In anticipation of the visit of the McGill Redbirds on Sunday, Laval Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin is not shy to say that the defensive unit has things to prove.
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The first duel between the two formations on September 3 at the Percival-Molson stadium had turned into an offensive festival that left a bitter taste in the mouths of the defensive unit.
Defensive coordinator Marc Fortier made sure, during the first warm-up meeting of the week, that the performance had not been relegated to oblivion by reminding his proteges of the number of yards allowed. In a 37-20 victory, the Rouge et Or gave the Redbirds no less than 566 yards, including 391 passing.
“Marc told the players it was the worst defensive performance in five years and reminded them of the number of yards we had given up,” said head coach Glen Constantin. It was not eloquent at all as a performance. The guys realized that we can have problems if we are not disciplined in our assignments and focused on the task at hand. The defense has things to prove in this return game. »
mental errors
Beyond the statistics, Constantin wants the Rouge et Or defense to eliminate mental errors.
“The number of yards represents the note on your bulletin, he imaged, but above all we must eliminate mental errors. In this first match, we faced a new quarterback (Éloa Latendresse-Regimbald), we discovered a new offensive system and several players were victims of heatstroke. It’s not an excuse for our performance, but it explains. »
After four games, the Rouge et Or are in first place in the RSEQ with 142 points scored, while the Redbirds are in last place defensively with 129 points allowed.
“The best offense against the worst defense is only on paper,” warned Constantin. We have to take action on the pitch, execute well and keep going. Offensively, we did well in the first half against McGill, but the challenge will be to play for 60 minutes. »
Good morale
On the side of the Redbirds, who have not tasted the intoxication of victory in four outings, Ronald Hilaire ensures that the morale of his flock is good.
“If we removed a mistake here and there, we would have a very different record,” said the McGill pilot. That’s why guys are super optimistic. If we are solid for four quarters, we can compete with everyone. We see beautiful things and we know that we are not far away. »
“We feel like halfway through a game, to continue Hilaire. We’ve made the adjustments and we’re going to come out strong. It’s a good challenge against Laval, but we’re excited. »
The Redbirds struggled in the last two minutes of the first half in every game except the one against Montreal.
“Against Laval, we lost 14-10 and we allowed a long comeback and a blocked clearance and we found ourselves behind by 18 points at the half,” said Hilaire. Against Concordia, we were leading 14-6, but a disallowed touchdown and an interception in the end zone completely changed the game. Instead of leading 21-6, it was 14-13 at the break. We have to finish our first halves better and keep our foot on the pedal in the second. »
Hilaire had been right. “I’m pretty sure that the Rouge et Or players will be reminded every day of the number of yards they gave up during the game at McGill,” he predicted in an interview on Wednesday. Laval has a proud defense and they will want to do better. »
Confidence surplus
By virtue of their one-sided 60-14 win over Concordia last Sunday, could the Rouge et Or be overconfident?
“It’s human nature to sit down, but guys are hungry to do well,” Constantin said. Credit to the players who had a good game, but the coaches’ job was to bring them down to earth. We hammered them the points that we want them to improve. »
“Our ego has been touched”
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Safety Félix Petit and his secondary teammates want to forget their performance in the first game at McGill.
“Our ego was touched, recognized the marauder Félix Petit. It’s no honor to be part of the group associated with the worst defensive performance in 5 years. I have the first number of the number of yards we allowed in mind and it starts with 5 (566). »
In her first start in the university ranks, Éloa Latendresse-Regimbald dazzled the gallery with gains of 391 passing yards. The Vanier Cheetahs product also impressed with his legs, amassing 132 yards on 11 carries.
“We know his strengths a little more and his weaknesses,” said Petit. Montreal pressed hard against McGill last week and had nine sacks. It’s tempting to go in the same direction because the strategy worked, but we don’t have the same defensive philosophy as the Carabins. »
Petit believes that the secondary line has improved since this second game of the season. “We are constantly improving,” he said. It’s positive. We did well against Montreal and Concordia in our last two games. »
“Against McGill, we offered a poor performance, chasing the Champlain College Cougars product. We had been bad in passing and running. We had not respected our assignments. Against Sherbrooke, even though we allowed only three points, we were disappointed with our defensive performance. »
Opportunities to seize
The Rouge et Or had two interceptions in the 37-20 victory at McGill, but squandered good opportunities to increase the number of robberies. “We dropped three passes that should have been interceptions,” said Petit. We must take advantage of these opportunities to hurt them. »
Like his teammate, Maxym Lavallée has not forgotten. “We still remember that game and our performance should motivate us to do better and not repeat the same mistakes,” said the veteran defensive back. We want to prove that we are much better than what we showed in the first game against McGill. »
good reaction
Despite the poor performance, Lavallée assures that the defensive backs kept their heads held high.
“What’s really important is how you react after such a performance,” he explained. We really progressed instead of lowering ourselves. Against Concordia, we allowed a touchdown on the first series and we reacted well by not allowing any points thereafter except for a touchdown late in the game. »
“This time, it will be necessary to contain Éloa in the pocket, to continue Lavallée. In the first game, he escaped for long runs on second and long downs and that gave them long streaks. It will also be necessary to seize the opportunities to make successful interceptions when the situation arises. »
Special treatment for Kevin Mital?
Author of four touchdowns in the first duel between the two teams, will Kevin Mital be entitled to special attention?
The insert half had another big game last Sunday against the Concordia Stingers with three majors and 187 yards on 10 receptions. “After a very good first season, Kevin has become quite an exceptional player,” said Redbirds head coach and defensive coordinator Ronald Hilaire. Laval is betting on a great front and the pocket stays clean, giving the quarterback time to find Kevin. It’s harder to cover him because he lines up in multiple positions. »
Aware of the danger that Mital represents, Hilaire does not want to put all his eggs in one basket. “Antoine Dansereau-Leclerc is still dangerous and Frédérik Antoine is more involved,” he said. Laval is also counting on good ball carriers who are starting to roll at full speed. »
More action
One thing is certain, Ben Labrosse will not find himself in front of Mital according to what Hilaire told us.
“Ben helps us the most in the short-side cornerback position and it’s also the position where he is most comfortable,” he explained. It’s fun to see him so dominant. In four games, our opponents threw five or six balls in his direction. It is avoided and it is little tested. I can understand that he would like to see more action. »
Regardless of McGill’s plans, Justin Ethier says he always prepares for tight coverage against Mital. “We expect tighter coverage than at McGill, indicated the offensive coordinator of Laval, but we must not always depend on Kevin. »
Flowers for special units
All RSEQ teams have reached the mid-season milestone. Glen Constantin identifies special teams as the group that has done the best. “Mathieu (Bertrand) and his group did a really good job and it’s our most consistent unit. The ground game has unlocked and the aerial game works quite well. As for the defence, we have grown and progressed. I liked our performance in Montreal. »
Absent in the last two games, star receiver Darius Simmons represents an uncertain case. Hilaire is very stingy with comments about the reason for his absence. The Redbirds pilot did not confirm that Simmons was injured, merely saying that it was internal management. Some information suggests that it is not an injury, but impossible to know more.