U Sports Roundup: Laval Rouge et Or advance to 21st straight Dunsmore Cup final

QUÉBEC — The Laval Rouge et Or are going back to the Dunsmore Cup final for the 21st consecutive year.

Quarterback Arnaud Desjardins threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 3-ranked Rouge et Or defeated the Concordia Stingers 41-18 on Saturday to advance to the RSEQ final.

Laval will face the defending Vanier Cup champion Montreal Carabins, the top-ranked U Sports team. The Carabins dominated the McGill Redbirds in a 42-3 win.

The Regina Rams pulled off the biggest upset of the day with a dramatic 28-25 win over the No. 7 Manitoba Bisons in the Canada West semifinals.

Receiver Nicholas Sirleaf took a pass from quarterback Noah Pelletier and ran the ball into the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown, giving Regina the lead with 19 seconds left.

Rams linebacker Garret Hatchard then intercepted Jackson Tachinski with three seconds remaining as Regina advanced to the Hardy Cup championship game.

Manitoba's loss marked the end of Brian Dobie's 29-year career as head coach of the Bisons. The 71-year-old Dobie led Manitoba to the Vanier Cup title in 2007.

The Bisons entered the game with a Canada West-leading 7-1 record this season, while the Rams were 3-5.

The No. 10 Saskatchewan Huskies edged the No. 9 UBC Thunderbirds 38-33 in the other semifinal.

In Ontario University Athletics football action, the No. 2 Laurier Golden Hawks defeated the Queen’s Gaels 29-21 to set up a Yates Cup final against the Western Mustangs.

No. 4 Western advanced to its ninth straight final with a 30-19 victory over the Guelph Gryphons.

The Saint Mary’s Huskies beat the three-time defending Jewett Trophy champion STFX X-Men 21-17 in the Atlantic University Sport conference. The No. 6 Bishop’s Gaiter crushed the Acadia Axemen 59-0 in the other semifinal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2024.

The Canadian Press