Huskies versus Rouge et Or might deliver epic Vanier Cup

Teams go at it for first time since 2006 U Sports title game

Mason Nyhus threw for 2,759 yards in the regular season.

The 2022 Vanier Cup is a contest that is perfect for national television, and as a bonus, it will be on national TV.

On Saturday, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies will face the Universite Laval Rouge et Or in the championship game for U Sports football – the Vanier Cup. The two squads will battle at a sold out Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont. (12 p.m. Saskatchewan time, CBC).

The Huskies and Rouge et Or have a storied past playing four times in key games from 1999 to 2006 where Laval won three of those contests. The last encounter came in the Vanier Cup played at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus on November 25, 2006.

On a frigid day with a high of -19 C, a record crowd of 12,567 spectators turned out at Griffiths Stadium to see the Rouge et Or pull out a 13-8 victory over the host Huskies.

The weather conditions for Saturday’s Vanier Cup encounter will be a lot more pleasant than the clash back in 2006. Environment Canada is predicting a high of 9 C and sunny conditions for London, Ont., on game day. You couldn’t ask for better conditions on a November 26 day anywhere in Canada.

HC Scott Flory has guided the Huskies back to the Vanier Cup.

Thanks to those balmy conditions, both teams will be able to use their entire playbooks.

Both the Huskies and Rouge et Or enter the Vanier Cup with identical 10-1 overall records. 

The Huskies, who were rated fourth in the final U Sports Top 10 Rankings, have won their last four straight, while the Rouge et Or, who were rated second in the final U Sports Top 10 Rankings, are riding an eight-game winning streak.

This contest will feature the quarterbacks that finished first and second in passing yards in all of U Sports in Huskies signal caller Mason Nyhus and Rouge et Or pivot Arnaud Desjardins.

During the Huskies eight regular season games, Nyhus completed 197-of-298 passes for 2,759 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing three interceptions. His passing yardage total was tops in all of U Sports and set a new Huskies team record for most passing yards in one season.

Daniel Perry was named a U Sports first team all-Canadian all-star.

The old Huskies record had been held by Nyhus’s former teammate in Kyle Siemens, who threw for 2,570 yards in the 2017 campaign. Nyhus is finishing his fifth and final year of U Sports eligibility and was named a U Sports second team all-Canadian all-star on Thursday.

Nyhus also took home honours this season as a Canada West Conference all-star and Canada West player of the year.

In the eight regular season games the Rouge et Or played, Desjardins completed 195-of-267 passes for 2,555 yards and 20 touchdowns, while throwing four interceptions. His passing yardage total was second in all of U Sports.

In his second year of U Sports eligibility, Desjardins was named a U Sports first team all-Canadian all-star.

One of Nyhus’s big targets was fourth-year receiver Daniel Perry, who was named a U Sports first team all-Canadian all-star. Perry made 41 catches for 602 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.

Charlie Ringland, left, makes a pass knockdown for the Huskies.

Desjardins top target was second-year receiver Kevin Mital. During the regular season, Mital led all of U Sports in receptions (58), receiving yards (751) and receiving touchdowns (12).

He was named a U Sports first team all-Canadian all-star and captured the Hec Crighton Trophy as the player of the year in U Sports.

On the ground, the Huskies are paced by second year running back Ryker Frank, who carried the ball 88 times for 562 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season. The Rouge et Or’s rushing yards were spread out through their running back stable, with third-year ball carrier Joanik Masse leading the team with 48 carries for 282 yards.

On defence, linebacker Lane Novak led the Huskies with 47.5 total tackles during the regular season to go with a quarterback sack and three pass breakups. Linebacker Nick Wiebe finished second on the Huskies with 40.5 total tackles to go along with a quarterback sack.

Ryker Frank led the Huskies in regular season rushing yards.

Huskies fourth-year defensive back Charlie Ringland was named a U Sports second team all-Canadian all-star after collecting 24 total tackles and four pass breakups during the regular season.

The Rouge et Or defence is anchored by defensive lineman Jean-William Rouleau, who was named a U Sports first team all-Canadian all-star. Rouleau recorded 3.5 quarterback sacks and 9.5 total tackles during the regular season.

Second-year defensive back Cristophe Beaulieu was also named a U Sports first team all-Canadian all-star after recording 28.5 total tackles and six pass breakups in seven regular season appearances.

Fourth-year linebacker Alec Poirier was given a U Sports second team all-Canadian all-star nod after posting 22 total tackles and two interceptions during the regular season.

On special teams, Huskies fourth-year place kicker David Solie was named a U Sports second team all-Canadian all-star. During the regular season, Solie connected on 17-of-21 field goal attempts with a long from 44 yards out, while making 23-of-24 converts.

David Solie (#15) got a U Sports all-Canadian all-star nod.

If the Rouge et Or need a key kick, they will look to third-year place kicker Vincent Blanchard. Blanchard hit 15-of-19 field goal attempts with a long from 36 yards out, while making all 28 of his converts.

Both Solie and Blanchard handle the punting duties for their respective teams too.

In the match up of head coaches, you have the legendary old veteran going against a relative young buck. The Rouge et Or are guided by 57-year-old Glen Constantin, who has been Laval’s head coach since December of 2000.

As the Rouge et Or head coach, Constantin has a career record of 201-38 including action in the regular season and post-season, and he became the all-time leader in career wins in U Sports this season. He surpassed the previous record of 196 wins, which was compiled by legendary Huskies head coach Brian Towriss.

Constantin’s record included a 156-25 mark in regular season play and a 55-13 mark in post-season action. He guided Laval to nine of its 10 Vanier Cup championships as head coach. When the Rouge et Or won their first Vanier Cup in 1999, Constantin was the defensive coordinator for the squad that season.

Nick Wiebe had 40.5 total tackles in the regular season.

The Huskies are guided at head coach by alum and former star offensive lineman of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes in 46-year-old Scott Flory. After retiring from the Alouettes in 2013, Flory returned to the Huskies squad he played for from 1994 to 1998. He served as the Huskies offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016 and took over the role of head coach in 2017.

As Huskies head coach, Flory has put together a 33-17 career record including action in the regular season and post-season. Flory’s record includes a 24-14 mark in regular season play and a 9-3 mark in post-season action.

Before Flory became head coach, the last time the Huskies had won the Canada West Conference title and appeared in the Vanier Cup was 2006. Since Flory became head coach, the Huskies have won three Canada West titles and will play in their second Vanier Cup with Flory at the helm on Saturday.

The Huskies were in last year’s Vanier Cup, and they fell 27-21 to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec.

The Huskies hope to celebrate a lot of big plays on Saturday.

On paper, the Huskies and Rouge et Or have the potential to show U Sports football at its best. It is highly likely that their Vanier Cup encounter on Saturday will go down as an epic clash.

Now, they will confront each other for a prize only one can win.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Failed third down gamble does in Huskies in Vanier Cup

Mustangs take U Sports title with 27-21 victory

Mason Nyhus threw for 303 yards for the Huskies on Saturday.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football team gambled and lost.

The University of Western Ontario Mustangs were able to turn one early third quarter play into an avalanche that allowed them to win the Vanier Cup as U Sports champions 27-21 on Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, before 5,840 spectators.

On the final play of the first half, Huskies kicker David Solie booted a 24 yard field goal to give his squad a 12-10 lead.

On the opening kickoff of the third quarter, Huskies kick returner Josh Ewanchyna ran the ball back 44 yards to the Mustangs 51 yard line. The Huskies appeared to be in a good spot to build on their slim lead.

The ensuing offensive possession saw the U of S face a third and one situation from the Mustangs 42 yard line. The Huskies sent in their short-yardage offence to make the conversion.

Ewanchyna lined up at running back, got the ball and was tackled inches short of the first down by third-year Mustangs linebacker Zach Lindley to cause a turnover on downs.

At that point, momentum jumped on the side of the Mustangs in a big way.

Two plays after that failed gamble, Mustangs first-year quarterback Evan Hillock connected with veteran receiver Griffin Campbell on a 50-yard pass and run touchdown toss to put the London, Ontario-based squad up 17-12.

That score was the start of what seemed like an avalanche run that saw the Mustangs outscore the Huskies 17-2.

At the 7:43 mark of the third quarter, the Huskies pinned the Mustangs in bad field position causing the Ontario side to concede a safety to trim the Mustangs edge to 17-14.

After getting out of that jam, the Mustangs closed the third quarter with Hillock connecting with Campbell on a perfectly executed bubble screen pass play that went 17 yards for a major score. After that seven-play scoring drive that covered 72 yards, the Mustangs were now exiting the third quarter holding a 24-14 advantage.

Josh Ewanchyna scored the Huskies final TD on Saturday.

The Mustangs surge concluded with a 37 yard field goal from kicker Brian Garrity at the 2:59 mark of the fourth quarter to increase Western’s lead to 27-14.

While there was still lots of time remaining in the fourth quarter at that point, the Huskies were never able to get a game-changing big play to get the traction they needed to start the rally. The Huskies defence wasn’t able to get any interceptions or fumble recoveries.

The Mustangs defence did a great job in not giving up the big play.

The Huskies did move the ball offensively, but they needed to put together efficient multiple play drives to score. U of S’s longest play on offence in the game was a 26-yard pass to star fifth-year utility player Colton Klassen.

After the Huskies got the Mustangs offensive momentum to fizzle out, the Dogs put up a major on a one-yard touchdown run from Ewanchyna to cut the Mustangs lead to 27-21 with 28 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

U of S attempted an onside kick to try and get the ball back for a miracle finish, but Western blocked the play up perfectly to allow sophomore running back Keon Edwards to field the ball. The Mustangs proceeded to run out the clock with two running plays and a kneel down to take their eighth U Sports championship in team history with the 27-21 win.

Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall was a part of four of those wins guiding the squad to a Vanier Cup champions in 2017 and serving as a Mustangs assistant coach for Vanier Cup title victories in 1989 and 1994.

While the weather conditions were expected to favour the Huskies being -11 C with an eight kilometre an hour wind creating a field that was frozen and slippery, the Mustangs came out and played a solid game in those conditions like they were a U Sports or CFL team based in one of the Prairie provinces.

On the first offensive series of the game, Western put together a five-play scoring drive that covered 70 yards that culminated in a 25-yard touchdown run by fifth-year running back Trey Humes for a 7-0 lead.

Before the first quarter ended, the Huskies got a 26-yard field goal from Solie to cut the Mustangs lead to 7-3.

At the 5:03 mark of the second quarter, the Huskies jumped ahead 9-7, when star quarterback Mason Nyhus hit third-year receiver Daniel Perry on a 22-yard touchdown toss. Solie’s point after attempt was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, which prevented the Huskies from going up by three points.

The Mustangs retook the lead with 3:20 remaining in the second quarter on a 23-yard field goal from Garrity for a 10-9 edge.

Adam Machart had 78 yards rushing and 82 yards receiving.

That set the stage for Solie to make his kick that put the Huskies in front 12-10 at halftime and lead up to the failed third down gamble on the Huskies first series of the third quarter.

While the failed gamble ultimately snowballed on the Huskies and was the turning point in the contest, the U of S coaching staff made the right call in deciding to go for it at that point in the game.

Huskies head coach Scott Flory coaches in a style that is a mix of his former Huskies head coach in the legendary Brian Towriss and two of his former CFL head coaches with the Montreal Alouettes in the late great icon in Don Matthews and cerebral standout Marc Trestman.

Matthews was the type of coach that believed at certain points in any contest you have to gamble and go out and win the game.

The Huskies throughout their history are known for their great offensive lines, and U of S can be rightfully dubbed “O-line U.”

Putting in a jumbo set for a third-and-one gamble, you have to believe your players can go out and get that yard. If the Huskies succeed in that gamble, they might have finished that first possession drive of the third quarter scoring a touchdown for a 19-10 advantage.

At that point, the game plays out quite a bit differently that it did.

Even if the Mustangs got the stuff, the Huskies had to believe there was still plenty of time to recover from that missed chance.

To the Mustangs credit, they made that Huskies missed gamble turn into a costly one.

When the dust settled, Nyhus finished having an outstanding game for the Huskies completing 28-of-40 passes for 303 yards, one touchdown pass and no interceptions. Huskies star running back Adam Machart ran the ball 16 times for a team high 78 yards and caught eight passes for 82 yards.

Klassen topped the Huskies with 95 receiving yards coming on seven catches.

Riley Pickett had 1.5 tackles for a loss for the Huskies.

Defensive back Cameron Skinner led the Huskies with seven total tackles, while defensive end Riley Pickett had 1.5 tackles for a loss. He shared a tackle for a loss with fifth-year linebacker Clovis Lumeka.

Hillock showed he is potentially on the cusp of a stellar career with the Mustangs completing 18-of-29 passes for 274 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He took home the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game’s most outstanding player.

Campbell caught six passes for a game high 104 yards to go with his two touchdowns.

The Mustangs piled up 209 yards rushing as a team with five different players getting rushing attempts.

Mustangs fourth-year defensive back Daniel Valente Jr. had a game high 8.5 tackles taking home the Bruce Coulter Award as the defensive player of the game.

Defensive linemen Deionte Knight and Malcolm Hinds had single sacks for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs finished the campaign with a 10-1 overall record, while the Huskies concluded the season with an 8-2 overall mark.

The Vanier Cup loss brings an end to the U Sports careers of seven Huskies players in Klassen, Lumeka, Kyle Newton, Carter Dahl, Finley Easton, Nick Summach and Yol Piok, who were all played out their fifth and final seasons of eligibility.

That group helped the Huskies win a Canada West Conference title in 2018 and another conference championship this season in making the run to the Vanier Cup game.

Before those two post-season runs, the last time the Huskies had won the Canada West title and advanced to the Vanier Cup game was 2006.

The Huskies are still searching for their first Vanier Cup win since 1998. In total, they’ve won the U Sports title on three occasions including 1990 and 1996.

After the Huskies weren’t able to hit the field in 2020 as the Canada West Conference season and the Vanier Cup were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) campaign that has gripped the world, the 2021 return season for the Huskies was a remarkable one.

Colton Klassen had 95 yards receiving on Saturday.

They returned a strong core group of players that took the program to heights it hasn’t reached in some time.

The Huskies have once again been able to see what the Vanier Cup looks like. You can bet this will help motivate the returning players and add to the realization that reaching the U Sports mountaintop again is something that can be realistically achieved in future seasons.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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“Mac” on the attack as Huskies rock Thunderbirds 40-7

Adam Machart, right, celebrates his second of two touchdown runs on Friday.

    Adam Machart was running as sleek as a Porsche 911.

    The star running back for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team hit high gear on Friday night at Griffiths Stadium striking the first shock and awe blow in a U Sports regular season game with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

    With 4:58 remaining in the first quarter, Machart, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 185 pounds, broke off a 63-yard touchdown run to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead.

Adam Machart piled up 134 yards rushing for the Huskies.

    He rolled from there piling up 134 yards rushing on 15 carries and adding a second touchdown on a one-yard run early in the fourth quarter, and he caught five passes for 39 yards.

    Machart’s efforts ultimately allowed the Huskies to hammer the Thunderbirds 40-7 in front of 6,278 spectators in what was the homecoming game for the U of S side.

    For Machart, Friday’s win, which allowed the Huskies to improve to 1-1, eased the sting from a 43-19 defeat at the hands of the University of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg on Aug. 30, which was the regular season opener for both squads. The drubbing in the Manitoba capital had a lot of self-inflicted elements as the Huskies turned the ball over seven times in that contest, while the Bisons didn’t have a single giveaway.

    “We had a lot to prove tonight, and I think we came out hard, and hit hard and ran hard,” said Machart. “I think we did just that.

Adam Machart (#20) jets home on a 63-yard touchdown run.

    “I think once you start getting success you just start maybe running a little harder and blocking a little harder. It just starts to come.”

    Machart is in his second year with the Huskies and using his third year of U Sports eligibility. He came to the Huskies after playing three seasons with the Saskatoon Hilltops from 2015 to 2017 helping them win the Canadian Junior Football League titles in each of those campaigns.

    With the Huskies, Machart became the team’s starting running back this season taking over from Tyler Chow, who exhausted his U Sports eligibility last season when the Huskies won the Canada West Conference title.

Adam Machart, right, follows his blocking towards the goal-line.

    Coming into this season, Machart believed he had something extra in his game.

    “It is probably the healthiest I have been in a long time,” said Machart. “Being able to put in a full off-season really helps.

    “We have one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country in Joel Lipinski, so having that guy around getting us on the right programs and stuff like that really helps as well.”

    While Machart’s long touchdown run to open Friday’s game gave the Huskies some early momentum, they weren’t able to shake the Thunderbirds during the first three quarters of the contest.

    Early in the second quarter, Thunderbirds rookie starting quarterback Tommy Yanchuk hit second-year receiver Jacob Patten with a 12-yard touchdown toss to even the score at 7-7.

Adam Machart (#20) tears out of the hands of a UBC tacklr.

    With 9:32 remaining in the second quarter, Huskies kicker David Solie nailed a 42-yard field goal to put the hosts up 10-7.

    On a third and goal gamble with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter, Huskies quarterback Mason Nyhus hit sure-handed receiver Jesse Kuntz with a two-yard touchdown toss to extend the U of S edge to 17-7.

    That score held up until the 3:56 mark of the fourth quarter, when Machart scored his second touchdown for the Huskies on a one-yard run to increase their advantage to 24-7. Machart’s run came on a third-and-goal gamble and capped a 10-play drive that covered 85 yards.

    Huskies head coach Scott Flory is pleased with how Machart has performed in the early going of the current campaign. 

Huskie LB Ben Whiting, right, nails a Thunderbirds running back.

    The sideline boss said his skilled runner is feeling better physically compared to a year ago.
    “I know he had some lingering kind of knee pain,” said Flory. “He took some time away, and then he has been training so hard.

    “He has found another gear. To compliment that, you put in Chewy (Josh Ewanchyna). They are both really special running backs.”

    Machart’s second scoring run sparked a 23-point surge by the Huskies in the fourth quarter that included a couple of big plays.

    Receiver Daniel Perry ran a punt back 75 yards for a touchdown on a spectacular return down the left sideline to put the Huskies up 31-7. 
    Solie booted a 34-yard field goal to push the Huskies lead out to 34-7.

Colton Klassen had 135 yards receiving for the Huskies.

    With 39.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Huskies third-year defensive back Nelson Lokombo intercepted Thunderbird backup quarterback Gabe Olivares and raced 95 yards for the final U of S major. Solie hit the post on the extra point attempt making the final score sit at 40-7 in favour of the Huskies.

    Flory was pleased to see his team rebound with a victory after dropping their opener to the Bisons, but he said his squad still needs to get better.

    “It was clearly a better effort,” said Flory. “We were physical.

    “There are still some mistakes. We have to clean up penalties. There is always stuff to correct.

    “That was more like us than last week was and that is good. It is good to be back at home in front of a great crowd here. It was a good football game.”

    Nyhus completed 26-of-37 passes for 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception in picking up his first U Sports victory as a starting quarterback. The Regina, Sask., product spent the last two campaigns backing up Kyle Siemens, who exhausted his U Sports eligibility last season.

Daniel Perry, left, returns a punt 75 yards for a touchdown for the Huskies.

    During the 2016 campaign, Nyhus redshirted with the Huskies.

    “It is awesome to come out here and get a win,” said Nyhus. “The crowd was amazing out here.

    “It wasn’t a surprise by any means. We have a great atmosphere every time we come play at home. It is a great feeling for sure.”

    Huskies star offensive utility player Colton Klassen led the team in receiving hauling in eight passes for 135 yards.

    Defensive linemen Evan Machibroda and Nicholas Dheilly each had a sack for the Huskies. First year defensive back Logan Bitz topped U of S with eight total tackles, while second-year defensive back Nixen Voll had an interception for the Huskies.

Nelson Lokombo (#25) is congratulated for his major score off a pick.

    Yanchuk completed 16-of-31 passes for 151 yards, one touchdown and one interception as the Thunderbirds fell to 0-2. 
    Linebacker Nick Cross topped the Thunderbirds with 12 total tackles.

    Linebacker Lake Korte-Moore had a sack and an interception for the Thunderbirds, while defensive back Chris Thelasco had a sack for UBC.

    With the win over the Thunderbirds in the books, the Huskies return to action this coming Friday, when they travel to Regina to take on the University of Regina Rams (1-1) at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium. 
   Machart said his squad has to keep improving in practice leading up to that contest.

Yol Piok (#81) lets out a cheer after the Huskies win on Friday.

    “I think we are in a good place, but we definitely have a lot to work on,” said Machart. “We’re going to hit that this week at practice.

    “We know what we have to do.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.