With the euphoria of victory dissipated, the Rouge et Or’s attention is now on the Mitchell Cup and the mighty Western University Mustangs, undefeated this year and ranked first in the country.
• Read also: The Rouge et Or lift the Dunsmore Cup
Respected head coach Greg Marshall’s men spent the fall at the pinnacle of Canadian college football. They never left the top spot in the U Sports Top 10.
They have crushed any form of competition so far. Their toughest game ended with a 15-point difference.
A real steamroller who runs the ball without complex. The defending champions of the last Vanier Cup saw three of their players climb into the top 5 running backs in the Ontario conference.
Saturday afternoon, at the Yates Cup, they easily had the upper hand 44 to 16 over the Queen’s Gaels, who had nevertheless finished just behind the Mustangs in the standings.
Memories of 2018
The last meeting between the two teams dates back to the 2018 Vanier Cup. The Rouge et Or emerged victorious from this duel with a victory of 34 to 20, on their home ground at TELUS-UL Stadium.
A few rare players lived through this duel and still wear the red and gold uniform today. Among them, offensive lineman Nicolas Guay.
“I can’t wait to reunite with our good old friends, the Western Mustangs. Like Dunsmore 2018, not a lot of people played against Western, but the rest of us remember those guys and don’t really like them,” he recalled.
Besides Guay, Nicolas Thibodeau, Antoine Dansereau-Leclerc, Maxym Lavallée, Charles-Antoine Beaulieu also participated in this match.
Alec Poirier, Joanik Masse and Hugo Larue were also with the team, but they had not worn the uniform.
“A great challenge”
Head coach Glen Constantin will cross swords again against his friend Greg Marshall on the occasion of this Mitchell Cup.
Photo Didier Debusschere
Glen Constantin, head coach of the Rouge et Or
But, unlike 2018, Constantin won’t have home advantage because the match will be played in London.
“It’s a very good team, very well trained. When you play three games against the Carabins, you know you’ve got the good stuff. We are aware that we have a big challenge in our hands, which is very different from what we see in Quebec, ”he said.
The adversity experienced by the Rouge et Or on Saturday afternoon against the Montreal Carabins will be of great help for the “big challenge” that awaits his team, estimates quarterback Arnaud Desjardins.
“I think it’s games like this that prepare us the best for the big games that are coming up. Difficult, close matches, where there are ups and downs. I think we’ll be ready for next week. »
“No language barrier”
The final word, however, goes to Dunsmore Cup MVP and three-time touchdown scorer Kevin Mital.
After his team’s dramatic victory on Sunday, the receiver said he would take the time to make some video to get to know them. He also assured that he would not keep his tongue in his pocket, even in enemy territory.
“English, French it does not change. There is no language barrier,” he said, laughing.
►The Mitchell Cup kicks off at 3 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. The other Canadian semi-final, the Uteck Cup, will feature the Saskatchewan Huskies and the St. FX X-Men.