:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-09T11:17:36.313-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bracketology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Men's Puck Bracketology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Patriotes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ridgebacks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"University Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Puck bracketology: UNB is No. 1, and Carleton could get flippin' mad"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Hockey people, love 'em for it, are more linear in their thought process.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat is reflected in the seeding for the University Cup, now in its second year as an eight-team saw-off. It is so straightforward. Win a conference, you're top three, with the OUA runner-up fourth. Everything else flows from there:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-otnLnkopnyw\/VtrwuSpZ7YI\/AAAAAAAADGw\/VrNRxCwvpv8\/s1600\/hockeyseeding.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"382\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-otnLnkopnyw\/VtrwuSpZ7YI\/AAAAAAAADGw\/VrNRxCwvpv8\/s640\/hockeyseeding.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPart of the point of this exercise is to foment discussion, and try to make sure people have an accurate understanding of how the pie is made. It's not so important to be accurate in predicting who is going to win. It's good to go out on a limb but at the same time, it's better to be pleasantly surprised.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EFew of you likely need any reminder the draw consists of all six conference finalists, plus the OUA bronze-medal game winner and the host Saint Mary's Huskies. Upper Canada gets the third team since it and Lower Canada are one conference for men's hockey. Would that they were for basketball, but wait until next week's Wishful Thinking Wednesday column.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBased on the criteria, if the University Cup was starting Saturday instead of March 17-20 at the Arena Formerly Known As the Halifax Metro Centre, it would look like this:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUNB Varsity Reds — \u003C\/b\u003EGardiner MacDougall's guys have home-ice advantage for a best-of-3 AUS final against St. Francis Xavier. The Varsity Reds won 3-of-4 against the X-Men, including two in overtime. This is very much penciled in, not penned.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETrois-Rivières Patriotes\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EUQTR \u0026nbsp;had 140 points in the poll to Saskatchewan's 126's last week, so at this point this puts them ahead of the U of S. However, that's just a sop to consistency. If Saskatchewan, which beat Alberta 4-0 to begin the best-of-3 Canada West final, should finish the job, that might get them enough second-place votes over the final two ballots.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan Huskies\u0026nbsp;—\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003E To reiterate, sweeping Alberta would probably make some voters less hesitant to put the Huskies second.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern Mustangs\u0026nbsp;—\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003E The OUA runner-up gets the 4 seed. Western leads Guelph 1-0 in the OUA final. Neither team was anywhere near the top 10 until ranked teams began to fall by the wayside in the deeper divisions and leagues. The East is a much stronger half than the West.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlberta Golden Bears\u0026nbsp;—\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003E Still U of A, and anything could happen.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESt. Francis Xavier X-Men\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003E— \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003ESo what if they pull the upset against UNB, hypothetically speaking? The first-place votes could be split madly in all directions.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Mary's Huskies\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ECarleton would deserve the higher seeding, but SMU would be flipped with them to avoid a same-conference quarter-final against UNB. One can already hear a hue and cry from the Ottawa legacy media if the Ravens are No. 8 after a stellar season which included taking out McGill, but those are the rules, and it helps to read them. In the short run, their best chance to do something is against\u0026nbsp;Trois-Rivières, which leads the East final 1-0.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECarleton Ravens\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;—\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;It is commendable that the East has become a competitive half of OUA men's hockey. The conference has more separation and always will since it has 20 teams instead of eight. Carleton under \u003Cb\u003EMarty Johnston\u003C\/b\u003E is an insurgent against Quebec's two strongholds, and the UOIT Ridgebacks are getting stronger by the year. Whether it is still Johnston as coach in the long run, this is a program on the upswing and has been since\u003Cb\u003E Fred Parker\u003C\/b\u003E got it off the ground 10 years ago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's probably a bad read of the room to say now UOIT needs to avoid finishing fourth and having to play\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Trois-Rivières. They just busted ass to finish fourth and have the extra home game against Queen's, which came in handy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8954291087154802021\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/university-cup-bracketology-unb-is-no-1.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8954291087154802021"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8954291087154802021"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/university-cup-bracketology-unb-is-no-1.html","title":"Men's Puck bracketology: UNB is No. 1, and Carleton could get flippin' mad"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-otnLnkopnyw\/VtrwuSpZ7YI\/AAAAAAAADGw\/VrNRxCwvpv8\/s72-c\/hockeyseeding.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3588772736408599509"},"published":{"$t":"2014-02-23T20:21:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-06-21T21:57:39.053-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Badgers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball Week In Review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sea-Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vikes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wesmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: Week in Review, Feb. 19–23"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ENext in a series of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/kenpom.com\/\"\u003Ekenpom-inspired\u003C\/a\u003E Week in Review, and maybe the last one of 2013-14.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBiggest upsets\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIt's an all-West version of the upsets this week.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. MBB: Winnipeg (14%) pushing Victoria to 3 games (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2014\/boxscores_post\/20140221_5vog.xml\"\u003EGame 1\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Awful night for the Terrell Evans Watch \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.timescolonist.com\/sports\/vikes-basketball-teams-open-playoffs-on-wrong-foot-1.863786\"\u003Eand his team in general\u003C\/a\u003E, though UVic did pull it together in Games 2 and 3 to move on. (The 14% listed here represents the chance that Victoria wouldn't sweep.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. MBB: UBC (2%) pushing Alberta to 3 games (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2014\/boxscores_post\/20140221_5vog.xml\"\u003EGame 2\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Winning just one in this series was huge for UBC, going on the road against the third-best team in the country. Winning two of three would have been inexplicable. See below for more on the game they won.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECrazy comebacks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe teams who should have lost, but didn't.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E3. WBB: Laurier (9.3%) over Brock, Wednesday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140213_91gh.xml?view=plays\"\u003Eplay-by-play\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gcG_V1l8hCA\"\u003Evideo\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. I realize we just had some hockey and curling matches of import, but let's go ahead and say that the Golden Hawks are Canada's Team\u0026trade;. After this win and another on Saturday vs. Western, they're now just one more away from the Final 8, which would be the perfect topper to a ridiculous OUA West season. Entering this game, Laurier had defeated teams who were still alive in the playoffs by 4 (Queen's), 2 (Laval), 1 (Western), and 1 (McMaster). And what happened here? Down 12 with 12 minutes to play, they doubled up 18-9 on Brock in the fourth quarter and won by 5. There is a good chance that Western would be in the Final 8 if the bounces in this game went another way. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.laurierathletics.com\/createarticle.php?ID=5273\"\u003EShades of 2011\u003C\/a\u003E... \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. MBB: Western (7.2%) over Lakehead, Wednesday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2014\/boxscores_post\/20140219_15ex.xml?view=plays\"\u003Eplay-by-play\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. If, at any point, someone at Western wants to make their wins or losses more \"normal\" or \"boring\" please consider how much enjoyment the rest of us are getting out of this. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2014\/boxscores_post\/20140222_om0l.xml\"\u003EExample of the alternative\u003C\/a\u003E.) In this one the Mustangs were down 5 with two minutes left, then got a three-point play, a three-point shot, and then two more free throws to put it away. Lakehead committed 20 turnovers, three during the crucial stretch at the end.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fMcUz0bd_rs\/Uwqfo2DwycI\/AAAAAAAABQ0\/r5B6ZG7H1S8\/s1600\/MBB_WP_UBC_ALB_20140222.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fMcUz0bd_rs\/Uwqfo2DwycI\/AAAAAAAABQ0\/r5B6ZG7H1S8\/s320\/MBB_WP_UBC_ALB_20140222.png\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image\/*\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMBB: UBC 79 at Alberta 78 (Feb. 22, 2014)\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. MBB: UBC (\u0026lt;0.1%) over Alberta, Saturday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2014\/boxscores_post\/20140222_9l1x.xml?view=plays\"\u003Eplay-by-play\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Alberta had a 13-point lead with about four minutes to go (see chart at left), having already \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2014\/boxscores_post\/20140221_7dda.xml\"\u003Ewon Game 1 by 20 points\u003C\/a\u003E (though with only a six-point halftime lead). They also had 25 fouls in this game, the 25th and final being the most damaging, as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/mbkb\/2014\/boxscores_post\/20140222_9l1x.xml\"\u003Eit came with no time left and led to the game-winning free throw\u003C\/a\u003E. UBC went to the line 20 times more than Alberta did, and converted on 32 of their 35 attempts. Alberta would then win the third game Sunday 80-67, but it wasn't as one-sided as it looked: they were only up 8 in the last minute. If they are one of the so-called \"teams that could beat Carleton\" then this was, if nothing else, a good series for Carleton.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBiggest changes in SRS rank\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUp: UNB MBB (+7, 36 to 29)\u003C\/b\u003E. Swapping spots, more or less, with St. F-X after beating them and CBU this weekend. There is hardly any space between 29th and 38th, so this change looks bigger than it is.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDown: StFX MBB (-6, 30 to 36)\u003C\/b\u003E. Don't look now but the X-Men have lost five of seven. That just brings \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/cishoops.ca\/history\/top10coaching.php\"\u003EDave Smart's record-breaking game\u003C\/a\u003E a week or so closer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESlowest game of the week: WBB Ottawa at Carleton, Saturday (65 possessions)\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003ECarleton again. Way too many offensive rebounds allowed by Ottawa in a 59-37 loss. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/wbkb\/2014\/boxscores_post\/20140222_cml4.xml\"\u003EThere have been better playoff games than this\u003C\/a\u003E. When the winning team is shooting below 40%...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFastest game of the week: MBB MUN at SMU, Friday (101 possessions)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother amazing\/invisible performance from \u003Cb\u003EJacob Hynes\u003C\/b\u003E, especially considering the pace of this game: 31 minutes played, zero points, one shot, one rebound, one assist. The fans who shoot at halftime for a campus store gift card get more touches than he does.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETerrell Evans Watch\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs mentioned above, not a lot went right on Friday for Evans and the Vikes. Better on Saturday, with 8 boards and a game-high 18 points. Then 29 points on Sunday. He just wanted to make an entrance, really. He'll have Fraser Valley to deal with next, and then either Saskatchewan or Alberta, then potentially Carleton or the OUA third-place team after that. The Watch will stand on guard throughout. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBest games of the upcoming week\u003C\/b\u003E (all times Eastern)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EFinal 8 play-in games are denoted with * at the beginning. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E* MBB: Victoria vs. UFV (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\/\"\u003ECW semifinal, Friday, 6:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E* MBB: Ottawa vs. McMaster (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/schedule\/\"\u003EOUA semifinal, Friday, 8:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. The second, and better, of the two Wilson Cup semifinals. If (a) you're in the GTA, and (b) you like basketball, but (c) don't go to these games, then (b) is probably false.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E* MBB: Saskatchewan at Alberta (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\/\"\u003ECW semifinal, Friday, 10:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: Saskatchewan at UBC (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\"\u003ECW quarterfinal, Friday 10:00pm, Saturday 8:00pm, Sunday 5:00pm if necessary\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. WBB matchup of the week. The teams ranked ahead of the Huskies are either not playing this week, or are hosting their playoff game(s). Those that \u003Ci\u003Eare\u003C\/i\u003E playing either have already qualified for the Final 8 or aren't facing an opponent as good as UBC. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E* MBB: OUA bronze-medal game (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/schedule\/\"\u003ESaturday, 4:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Presuming the entirety of Carleton University doesn't sink into the Rideau this week, this will be Windsor\/McMaster or Windsor\/Ottawa. Either one will be excellent. We will have coverage of the Wilson Cup tournament here, by the way.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E* WBB: Queen's at Carleton (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ssncanada.ca\/games\/\"\u003EOUA East final, Saturday 6:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Two of the top 10 defences nationwide, and the slowest pace factor in the country from the Ravens. If you like high scores, this game \u003Ci\u003Ereally\u003C\/i\u003E isn't for you. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMBB: CW final (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\/\"\u003ESaturday, TBD\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Likely the \"who doesn't have to play Carleton?\" game. Victoria lost this one last year to UBC; thankfully for them, we know UBC won't be their opponent this time should they make it back there. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E* MBB: AUS final (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.austv.ca\/\"\u003ESunday, 1:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Teams to be determined, obviously, but an important game regardless.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3588772736408599509\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/02\/basketball-week-in-review-feb-19-to-23.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3588772736408599509"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3588772736408599509"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/02\/basketball-week-in-review-feb-19-to-23.html","title":"Basketball: Week in Review, Feb. 19–23"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6795779968820879482"},"published":{"$t":"2014-02-12T13:02:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-06-21T21:58:12.518-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball Week In Review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Capers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Citadins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Martlets"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Panthers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Redmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sea-Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SMU Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tigers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Reds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vikes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"WolfPack"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: Week In Review, Feb. 5–9"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ENext in a series of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/kenpom.com\/\"\u003Ekenpom-inspired\u003C\/a\u003E Week in Review. Through games on Sunday.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBiggest upsets\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. MBB: TRU (26%) over Victoria, Friday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140207_vdh6.xml\"\u003Ebox\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Ta'Quan Zimmerman gives the people what they want. 14-29 shooting, three 3s, 31 points. Add in nine rebounds, four assists and a lone turnover. Kid can hoop, and his effort led Thompson Rivers to the win over the No. 4 ranked Victoria Vikes. The 82 points on 71 possessions from TRU is the impressive number here, because Victoria had the best DRtg in the conference, at 87.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. MBB: Memorial (22%) over Dalhousie, Saturday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140208_s1qb.xml\"\u003Ebox\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. The box score from this one is bizarre. Dalhousie shot 28 per cent and only lost by five. They only had five turnovers though, which is why the margin was so slim. No standout performers on either side \u0026mdash; Memorial was just efficient. Caleb Gould had 15 points on 7-10 shooting while also snagging 12 rebounds. The win doesn't do much for the standings, as Memorial is 2-14 and Dalhousie is 4-12. Interesting note: Jacob Hynes of Memorial played 27 minutes and did not attempt a field goal. He split a pair of free throws, grabbed three rebounds, an assist and a block. Unsurprisingly, he has the lowest usage rate (5.6%) in the country.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECrazy comebacks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe teams who should have lost, but didn't.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E4. MBB: McGill (4.1%) over UQAM, Saturday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140208_1727.xml?view=plays\"\u003Eplay-by-play\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Fairly close game throughout, but a Simon Bibeau three with seven seconds left tied the game and sent it to overtime. The low point for McGill was just before nailing that three. They went on to outscore UQAM 7-5 in the OT period and won 78-76.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E3. WBB: Laurier (3.9%) over Lakehead, Friday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/wbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140207_m1pl.xml?view=plays\"\u003Eplay-by-play\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Lakehead continues their 2014 surge and nearly swept the Golden Hawks this weekend. Laurier was able to steal the first game on the double-header, despite being down 30-16 with 7:27 left in the first half. The Golden Hawks didn't just win; they were actually able to come back and hold the lead going into the locker room, dropping 28 points in the quarter. The OUA West continues to be the strangest conference in women's hoops.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-lrI4NG5JMHY\/UvmwK2OaSSI\/AAAAAAAABQc\/q-wUnsy6NPk\/s1600\/WBB_UNB_CBU_WP_20140207.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-lrI4NG5JMHY\/UvmwK2OaSSI\/AAAAAAAABQc\/q-wUnsy6NPk\/s1600\/WBB_UNB_CBU_WP_20140207.png\" height=\"193\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EWBB: UNB 57 at Cape Breton 62 (OT) (Feb. 7, 2014)\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. MBB: Waterloo (3.6%) over Western, Saturday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140208_yega.xml?view=plays\"\u003Eplay-by-play\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. It has to be a frustrating season for fans of the Western Mustangs, who have not shown any consistency this year. They lost to Waterloo in crazy fashion, allowing the game to go to overtime. The play-by-play is inaccurate, so it's hard to tell exactly what happened, but the low point was with Waterloo down by two late in the fourth. Warrior guard Mike Helsby knocked down a two-pointer to knot it at 71, and Waterloo would prevail in OT. Western's Eric McDonald missed a tying free throw late, and Greg Morrow missed the ensuing putback. So it goes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. WBB: Cape Breton (\u0026lt;0.1%) over UNB, Friday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/wbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140207_9mhs.xml?view=plays\"\u003Eplay-by-play\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Down 13 with 4:27 to go, and their chances of winning basically at zero (see chart), Cape Breton mounted a ridiculous comeback, albeit in a low-scoring affair. With 29 seconds left, the Capers took a 50-49 lead. UNB tied it with a free throw, and yet again, the game headed to overtime. Free throws with 42 seconds left gave the Capers a one-point lead, and the Varsity Reds went cold for the rest of the game to concede the loss.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBiggest changes in SRS\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUp: Laurentian MBB (+3, 15 to 12) and Lakehead WBB (+3, 24 to 21)\u003C\/b\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003ELaurentian has been inconsistent this year and most of that has to do with playing on the road. They are 3-6 away from Sudbury and 9-2 at home. They beat Ryerson this weekend, hanging 82 points on a team with a better defensive rating than Carleton. The Voyageurs probably have the best home atmosphere I have been to this year (and yes, I have been to Lakehead). The place is packed, the fans are loud and the players love it. Expect them to sink next week though, as they travel to Ottawa to take on the Gee-Gees and Ravens.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBeating a dead horse a bit here, but Lakehead is putting out a solid women's basketball product. Jylisa Williams is damn fun to watch and the team can get points from a handful of other players. The Thunderwolves let the first game against Laurier slip away, but they were able to win the second. Should they have completed the sweep, their ranking would have soared even higher. If they had Williams all season, the OUA West would be even more competitive than it already is. Scary thought.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDown: McGill MBB (11 to 15)\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003ECan we rally to rescind RSEQ's berth in the Final 8 this year? McGill seems likely to emerge from the conference, but they have not taken advantage of weaker teams. Their offense is 10th in ORtg and they play against a division that has not had anyone else sniff the top-ten rankings. Someone is going to miss out on the tournament so we can watch McGill get pummelled. This RSEQ rant is a recording.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESlowest game of the week: WBB UQAM at McGill, Thursday (66 possessions)\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E62-59 is the final, and the teams combined for 39 turnovers. Probably not the game you would want to show someone who has never watched basketball before. Their rematch was just as slow. RSEQ hoops, you guys!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFastest game of the week: MBB SMU at UPEI, Saturday (96 possessions)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn a match-up of the No. 2 (UPEI) and No. 3 (SMU) teams in pace, 96 possessions should not come as a surprise. A 97-93 win for UPEI was the result, but SMU actually launched a late comeback attempt. Down 91-73 with 2:17 left, SMU went on a tear and made it a two-point game late. Not too surprising to see an up-tempo team put up points in a hurry, though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETa'Quan Zimmerman Watch\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHave to give credit to Zimmerman this week for his performance over a fantastic defensive team. I talked about his stats in the win over Victoria early, but in the rematch, Zimmerman was just as impressive. He had 23 points on 9-17 shooting, including three of six from beyond the arc. Only four rebounds and two assists, but an efficient evening nonetheless. Thompson Rivers has just an outside shot of making the Final 8, but it would be fun to see what he could do on the national stage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBest games of the upcoming week\u003C\/b\u003E (all times Eastern)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAll listed games include webcast link.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: Western at Brock (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.brocktv.ca\/live\"\u003EWednesday, 6:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. This tilt is massive. Brock is tied at 11-9 with McMaster, and Mac has the tie-breaker in points. Western is sniffing Laurier, only one game behind. Brock needs to create separation to earn a home playoff game, but Western could get an important bye and home game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMBB: Laurentian at Ottawa (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ssncanada.ca\/game\/5259\/\"\u003EFriday 8:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Ottawa's No. 2 seed is safe, but Laurentian could use a win over Ottawa to give themselves an outside shot of getting ahead of Ryerson. The Voyageurs are behind two games but they need this one to even have a chance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: Saskatchewan at Alberta (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\"\u003EFriday 8:00pm, Saturday 7:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. A win for Saskatchewan would tie the two squads and give the Huskies some more credibility as a wild card bid. They have beat the better teams in the Pacific division, and splitting the games with Alberta \u0026mdash; the loss being a close one \u0026mdash; would be a positive.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMBB: Saskatchewan at Alberta (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\"\u003EFriday 10:00pm, Saturday 9:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Same schools, different teams. Saskatchewan peaked at No. 5 in the CIS rankings (now No. 9) and a win over Alberta would be beneficial to their playoff run. They can't get first place in the Prairie division, but they could at least raise some eyebrows about their chances at making the Final 8.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMBB: Victoria at UBC (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\"\u003EFriday 11:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. UBC does not have many wins over good teams this year. They have a notable win over Saskatchewan, but a win over Victoria could put them over Thompson Rivers and help UBC avoid the Vikes in playoff action for as long as possible.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: Western at Laurier (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/links\/vwvtp0\"\u003ESaturday, 1:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. This could be the most important game in the OUA on Saturday. Should Western beat Brock and Mac beat Laurier, the teams would be tied for 2nd place. It would be a winner-take-all battle and an important one, because you get home-court advantage and a bye. Both teams have been shaky against the other playoff teams, so you can guarantee that they want to play as few games as possible in playoffs.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6795779968820879482\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/02\/basketball-week-in-review-feb-59.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6795779968820879482"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6795779968820879482"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/02\/basketball-week-in-review-feb-59.html","title":"Basketball: Week In Review, Feb. 5–9"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Hastie"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08081415078301065374"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-lrI4NG5JMHY\/UvmwK2OaSSI\/AAAAAAAABQc\/q-wUnsy6NPk\/s72-c\/WBB_UNB_CBU_WP_20140207.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8825354477154652241"},"published":{"$t":"2014-01-19T21:48:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-06-21T21:59:00.128-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Badgers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball Week In Review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sea-Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stingers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vikes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: Week in Review, Jan. 14–19"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ETaking a page (i.e., blatantly stealing) \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/index.php\/weblog\/entry\/week_in_review_1_10_1_16\"\u003Efrom Ken Pomeroy\u003C\/a\u003E ... \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBiggest upsets\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThere are many more teams in NCAA than CIS so we have to extend our definition of \"upset\" a little bit more up here (kenpom uses anyone who was less than 10% likely to win).\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E3. WBB: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/wbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140117_w2bx.xml\"\u003ELakehead over Western\u003C\/a\u003E (24%), Saturday.\u003C\/b\u003E You often hear it said that the Thunderdome is a tough place to play. Well, anywhere is tough when your opponent is the Great Group of Dudes [Teammates]. This is not the GGOD[T]s; the women's team has played eight games at home this year and this was their first win against a non-Waterloo team. A really bad shooting night for the Mustangs all around and they didn't figure it out until it was too late: they scored 20 in the fourth, more than any other two quarters put together.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. MBB: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140118_05ft.xml\"\u003EMemorial over UNB\u003C\/a\u003E (23%), Saturday.\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EJavon Masters\u003C\/b\u003E missed four shots in the last 2:30 of this game (it was tied at 74 with 2:36 to go), part of a brutal 4\/19, 12-point night from him. He and the Reds bounced back the next day, though, going from 40% in effective field-goal percentage to 52% (they average about 47%, for context) and winning by 17.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. WBB: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/wbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140117_i967.xml\"\u003EToronto over Ottawa\u003C\/a\u003E (19%), Friday.\u003C\/b\u003E A season low in points scored for Ottawa U. 16-second half points won't get you many wins unless you had 46 in the first half. U of T had a brutal schedule to start the year and have since won 4 of 6 against their division-mates. They could very well make a run at a first-round bye but it would require more games like this. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECrazy comebacks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe teams who came back from the dead. Or at least back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JpXYFijUqTs\/Ut9PzkY00jI\/AAAAAAAABPs\/R3BB2XUKaeg\/s1600\/20140118_LAV_CON_MBB_WP.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JpXYFijUqTs\/Ut9PzkY00jI\/AAAAAAAABPs\/R3BB2XUKaeg\/s320\/20140118_LAV_CON_MBB_WP.png\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMBB: Laval 57 at Concordia 62 (Jan. 18, 2014)\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cb\u003E3. WBB: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/wbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140117_i967.xml?view=plays\"\u003EToronto (5%) over Ottawa\u003C\/a\u003E, Friday.\u003C\/b\u003E Only fitting that the biggest upset had a big comeback. It was 35-20 for Ottawa with 6:30 to play in the third. Here are Toronto's points scored on each possession from there to the end of the quarter: 2, 2, 2, 3, 0, 2, 2, 2, 2. An ORtg of 189? Yeah, that'll do. Ottawa, in the same time frame, went turnover, turnover, miss, miss, miss, miss (no offensive rebounds during any of those), turnover, then finally 1\/2 from the line. They didn't make a basket for almost a nine-minute period. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. MBB: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140117_h73v.xml?view=plays\"\u003EWestern (4%) over Lakehead\u003C\/a\u003E, Friday.\u003C\/b\u003E Back-to-back threes early in the fourth started a 10-0 run that put the Thunderwolves up 68-56 with 6:57 left. They would only make two more baskets in the rest of the game, going 2\/7 to Western's 8\/11. (Eight for 11!)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. MBB: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140118_b5uy.xml?view=plays\"\u003EConcordia (3%) over Laval\u003C\/a\u003E, Saturday\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ci\u003Esee chart, at right\u003C\/i\u003E). Down 45-29 with 3:15 to go in the third quarter, the Stingers somehow pulled this one out, going on two separate 14-4 runs to tie it with about three minutes to go in the fourth. And while we're here: Laval also blew their chance in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140116_u38f.xml?view=plays\"\u003Ethe first game of the home-and-home\u003C\/a\u003E, up 9 midway through the second and losing by 10 (merely an 80% chance of winning at their peak in that one, not the 97% they had here).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBiggest weekly increases in SRS\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESRS, or Simple Ranking System, is the basis for our \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/p\/basketball-team-rankings.html\"\u003Ebasketball team rankings\u003C\/a\u003E. These teams improved their ranking the most vs. last week.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: Calgary, +5 (up to 16th from 21st).\u003C\/b\u003E Staying within three points on average of the 5th-ranked team is not so bad when you're 21st to begin with.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMBB: UBC, +8 (up to 19th from 27th).\u003C\/b\u003E Safe to say it's an off-year for the perennial contender. They weren't often in the 20s in January in previous years. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESlowest game of the week: WBB \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/wbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140118_i9jq.xml\"\u003EToronto at Carleton\u003C\/a\u003E, Saturday (67 possessions)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA classic Carleton pace. Both Raven teams are now legendary, for very specific meanings of the word \"legendary,\" for slowing down the pace. The women's team came into this one averaging 70 per game, lowest in the country. Last year they averaged 70.5. Lowest in the country. 2011-12: 72.5, falling all the way down to third-slowest. You can almost see the Ravens and their short bench just hanging on in this game: up 15 at the half, then 13 after three, then just 1 when time ran out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFastest game of the week: MBB \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140115_ahg8.xml\"\u003ELaurier at Brock\u003C\/a\u003E, Wednesday (91 possessions)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen the \u003Ci\u003Elosing\u003C\/i\u003E team scores 88 there probably wasn't much pack-line defence going on. 71 points total in the fourth quarter alone, which works out to one point every 8.5 seconds. Ironically, this fast-paced game probably took a long time to finish: the last five minutes saw 25 trips to the line, the first one coming when it was already a 13-point deficit for Brock.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETerrell Evans Watch\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe kenpom version focuses on Alan Williams, UCSB's \"undersized center [who] piles up stats like nobody else\" and is \"ignored by scouts and media alike.\" We'll draft in another product of the American Southwest now playing on the west coast: UVic's Evans, who despite being second in the country in our player rankings last year \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/basketball-our-2012-13-player-rankings.html\"\u003Ewas only given a second-team conference all-star spot\u003C\/a\u003E. Future editions of the Watch will rotate among other favourites.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEvans faced lowly UNBC this week and had \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140117_bqwl.xml\"\u003E19 and 13 in the Friday game\u003C\/a\u003E, then \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140118_idj5.xml\"\u003E25 points on Saturday\u003C\/a\u003E, missing only five shots total in that game. He's now up to a PER of 34.0 on the year, third behind \u003Cb\u003EPhil Scrubb\u003C\/b\u003E and teammate \u003Cb\u003EChris McLaughlin\u003C\/b\u003E, though he is averaging 32 minutes per game to their 27 and 29.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBest games of the upcoming week\u003C\/b\u003E (all times Eastern)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThese are based on the same odds that are used for our upset games from above — we just take the opposite, and look for the closest games on paper, between two good teams. Only games with webcasts are listed; those schools who don't show their basketball teams' games are kindly encouraged to get on board already.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/links\/yq66oe\"\u003EMBB: Carleton vs. Ottawa\u003C\/a\u003E (Tuesday, 8:00pm)\u003C\/b\u003E. Like you need to be told.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/links\/zy2phm\"\u003EWBB: Windsor at Western\u003C\/a\u003E (Wednesday, 6:00pm)\u003C\/b\u003E. The first of ... two? three? maybe even four? ... well, the first of multiple matches between Windsor and Western this year, anyway. Windsor's lapping the field pretty easily early on in OUA play; at least this one has home-court advantage for the Mustangs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/links\/90w9mh\"\u003EMBB: Laurentian at Ryerson\u003C\/a\u003E (Friday, 8:00pm)\u003C\/b\u003E. Lots of OUA teams here, but that's just how the schedule goes this week (and, for that matter, how the rankings are set up). Here we have two top-10 OUA East teams...no, the other ones.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\"\u003EWBB: Calgary at Alberta\u003C\/a\u003E (Friday 8:00pm, Saturday 7:00pm)\u003C\/b\u003E. The second of two weeks where Calgary plays top-10 teams from their division. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/links\/90w9mh\"\u003EWBB: Western at McMaster\u003C\/a\u003E (Saturday, 1:00pm)\u003C\/b\u003E. Losses to Laurier and Lakehead in recent weeks mean this stretch is pretty important for UWO. (Next week, they get Guelph and Waterloo at home. Next week, they will not be in the \"best games\" section.)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8825354477154652241\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/01\/basketball-week-in-review-jan-1419.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8825354477154652241"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8825354477154652241"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/01\/basketball-week-in-review-jan-1419.html","title":"Basketball: Week in Review, Jan. 14–19"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JpXYFijUqTs\/Ut9PzkY00jI\/AAAAAAAABPs\/R3BB2XUKaeg\/s72-c\/20140118_LAV_CON_MBB_WP.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3988525951823667365"},"published":{"$t":"2013-11-29T10:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-01-19T22:11:13.770-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Badgers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"statistics"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: How the OUA season could play out "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Inspired somewhat by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/index.php\/weblog\/entry\/in_season_tournament_log5_analysis\"\u003EKen Pomeroy's tournament odds\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026mdash; everything I do is inspired somewhat by something Ken Pomeroy did \u0026mdash; here are the odds of each OUA team finishing the regular season in each playoff spot. Game results as of Wed Nov 27 are included and the rest are simulated. (For those who are interested in the details, the simulations are based on our team rankings and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Log5\"\u003Ethe log5 method\u003C\/a\u003E, with the season being simulated thousands of times to smooth out the outliers.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWOMEN\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cfont size=3\u003E\u003Cpre\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWest 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elim\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 1 WSR 99.2 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E 9 UWO 0.6 64.2 21.3 9.8 4.0 0.0 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E11 MAC 0.1 12.7 28.3 31.0 27.3 0.6 0.0\u003Cbr \/\u003E17 WLU 0.0 9.7 21.5 29.2 38.6 0.9 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E 7 BRO 0.0 12.6 28.9 29.7 27.6 1.1 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E36 LAK 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.5 44.1 54.3\u003Cbr \/\u003E24 GUE 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.0 52.2 46.7\u003Cbr \/\u003E41 WAT 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 98.9\u003C\/pre\u003E\u003C\/font\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrock's 5-4 in league games, losing all four games by no more than four points or in OT (or both). That is a pretty brutal and unlucky start to the season, if I may say so. As a result their chances of finishing higher in the OUA West are reduced, even if they are still ranked highly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern's win Wednesday night helped them get a leg up on the others here, but they were already pretty high by virtue of their high ranking and 7-1 record against the East (Mac went 6-2, Brock 5-3, and Laurier's ranked a bit lower).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOntario will have three spots at the Final 8 this year, so finishing in a spot to avoid Windsor for as long as possible in the playoffs is key for any OUA West team. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cfont size=3\u003E\u003Cpre\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEast 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elim\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E10 OTT 79.8 15.9 4.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0\u003Cbr \/\u003E14 CAR 13.3 54.1 31.1 1.3 0.1 0.0 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E19 QUE 6.9 29.6 60.5 2.8 0.2 0.0 0.0\u003Cbr \/\u003E37 RYE 0.0 0.3 2.6 44.3 33.5 14.5 4.8\u003Cbr \/\u003E27 TOR 0.0 0.1 1.3 37.8 33.4 18.5 8.9\u003Cbr \/\u003E35 YOR 0.0 0.0 0.2 9.5 21.3 40.5 28.5\u003Cbr \/\u003E40 LAU 0.0 0.0 0.1 4.3 11.6 26.5 57.5\u003Cbr \/\u003E45 ALG 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0\u003C\/pre\u003E\u003C\/font\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe East is a little more competitive at the top, as you'd expect with the half of the conference that \u003Ci\u003Edoesn't\u003C\/i\u003E have Windsor. Three teams have a reasonable chance at the No. 1 seed, with Saturday's game having a lot of say in that outcome. Should Ottawa win at Carleton, they'll pretty much have it clinched (about a 90% chance); if they lose, their chances drop to around 55%. Of course they are exceedingly likely to grab a high seed either way.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EMEN\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cfont size=3\u003E\u003Cpre\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWest 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elim\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 6 WSR 67.7 27.9 4.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E10 MAC 30.8 58.8 9.3 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E15 WLU 1.3 12.1 66.9 14.7 4.6 0.3 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E23 LAK 0.1 0.8 13.1 47.4 26.0 9.6 3.0\u003Cbr \/\u003E28 GUE 0.0 0.3 5.5 26.4 43.9 17.0 6.9\u003Cbr \/\u003E40 UWO 0.0 0.0 0.5 8.0 15.5 41.5 34.5\u003Cbr \/\u003E39 BRO 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.4 7.3 22.8 68.2\u003Cbr \/\u003E42 WAT 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.0 2.7 8.8 87.4\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEast 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elim\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 1 CAR 98.5 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E 2 OTT 1.3 88.1 9.8 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E 5 RYE 0.1 9.6 74.6 13.8 1.7 0.1 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E11 LAU 0.0 0.8 12.7 70.7 11.9 3.8 0.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E19 YOR 0.0 0.0 1.5 8.7 49.5 36.4 3.9\u003Cbr \/\u003E20 QUE 0.0 0.0 1.3 6.0 35.7 50.6 6.4\u003Cbr \/\u003E35 TOR 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 6.9 92.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E44 ALG 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 2.1 97.7\u003C\/pre\u003E\u003C\/font\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe last time both Warriors teams made the playoffs was 2004-05, coincidentally* right before I started my first year there. Maybe it's time for them to take down the world's tiniest picture of the Queen. She can't be too pleased with what she's been seeing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(* Or not?...)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor those wondering how the point-differential-in-home-and-home-games tiebreaker is handled...well, it isn't. Any two (or more) teams with equal head-to-head records have their ties broken randomly. It is difficult to predict exactly what the score will be in any game, so it's not that far off to assume it's equally likely to go either way, especially if you assume the teams are close enough in quality to be tied in the first place. But the pure win-loss tiebreakers are themselves incorporated here, so the Western women are up 1-0 on Brock already and it shows up in their odds to some degree. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe effort needled to handle the varying conference tiebreakers correctly is why this is just OUA teams for now. Other conferences will follow, time permitting.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3988525951823667365\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/basketball-how-oua-season-could-play-out.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3988525951823667365"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3988525951823667365"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/basketball-how-oua-season-could-play-out.html","title":"Basketball: How the OUA season could play out "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2838127621025349919"},"published":{"$t":"2013-11-24T10:26:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-11-24T10:26:23.723-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dinos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hec Crighton"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"statistics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: 2013 quarterback rankings suggest OUA teams may need to scout Finch more closely"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"It's been a few years that we've been ranking quarterbacks across CIS football, and lately it's been \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/12\/football-quinlan-leads-qb-rankings-once.html\"\u003Ethe \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E Show\u003C\/a\u003E. He was unable to top the list this year, due to the small technicality of no longer playing in the league. But there are other standout performances to highlight, and maybe a debate (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2009\/10\/football-hec-check-faulds-vs-brannagan.html\"\u003Eagain\u003C\/a\u003E) over the Hec Crighton winner.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJordan Heather\u003C\/b\u003E's outstanding season made him the first Gaiter winner of the player-of-the-year trophy. Depending on how you view a QB's contribution to his team, however, he could have been only the second-most valuable quarterback in the country during the regular season. Western's \u003Cb\u003EWill Finch\u003C\/b\u003E, as part of the Mustangs' steamrolling disguised as a football season, topped Heather's totals with his passing game being estimated at 4.7 wins above a replacement-level quarterback, compared to Heather's 3.6. The implication there is if you swap the QBs, Western goes 7-1 instead of 8-0.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne could argue that Western was going to win regardless of whether Finch threw for 200 or 400, whereas Bishop's \u003Ci\u003Eneeded\u003C\/i\u003E Heather to be otherwordly (and even then, half of their wins were by one point). But in my view that's the same hair-splitting over the definition of \"valuable\" that sadly pervades MVP discussion in baseball. Extend that argument and nothing Heather nor Finch does is valuable, since Laval and Western were going to win their respective conferences anyway. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the end it doesn't much matter, as our rankings include the playoffs and bowl games, and Finch was much better there than Heather (who managed just 92 yards on 20 attempts in his only game), which kind of puts paid to the whole \"Finch's stats were only good because the games didn't matter\" idea.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo calculate wins above replacement, we use an admittedly crude method: the player's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/about\/glossary.htm#ay\/a\"\u003Eadjusted net yards per attempt\u003C\/a\u003E, with a strength of schedule multiplier, then compare to what a replacement-level quarterback would do in the same amount of playing time. (A replacement-level quarterback, in a CIS context, is a QB without much value who can be added to the roster without much effort. You can just think of this as \"any Waterloo quarterback.\") We then convert yards to points, and points to wins. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's Finch first at +5.1; then Manitoba's \u003Cb\u003EJordan Yantz\u003C\/b\u003E, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.winnipegsun.com\/2013\/05\/04\/prized-bisons-qb-recruit-shows-off-skills\"\u003Ethe B.C. junior league's top offensive player for three consecutive seasons\u003C\/a\u003E\" in case anyone forgot, at +4.0; Calgary's \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Buckley\u003C\/b\u003E at +3.4, showing once again \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/12\/football-quinlan-leads-qb-rankings-once.html?showComment=1354814138196#c8628966037327755164\"\u003Eit is unwise to doubt \u003Cb\u003EJim Mullin\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; Heather at +3.2; and \u003Cb\u003EBilly McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E of Queen's with +3.2 as well. Both Finch and McPhee get a boost from strength of schedule; Heather experiences the opposite effect.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe full rankings for 2013:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe width='500' height='300' frameborder='0' src='https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheet\/pub?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdFdSbWVoZmtDc043eEZLaTdORTAxaWc\u0026single=true\u0026gid=3\u0026output=html\u0026widget=true'\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIdle observations:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAs noted last year (and in previous years), there are significant team effects at play, not to mention simple variation year-to-year. Last year, there was a Calgary QB ranked second, but it wasn't Buckley. Last year, Heather was 15th. And so on.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA rank of seventh has to be the lowest for an undefeated Vanier Cup winner in some time, though of course after watching them play for two minutes it's easy to figure out why Laval's offence doesn't have to be pass-focused.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFinch is fifth in QB WAR since 2009. You may notice that he hasn't played a majority of those seasons. So to you, Rest of OUA, we bid farewell until 2017. Ahead of him in the five-year rankings are Quinlan, the OUA's Forgotten Man (known to most as \u003Cb\u003EAustin Kennedy)\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EEric Dzwilewski\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003EBilly Greene\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2838127621025349919\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-2013-quarterback-rankings.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2838127621025349919"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2838127621025349919"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/football-2013-quarterback-rankings.html","title":"Football: 2013 quarterback rankings suggest OUA teams may need to scout Finch more closely"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});