The special teams of the Laval University Rouge et Or stole the show in the victory against the McGill Redbirds in the second game of the calendar, but they did not look as good on Sunday against the University Carabins from Montreal.
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Despite the two glaring errors at the end of the 4th quarter which led to ten points for the Carabins, Mathieu Bertrand retained the positive. “Before these two games, we played a very good game on special teams,” said the special teams coordinator. Vincent (Blanchard) was solid again and our coverage units did well.”
With the score at 21-14 late in the 4th quarter, returner Olivier Cool saw a clearance from Philippe Boyer slip through his arms. On the kickoff which followed Boyer’s 5th field goal of the day, the Rouge et Or fumbled and the Blues regained the object and scored their first offensive touchdown of the match a few plays later.
“Olivier saw a nice opening and he looked up for a split second,” explained Bertrand. This is clearly visible on the film. This is a mistake that can happen to anyone. Due to the swirling wind, conditions were not easy for the turners. We even saw it with Carl Chabot who is a veteran of four seasons.
Earlier this week, Glen Constantin told us that he has sometimes been reluctant in the past to rely on a rookie as a returner because he feared for the protection of the ball.
The confidence of his coach
Will we see a change in the next game next Saturday at Concordia against the Stingers? “Olivier is a young man full of talent and I have confidence in him,” said the former star quarterback of the Rouge et Or. “When you fall off a horse, it’s important to get back on as quickly as possible. I like to give confidence to my players and it’s certain that Olivier will have feedback at Concordia.”
Starting in Sherbrooke during the first game of the season due in particular to the injury to veteran Alex Duff who has since returned to the game, Cool shone against McGill by completing an 81-yard punt return good for a touchdown in addition to catching his first career pass. His great speed had surprised some, including Constantin who did not believe that the product of the Nomades Montmorency was so fast.
In the fairly recent past, the Rouge et Or has already relied on a rookie as a returner. “Antoine Dansereau-Leclerc was up for it from his first year,” Bertrand said. Antony Dufour was also a quick starter in his career.”