The men’s football team lost to Université de Montréal on Saturday in a tight 22-17 game
The Concordia Stingers football team marched onto the Carabins home field on Oct. 31 hoping to upset the reigning Vanier cup champions. Despite having a lead with only one quarter to go in the game, the Stingers fell to the Carabins by a score of 22-17.
After a Stingers safety early in the game, the Carabins scored the first touchdown during their first drive of the second quarter. The Carabins started the drive on the Stingers 27-yard line. It was there that Carabins quarterback, Gabriel Cousineau connected with wide receiver, Philip Enchill for a 15-yard touchdown.
With nine minutes left in the first half, the Stingers got their offense in gear and marched themselves down the field. After reaching the Carabins eight-yard line, Stingers kicker, Keegan Treloar came out to kick a 15-yard field goal and put it right through the uprights. As a fifth-year player, the field goal was Treloar’s last in his regular season career.
The key play in the scoring drive was a 44-yard pass from Stingers quarterback Trenton Miller to slotback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren. Gilbert-Knorren was Miller’s favourite target in the game as he ended the day with 10 catches for a total of 100 yards.
Just before half-time, the Carabins scored on a 37-yard field goal to go up by a score of 12-3.
The Stingers would then start strong in the second half with a dominant third quarter. Miller scored back to back touchdown passes in the quarter which gave his team a 17-12 lead. The first of those touchdowns would be a two-yard pass to runningback Jean-Guy Rimpel. Miller’s second touchdown was a 19-yard pass to wide receiver, Daniel Skube.
In the fourth quarter, the Carabins turned it up a notch and came roaring back into the game. To bring the team’s deficit within two points, the Carabins scored on a 23-yard field goal early in the quarter. The Carabins defense then caused the game’s turning point when they forced Miller to thrown an interception. The Carabins would then capitalize off of the mistake and score on a two-yard rushing touchdown by running back Sean-Thomas Erlington.
With just over two minutes left in the game, Miller led the Stingers down the field in a bid to retake the lead. The Stingers started on their own 24-yard line and picked up a total 41 yards off of several passes by Miller. The game ended when Stingers runningback, Rimpel was tackled on third down, meaning the team had to turn the ball over to the Carabins.
“We came up short again, we made too many mistakes but at least we battled till the end,” Stingers cornerback, Rashawn Perry said.
This was the Stingers second loss to the Carabins this season.
In the loss, Miller threw for 286 yards along with two touchdowns. The two touchdowns brought his season total to 20 which allowed him to break the Stingers single-season touchdown record.
“It doesn’t mean anything to me, it just shows that the offensive line and the receivers had a great season,” Miller said.
“It was a hard game, the Stingers played really well,” Cousineau said. “Defensively they stopped us for a majority of the game. They also have a very good offense that can drive down the field.”
The Stingers finished the season with a 4-4 record and will now head into the playoffs this weekend to play the Laval Rouge et Or in Quebec City. Despite losing to Laval in the playoffs last season, Stingers coach Mickey Donovan is excited about the game.
”It’s going to be a dogfight for sure, but we’re up to the challenge,” Donovan said.
