Stingers football lose on homecoming day

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

It was a bitter homecoming game for the Stingers men’s football team, as they fell 38-0 to powerhouse Université de Montréal on Friday. The loss came three weeks after a 48-10 drubbing at CEPSUM. Concordia’s offense never got into a rhythm, as turnovers and constant pressure on quarterback Reid Quest spelled doom for an offence that looked shell-shocked as the game progressed.

“We got off to a decent start, but like last time, we managed to screw it up,” said Quest, who had a tough game, completing 14 of 26 passes for 168 yards and three interceptions. “As the quarterback I have to be the leader. I can’t keep giving the ball away like that. That’s my fault.”

Quest was replaced by backup Troy McCusker late in the final quarter with the game out of reach. McCusker completed three of five passes for 33 yards.

The Stingers’ first offensive possession was perhaps their best of the day, though it doesn’t say much. They marched down the field, showing some unity, but a sack forced a 45-yard field goal attempt, which fell short and wide of the uprights. It was as close as they would come to any points.

“You can’t really pin this loss on anyone,” said former Stingers quarterback and receiver Liam Mahoney, who provides colour commentary on Stingers broadcasts on TSN 690. “You certainly can’t blame the quarterback. It’s hard to make good reads and get the right timing down when there’s guys in your face on every play.”

The running game was a non-factor for the Stingers as they rushed 16 times for 69 yards.

“When you can’t run the ball effectively on first down, it makes life tougher for the passing game, operating at second and long,” explained Mahoney. “This was also one of the best defences in the country.”

On their second possession, Quest’s pass was tipped and intercepted by the Carabins’ Antoine Pruneau. The Carabins made Concordia pay right away, with Alexandre Nadeau-Piuze throwing a 44-yard bomb to Ali Ndao down to the Stingers’ 26-yard line. Two plays later, Nadeau-Piuze capped off the drive with a Quarterback sneak from the one to give Montreal all the points they needed to seal the win.

Montreal added a 15-yard Charles Bauer field goal and a 20-yard touchdown pass to Ali Ndao, who was the game’s leading receiver with five catches for 96 yards.

The Carabins put the game away in the third quarter, scoring an additional 21 points. Tailback Rotrand Sené wore down Concordia’s defence, scoring a pair of touchdowns on the ground. He had back-to-back majors of five and 24 yards. He rushed for 118 yards on 14 carries, contributing to Montréal’s 221-yard total.

Concordia’s home field advantage was taken away, as Montréal’s dominance took Concordia supporters out of the game early. The game held a total attendance of 2,087, with a hefty chunk being U de M supporters. It goes without saying, they were on the rowdier side.

Concordia now sits at 2-3 and their schedule doesn’t get any easier with Sherbrooke, McGill and Laval waiting for them down the road.

 

The Stingers gear up for game time on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. against Sherbrooke.

Related Posts