Conference’s best team beats Concordia 53-2 in Shrine Bowl
The Concordia Stingers football team played the Université Laval Rouge et Or on Sept. 29 in the 32nd annual Shrine Bowl. The Rouge et Or remained undefeated this season with a 53-2 win.
The Stingers kept the game respectable after the first quarter down 9-0, but heading into halftime, they were down 19-2. In the first half, the Stingers defence played fairly well, giving up less than 20 points to the best team in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). They forced the Rouge et Or to a couple of two-and-outs and were playing with some intensity.
The Stingers offence, however, could not seem to sustain a good drive and could not stay on the field. Laval’s defensive line was able to keep the Stingers running game in check, allowing them a total of 82 net yards for the game.
“We had a good first quarter. The second quarter was good too,” said Stingers running back David Germain. “We were confident coming back out from halftime. Some guys had trouble getting momentum back in the second half.”
The third quarter was when the Rouge et Or blew the game wide open. Their offence seemed to hit their stride, and wide receiver Jonathan Breton-Robert caught four passes on one drive that led to a touchdown. He finished the game with seven catches for 98 yards. Laval ended up outscoring Concordia 30-0 in the third quarter alone. The Stingers persistently ran the football even though it was not working.
The Rouge et Or defence does deserve some credit. They played a very disciplined game and did not give up any big plays. Laval’s Souleymane Karamoko played a solid game in his cornerback position. He seemed to always be at the right place at the right time. He ended the game with three passes defended, and stopped the Stingers receivers almost the entire game. Derek Trinh finished with a team-high 21 yards receiving for the Stingers.
Laval’s offence had a very good game, too. Their quarterback, Hugo Richard, had a productive game, completing 19 out of 29 pass attempts for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Rouge et Or offence picked up 438 yards throughout the game, compared to the Stingers’s 118.
Even though the score was lopsided, the Stingers showed some promise. Trinh and Quaysie Gordon-Maule showed signs of elusiveness as returners on special teams. There were times when they came close to breaking off on a big run and returning it to the house. Both of these players are extremely dangerous in open space. The Stingers running back Micah Sullivan had a solid game; he racked up 92 yards on 17 carries for an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
“We have to get going on both sides of the ball and, even on special teams, we have to keep it going for 60 minutes,” Germain added. “If we play 60 minutes, we can play with anyone in the league.”
Concordia looks to bounce back in two weeks and get their revenge as they play the Université de Montréal Carabins on Oct. 13.
Main photo by Gave Chevalier.
