The University of Montreal Carabins got off to a good start in defending their provincial title on Saturday at Concordia, beating the Stingers, 26-18. Quarterback Jonathan Sénécal was the star of the game, with 277 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Posted yesterday at 10:30 p.m.
The “bill” could have been even more severe for the Stingers if the Carabins had taken advantage of all their opportunities to enter the score, like at the start of the second half when they were stopped at the line of one after a long push in attack. The visitors finally settled for a touchdown.
Despite their statistical dominance — 432 yards on offense against 245 — the Carabins remained under threat of a comeback from the Stingers until the fourth quarter. “These two points were still important, because they allowed us not to lose the momentum,” explained head coach Marco Iadeluca. However, it is obvious that we cannot afford to miss these first or second down chances at the line of one of our rivals. »
We had a good team ahead of us, capable of scoring points and closing gaps, as they often showed last season.
Marco Iadeluca, Carabins head coach
“I’m happy with the way we finished the game, keeping our attack on the pitch so we didn’t give them the ball back,” Iadeluca recalled.
The beginning of the season is always a bit complicated in college football and the two teams have certainly not shown everything they are capable of.
“Of course there is still a lot to work on, but it’s still only the first match, recalled Iadeluca. We had a week of camp, a week of preparation and we were already playing! It’s difficult, because we don’t know what we’re going to face, all the teams being different compared to last season. Under these conditions, I am really proud of the performance of our players. »
Sénécal in great shape
The Carabins quickly took the lead with a touchdown from Carl Chabot on a 15-yard pass from Sénécal, then another, this time from Alex Jones Dudley, on a 16-yard pass, early in the second quarter. However, it was then necessary to wait until the end of the third quarter to see the visitors register a third touchdown, on a 30-yard pass from Sénécal to William Legault.
“I think we offered a good performance in attack, estimated Sénécal. We have a lot of young players and they are there to perform. We will learn from our mistakes and continue to improve. »
The administration student (HEC) again impressed with his athletic qualities, often escaping several rivals to succeed in his games.
PHOTO JAMES HAJJAR, PROVIDED BY THE CARABINS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTREAL
Jonathan Sénécal, Carabins quarterback
I really feel 100% physically. We worked a lot during the offseason, and I think it showed today on the pitch.
Jonathan Sénécal, Carabins quarterback
In defence, seasoned lineman Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal has often been decisive. Author of the safety touchdown in the third quarter, he again made his own during the last offensive series of the Stingers, when he managed his second sack of the game. Unable to break into the pros as he had hoped, the imposing 6’5″ and 250 lb player resigned himself to returning to play a fifth season with the Carabins.
“It’s not what I had planned in the spring, but I’m happy to be back with the Carabins, he assured. And once you put on your headset, there’s only one way to play: 100%. In the fourth quarter, we saw that they could come back and we raised our level of intensity with big plays. And the attack then did a good job of running out of time. »
As for the Stingers, quarterback Olivier Roy regretted his team’s slow start: “We were much too inconsistent to hope to beat a team like the Carabins. We showed good things on both sides of the ball, but we will have to be more consistent and start our games in a better way. »
“We know we can compete against any team in Quebec, but we can’t always count on comebacks at the end of the game, as we did last season. It’s good for the show, but that’s not how you can regularly beat the best teams. »
The Carabins will be entitled to an additional week of preparation before facing the Laval Rouge et Or, in two weeks, at their temporary “home” of the Center Claude-Robillard. The Stingers will be in Sherbrooke next Saturday to face the Vert & Or.