Inspired by a fiery start to the match and carried by an energetic crowd dressed in white, the Rouge et Or delivered a flawless performance, or almost, and offered a 27-3 victory over the Vert & Or de Sherbrooke for its home opener last night.
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The Rouge et Or had invited its supporters to a very first white game at Telus Stadium, a tradition that the club wishes to establish as the Nittany Lions of Penn State do in the NCAA. The message was received as a white wave of 9,221 enthusiastic spectators responded.
The atmosphere also contrasted with that of the opening match last year, where entry into the stadium was limited to only 6,500 spectators due to sanitary measures linked to COVID.
The men of Glen Constantin did not disappoint to start hostilities for this first meeting where they wore the immaculate uniform, usually reserved for games on the road. After 15 minutes of play, the Vert & Or totaled -3 yards in attack. At the half, the local favorites had amassed 291, including 220 by air. A rhythm that the Rouge et Or was unable to maintain for the second half of the game.
“The first half was almost faultless. Honestly, we moved the ball well. I found our quarterback to be patient. He was precise in his passes, it was going well. I think we had a little drop in speed afterwards,” summed up the head coach, adding that there were “a lot of games to correct. »
Desjardins looks good
Quarterback Arnaud Desjardins looked good, especially in the first half. The second-year center ended his night at work completing 27 of 37 passes and passing 305 yards in the air. However, he was the victim of an interception.
The quarterback spoke of a “two-step” game, but he still preferred to see the upside of victory. “There are positives to take away from it. I think it was still really good in the first half. We have a lot of stuff to work on. The execution was not always there. »
Receiver Édouard Arsenault was the busiest among the winners with six passes caught and 86 yards gained.
Hard blow for Sherbrooke
Before the game even started, the Vert et Or offense suffered a heavy blow. Centerpiece of the attack, quarterback Anthony Robichaud, withdrew before the game. “Reason of health”, was announced at the Vert & Or, without further details. The talented wide receiver William Marchand did not take part in the meeting either.
Greens head coach Mathieu Lecompte said he made the decision to do without Robichaud on Friday night, but he didn’t want to dwell on his state of health. As for the match, he spoke bluntly of “a first half to forget”.
“We come with a quarterback (number two) to start the game. Lots of nervousness. We had difficulty settling in. Errors too, teammates around him, who do not make him confident, ”explained Lecompte, who praised the execution of his flock in the second part of the duel.
The Sherbrooke offensive therefore rested on the shoulders of Zachary Cloutier. It wasn’t easy for the fifth-year veteran, who finished the game with 11 completions on 26 attempts and 141 yards. One of his rare attempted passes in the end zone was intercepted by defensive back Arnaud Laporte in the third quarter.
One-way
The Rouge et Or announced their colors from the outset during their first two offensive sequences which led to placements by Vincent Blanchard.
It took until the next quarter to see the first touchdown of the season, courtesy of prolific wide receiver Kevin Mital. After catching a short pass from Desjardins, he raced into the end zone, losing his helmet as he crossed the goal line.
Glen Constantin’s men added a layer shortly after stopping Sherbrooke’s attack on a third down and a yard. David Dallaire ran for six yards moments later to score the game’s second major with just over a minute remaining at the half. Vincent Blanchard finally ended the duel with three successful field goals in three attempts. Two safety touchdowns completed the scoring.
A new tradition quickly adopted by players
The idea of holding a match in white obviously appealed to the Rouge et Or players, who now want to see the event return year after year.
“I think there were 9,200 spectators, but we feltit as if there were more. It was really fun to see that. Especially in the evening, it gives a nice effect in the crowd, “said Édouard Arsenault, the busiest pass receiver of the evening.
His teammates agreed. “It was cool to see the crowd. When we got back to the field, […] I didn’t expect everyone to be in white,” smiled Enzo Pepe Esposito.
“With the fireworks and everything, it makes for a great event,” said quarterback Arnaud Desjardins.
Quarter bag in front of the father
Former Rouge et Or star defensive end Francesco Pepe Esposito is no longer the only member of his family to have scored a quarterback sack while wearing a Université Laval uniform. From now on, it is necessary to add the name of his son Enzo to the list.
On the Vert & Or’s first offensive sequence, the defensive lineman beat quarterback Zachary Cloutier to register his first sack in the university ranks. A feat of arms achieved while his father was watching the match.
“I had often imagined it. I didn’t think he would come so quickly, ”he said.
” It’s a feeling indescribable. You hear the whole crowd screaming, plus it was my first game, I didn’t expect that. »
- The Rouge et Or began their season against the Vert & Or for the third time in five years. Laval has now won 19 of its last 20 home openers. Laval fans will have to wait almost a month before seeing their favorites again since the next game at Telus Stadium will not take place until September 25, against the Concordia Stingers.