The University of Montreal Carabins won their fifth win in five games this season, Saturday at the Claude-Robillard center, beating the Concordia Stingers, 31-13.
Posted at 6:19 p.m.
The two teams had to deal with typical autumnal conditions, with in particular a fresh wind blowing from north to south, in the direction of the pitch, and it was the defenses that stood out first. It was also necessary to wait until the end of the first quarter to see the Carabins enter the score after a long push of 64 yards and 11 plays.
With a third down and six yards to go, the hosts decided to go all out and quarterback Jonathan Sénécal threw a pinpoint pass to William Legault in the middle of the end zone for the touchdown. On their way, the Carabins widened the gap after another long push (72 yards in 10 games), punctuated by a 6-yard run from Bertrand Beaulieu.
At the start of the second half, with the advantage of the wind, the Carabins definitively sealed the outcome of the game by scoring two quick touchdowns, on runs from Bertand Beaulieu (6 yards) and Rakin Canal-Charles (2 yards), and a touchdown.
Sénécal completed the game with 19 completions on 25 attempts and 233 passing yards.
With such a wind, we had to be careful. We took what they gave us and we didn’t make any mistakes. In the second half, we knew we had to take advantage of the wind. We were less conservative and it worked.
Jonathan Senecal
In defense, the Carabins displayed their usual intensity. “We talk about it a lot between us,” explained linebacker Nicky Farinaccio, once again one of the best on the field on Saturday. “It starts at the beginning of the week, in training, and we try to keep it until the end of the match. »
“I’m really happy with our performance today for three and a half quarters,” said head coach Marco Iadeluca. There was a little relaxation at the end, but that allowed us to put several players on the field, guys who got a little experience. We wanted to improve our game in the “Red Zone”, revive our ground attack, and we did it. »
PHOTO JAMES HAJJAR, PROVIDED BY THE CARABINS
The Carabins offense had plenty of opportunities to celebrate.
More consistent Stingers
After an erratic performance last week in a loss to Sherbrooke at Concordia, the Stingers were more consistent, but quarterback Olivier Roy suffered four sacks and the offense only managed to get going late in the game. game, while several reserves were on the field for their rivals.
Taking advantage of a favorable wind, Roy made several spectacular passes, including two to Jaylon Greaves (32 yards) and Mathieu Robitaille (24 yards) for touchdowns. The Stingers quarterback finished the game with 301 passing yards, with Greaves and Santino Sparagna amassing over 100 passing yards.
We showed signs of life, even if the result is not what we wanted. The conditions were not easy, but they were the same for both teams. We will have to adapt and put more points on the board.
Olivier Roy
For his part, head coach Brad Collinson said: “We showed up as a team and the players fought until the end. The Carabins have a good team and you have to play 60 minutes if you want to compete with them. We took too long to unlock on offense. We are still fighting for the playoffs; our next match, against McGill [dans deux semaines], will be decisive for the last qualifying place and we will have to be ready! »
The Carabins (5-0) will play their next game next Saturday in Quebec, in a clash with the Laval University Rouge et Or (5-1) which could determine the regular season champion. “It’s always special in Laval, with a big crowd and a lot of atmosphere, recalled Jonathan Sénécal. It will have an impact, for sure, but we will be ready to deal with it. »
Winners 21-18 on September 10 in Montreal in the first match between the two teams, the Carabins will be assured of first place with another victory. The Rouge et Or will have to win by more than three points to take the lead in the standings. A big week of preparation awaits the two teams.
“In this respect, all the weeks of preparation are intense, recalled Marco Iadeluca. We’re going to take some time to savor this victory and we’ll be thinking about the Rouge et Or from tomorrow! »
In memory of Jonathan Beaulieu-Richard
Before the game, the Carabins honored the memory of Jonathan Beaulieu-Richard, a member of the team from 2008 to 2012, who passed away on September 25 at the age of 33 after a long battle with cancer. Beaulieu-Richard’s family and several former teammates were introduced to the crowd before a minute’s silence.