Upstart Mounties join top-ranked contenders in national semifinals

OTTAWA (CIS) – The top-three ranked teams in the country and the surprising Mount Allison Mounties will compete in the CIS football national semifinals, next Saturday.

In the Uteck Bowl, the Mounties (6-4) will host the second-ranked and defending Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or (10-0) at MacAulay Field in Sackville, N.B., at 1:30 p.m. Atlantic Time (12:30 EST).

The Mitchell Bowl will follow at 2 p.m. Mountain Time (4 p.m. EST) and will see the No. 1 Western Mustangs (10-0) visit the No. 3 Calgary Dinos (10-0) at McMahon Stadium.

Both games are televised on Sportsnet 360 and Radio-Canada and can also be seen on the web at www.CIS-SIC.tv. 

The winners advance to the 49th TELUS Vanier Cup in Quebec City, on Nov. 23 (1 p.m. EST on Sportsnet 360 and Radio-Canada).

In today’s AUS final at Halifax, Mount Allison edged Saint Mary’s 20-17 to capture its first conference title since 1997.

In Quebec, Laval beat archrival Montreal 14-11 to extend a pair of CIS record streaks with their 11th straight RSEQ banner and their 64th straight win overall on home turf, dating back to 2004.

In the OUA, Western crushed No. 4 Queen’s 51-22 at home in London to claim the 30th Yates Cup in program history, its first since 2010.

Finally, in Canada West, Calgary outscored Manitoba 43-28 at McMahon Stadium to add to its own conference record with a sixth straight Hardy Trophy triumph.

Mount Allison and Laval have met only once in the past, in regular season action, with the Rouge et Or dominating the interlock duel 73-7 on Oct. 17, 2009 in Quebec City.

Laval is 8-4 all-time in national semifinals, including a 42-7 home win over Acadia in last year’s Uteck Bowl. Mount Allison is 2-2 in CIS semis, its last appearance a 34-29 loss to UBC in the 1997 Atlantic Bowl in Halifax.

Calgary has won three of four against Western over the years, a head-to-head mark that includes a 24-22 loss in the 1977 Forest City Bowl and a 34-15 win in the 1988 Western Bowl, both played in London. The two schools have also met in a pair of Vanier Cup finals in Toronto, with the Dinos prevailing 25-6 in 1985 and 54-24 in 1995.

The Dinos played in last year’s Mitchell Bowl and saw their CIS semifinal record drop to 7-6 following a 45-6 loss to McMaster in Hamilton. For their part, the Mustangs are 12-7 in Bowl games and return to the Final Four for the first time since a heartbreaking 13-11 Uteck Bowl defeat against Laval in Quebec.

It marks the first time since 2005 (Laval, Saskatchewan, Laurier) that three teams advance to the Bowl games with unblemished records.

AUS final (Loney Bowl): Mount Allison 20, Saint Mary’s 17
Boxscore: Loney Bowl stats
Recap: Loney Bowl story

Photo credit Nick Pearce

RSEQ final (Dunsmore Cup): No. 2 Laval 14, No. 7 Montreal 11
Boxscore: Dunsmore Cup stats
Recap: Dunsmore Cup story

Photo credit Yan Doublet

OUA final (Yates Cup): No. 1 Western 51, No. 4 Queen’s 22
Boxscore: Yates Cup stats
Recap: Yates Cup story

Photo credit Michael P. Hall

Canada West final (Hardy Cup): No. 3 Calgary 43, No. 9 Manitoba 28
Boxscore: Hardy Cup stats
Recap: Hardy Cup story

Photo credit David Moll

BOWL GAMES & VANIER CUP SCHEDULE (on Sportsnet & Radio-Canada)

November 16
Uteck Bowl (13:30 AST / 12:30 EST): No. 2 Laval (10-0) at Mount Allison (6-4)
Mitchell Bowl (14:00 MST / 16:00 EST): No. 1 Western (10-0) at No. 3 Calgary (10-0)

November 23
49th TELUS Vanier Cup (13:00 EST): TELUS-Université Laval Stadium, Quebec City

ALL-TIME CIS BOWL RESULTS (Inaugural national semifinals: 1967)

2012
Uteck (TELUS-UL Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 42, Acadia 7
Mitchell (Ron Joyce Stadium, Hamilton): McMaster 45, Calgary 6

2011
Uteck (Moncton Stadium, Moncton): McMaster 45, Acadia 21
Mitchell (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Laval 41, Calgary 10

2010
Uteck (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 13, Western 11
Mitchell (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Calgary 35, Saint Mary’s 8

2009
Uteck (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Calgary 38, Saint Mary’s 14
Mitchell (Richardson Stadium, Kingston): Queen’s 33, Laval 30

2008
Uteck (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 59, Calgary 10
Mitchell (TD Waterhouse Stadium, London): Western 28, Saint Mary’s 12

2007
Uteck (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary’s 24, Laval 2
Mitchell (Canad Inns Stadium, Winnipeg): Manitoba 52, Western 20

2006
Uteck (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 57, Acadia 10
Mitchell (Frank Clair Stadium, Ottawa): Saskatchewan 35, Ottawa 28

2005
Uteck (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Wilfrid Laurier 31, Acadia 10
Mitchell (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): Saskatchewan 29, Laval 27

2004
Uteck (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 30, Wilfrid Laurier 11
Mitchell (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): Saskatchewan 31, Saint Mary’s 16

2003
Uteck (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary’s 60, Simon Fraser 9
Mitchell (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): Laval 36, McMaster 32

2002
Churchill (Les Prince Field, Hamilton): Saint Mary’s 36, McMaster 25
Mitchell (Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal): Saskatchewan 22, McGill 0

2001
Churchill (Canad Inns Stadium, Winnipeg): Manitoba 27, McMaster 6
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary’s 48, Laval 8

2000
Churchill (Les Prince Field, Hamilton): Ottawa 20, McMaster 15
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Regina 40, Saint Mary’s 36

1999
Churchill (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): Laval 27, Saskatchewan 21
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary’s 21, Waterloo 14

1998
Churchill (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): Saskatchewan 33, Western 17
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Concordia 25, Acadia 24

1997 (1)
Churchill (Frank Clair Stadium, Ottawa): Waterloo 1, Ottawa 0
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): UBC 34, Mount Allison 29

1996
Churchill (University Stadium, Waterloo): Saskatchewan 33, Guelph 9
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): StFX 13, Ottawa 5

1995
Churchill (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Calgary 37, Ottawa 7
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 55, Acadia 45 (OT)

1994
Churchill (Coulter Field, Lennoxville, Que.): Western 41, Bishop’s 24
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saskatchewan 35, Saint Mary’s 24

1993
Churchill (SkyDome, Toronto): Toronto 26, Concordia 16
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Calgary 37, Saint Mary’s 23

1992
Churchill (SkyDome, Toronto): Queen’s 23, Guelph 16
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary’s 21, Calgary 11

1991
Churchill (SkyDome, Toronto): Wilfrid Laurier 42, Queen’s 22
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Mount Allison 31, Saskatchewan 14

1990
Churchill (Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal): Saskatchewan 41, Bishop’s 13
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary’s 31, Western 30

1989
Churchill (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): Saskatchewan 40, Queen’s 10
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 38, Saint Mary’s 33

1988
Western (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Calgary 34, Western 15
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary’s 44, Bishop’s 10

1987
Western (Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver): UBC 33, Wilfrid Laurier 31
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): McGill 30, Saint Mary’s 29

1986
Central (Bishop’s Field, Lennoxville, Que.): UBC 32, Bishop’s 30
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 29, Acadia 22

1985
Central (McMahon Stadium, Calgary): Calgary 56, Carleton 14
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 34, Mount Allison 3

1984
Central (Alumni Stadium, Guelph): Guelph 12, Calgary 7
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Mount Allison 29, Queen’s 17

1983 (2)
Western (Richardson Stadium, Kingston): Queen’s 22, Toronto 7

1982
Western (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 17, Concordia 7
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): UBC 54, StFX 1

1981
Western (Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton): Alberta 32, Western 31
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Acadia 40, Queen’s 14

1980
Western (Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton): Alberta 14, Western 4
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Ottawa 28, Acadia 8

1979
Yates Cup (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 32, Queen’s 14
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Acadia 27, Alberta 3

1978
Western (Empire Stadium, Vancouver): UBC 25, Wilfrid Laurier 16
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Queen’s 32, StFX 10

1977
Forest City (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 24, Calgary 22
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Acadia 35, Queen’s 22

1976
Forest City (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 30, UBC 8
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Acadia 18, Ottawa 16

1975
Central (Lansdowne Park, Ottawa): Ottawa 45, Windsor 6
Atlantic (Raymond Field, Wolfville, N.S.): Calgary 38, Acadia 13

1974
Central (J.W. Little Stadium, London): Western 41, Saskatchewan 17
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Toronto 45, Saint Mary’s 1

1973
Western (Winnipeg Stadium, Winnipeg): McGill 16, Manitoba 0
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Saint Mary’s 19, Wilfrid Laurier 17

1972
Western (Varsity Stadium, Edmonton): Alberta 58, Loyola 6
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Waterloo Lutheran 50, Saint Mary’s 17

1971
Western (Varsity Stadium, Edmonton): Alberta 53, Bishop’s 2
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Western 44, Saint Mary’s 13

1970
Western (University Stadium, Winnipeg): Manitoba 24, Queen’s 20 (OT)
Atlantic (Huskies Stadium, Halifax): Ottawa 24, UNB 11

1969
Western (University Stadium, Winnipeg): Manitoba 41, Windsor 7
Atlantic (Wanderers Grounds, Halifax): McGill 20, UNB 6

1968
Western (University Stadium, Winnipeg): Queen’s 29, Manitoba 6
Atlantic (Wanderers Grounds, Halifax): Waterloo Lutheran 37, Saint Mary’s 7

1967 (3)
Atlantic (Wanderers Grounds, Halifax): McMaster 7, StFX 0

NOTES:

(1) In 1997, Ottawa beat Waterloo 44-37 but later forfeited the game due to the use of ineligible players (official score: 1-0 Waterloo).

(2) In 1983, the AUAA chose not to participate in a Bowl game as a protest against CIAU. WIFL champion Calgary received a direct berth in the national final.

(3) In 1967, the OQAA voted against any league participation in the Vanier Cup championship game. WIFL champion Alberta received a direct berth in the national final.

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