Quick Notes: 4 things we learned this week in U SPORTS Football
Photo via McMaster Athletics
Laurier vs. Western: New Big Bro?
The gap between Western and Laurier has never looked bigger. The Golden Hawks demolished the Mustangs 60–13 on Saturday — a statement win that sent shockwaves across the OUA.
Quarterback Cal Wither looked every bit like an MVP candidate, throwing 363 yards and five touchdowns on 25-of-35 passing. Across the field, Evan Hillock — the steady veteran presence behind years of Western dominance — was limited to just 88 yards and completed only eight of 22 attempts.
For context, this was Western’s first regular season home loss since October 4, 2014, and arguably one of the worst in program history. There’s no recorded instance of an opponent dropping 60 points on the Mustangs before this game.
For Laurier, it marks their third straight win over Western — including last year’s regular-season victory and Yates Cup. The question now becomes:
Is this Laurier team even better than last year’s version?
Can Western still hang with them?
And most importantly… can Western still make it back to the Yates Cup?
One thing’s clear — the balance of power in the OUA has shifted, and Laurier is officially the team to beat. They’ll enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, with a bye and home-field advantage, while Western will have to regroup quickly before hosting Guelph next weekend.
Regina: Writing History, One Win at a Time
Few expected much from Regina this year. Despite being the defending Hardy Cup champions, the preseason coaches poll had them ranked third in Canada West.
But the Rams are proving everyone wrong — and possibly putting together the best season in program history. Their 22–20 win over Alberta came on a clutch 44-yard field goal with 25 seconds left, tying the program’s all-time best record at 6 wins.
If they beat UBC next week, they’ll become the first Regina team ever to win seven games in a U SPORTS regular season.
Leading the way is Marshall Erichsen, the conference’s leading rusher with 938 yards and 11 touchdowns on 140 carries — and a clear favourite for Canada West MVP alongside Saskatchewan REC Daniel Wiebe.
A historic record, a conference MVP candidate, and a real shot at another Hardy Cup — if they play their cards right, the Rams might be in for their greatest season in program history.
Bishop’s: The End of a Championship Window?
After back-to-back blowout losses — 50–7 to SMU and 45–3 to STFX — Bishop’s might officially be out of the AUS championship picture. A tough October has the defending champions searching for answers in what’s quickly become a two-team race in the AUS.
Did Montréal Really Lose, Though?
Yes, Laval beat Montréal 16–6 in front of 21,000 fans. But context matters.
Pepe Gonzalez, Montréal’s rookie QB, threw four interceptions. The offence scored just one touchdown. And yet… they only lost by 10 points, on the road, against the defending Vanier Cup champions.
Laval QB Arnaud Desjardins was efficient (22/29 for 220 yards), but didn’t throw a touchdown. So, did Laval win — or did Montréal just beat themselves?
Either way, this rivalry (which many proclaim to be the best in U SPORTS) is alive and well.
Will they meet in the conference championship? (Side-eye to McGill).
Extra Notes
McMaster’s turnaround is quietly one of the best stories of the season (has us feeling inspired). From a team no one believed in Week 1 to a .500 record and a playoff berth — jobs were saved, reputations restored
Windsor’s road win against Queen’s was massive. After almost beating Western two weeks ago, picking up a solid Thanksgiving win over Ottawa and now knocking off the then-3rd seed, they’re finding rhythm at the right time.
We’ve talked about Bishop’s struggles, but can we talk about STFX? To quote Vince Carter — “The X-Men might have one more in them!”
Call it selfish, but we can’t wait for another year of Scott Barnett-to-Chris Joseph magic at U of T. They were fun to watch this season
Built a solid career at McMaster. Became one of the best QBs in the country. Brought McMaster back to the playoffs after a three-year drought. Took a gamble and transferred to York to reshape the culture and bring the program to heights it’s never been to before. Gave everything he had to the game - Thank you, Keagan Hall!
Has anyone else noticed there are four quarterbacks in the top 10 for rushing touchdowns? (Jerome Rancourt – 12, Marshall McCray – 10, Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald – 6, Jackson Tachinski – 6)
Carleton was chaos personified — blown out by Toronto, Ran up the score against York, on top of the World in the Panda Game, fell short against McMaster, but always entertaining to watch
Manitoba lowkey checks all the boxes of a dark horse team. IYKYK