What a crazy day in university football this week. Concordia stepped onto the Universite de Montreal’s home field and absolutely manhandled their offence. The only points the Carabins scored were two safeties, and a fumble recovery in the end zone. The Concordia win moved the Stingers two games ahead of the Carabins and tied them with the Laval Rouge et Or atop the Quebec University Football League’s standings.
Laval struggled to beat the McGill Redmen this week. The Rouge et Or had to be a little worried, trailing 14-0 and 24-10 throughout the game only to score at will in the second half to win 43-27. If anything, in their wins against the Carabins and Redmen, Laval looks like it can be beat, and the big Oct. 7 match-up between Concordia and Laval at Stade PEPS looks like it will decide the regular season conference champion.
This year’s edition of the Stingers is the best bunch I’ve seen in my three years at Concordia. The team has maturity to succeed, the skill to thrive and key players who want to win it all.
Pat Donovan has looked like a man who is absolutely obsessed with tackling every player who comes near him, and is the heart and soul of the defence which has the potential to be one of the best in the country.
Gerry McGrath’s plan for his team to become a more balanced offensive attack looks to be working out with Andre Hamilton breaking off huge runs of 47 and 52 yards (the latter for a touchdown). Add to that Cedric Ferdinand, and the team is going to open a lot of eyes around Canada, as evidenced by their jump in the rankings to seventh in the country after beating the Carabins who were, at the time, ranked fourth but dropped to tenth this week.
**
There must be some good drugs in BC
In this section, you will see an article about the University of British Columbia trying to join the NCAA. This is absolutely absurd for several reasons. One, the University is crazy if it thinks it can compete in baseball, basketball and football with the American schools right away. Two, just because Vancouver is close to Seattle, and the rest of the Pacific Northwest doesn’t mean they belong in the NCAA. I admit I would be a UBC fan if they ever make the move, but I fear for the beatings they will be getting if they become a Division I school. They will not compete with the Pac-10 in football, even if they take all of the best Canadian talent currently in the CIS, or coming out of Canadian high schools. And finally, what would this do to the CIS. If all of the top Canadian talent goes to UBC to perform in the NCAA, it leaves the CIS with a diluted talent pool, which already is very inferior to the NCAA.
I see this as a money-grabbing move by UBC because they just want to get the big paydays and attention of being in the NCAA. Hopefully the powers-at-be of the NCAA see right through it.
**
Hockey is back-ish
Well, training camps are already underway and pre-season games have already been played, which means that it is time to talk about some hockey. As a Canadiens fan, I am optimistic for this season. Yes, I know that they have no depth at centre, yes I know that their defence is not very good, or deep with Francis Bouillon and Jean-Phillipe Cot
