To say the Redmen were slumping heading into this weekend’s contest with Mount Allison University would be a gross understatement. Going into Saturday’s clash with the Mounties, McGill hadn’t tasted victory since Sept. 24, 2005, a whole 364 days earlier.
Despite rainy conditions at Molson Stadium, quarterback Matt Connell led the charge, tossing five touchdown passes in front of just 1,441 fans, defeating Mt. Allison in a convincing 45-14 win.
Coming off last week’s tough loss to top-ranked Laval, a game in which the Redmen dominated at times, the Red n’ White were keen on finally getting their first win of the season.
“I think they felt good last week and lost,” said Head Coach Chuck McMann. “But a win’s a whole lot more fun.”
Offence led by dominant ConnellThe Redmen opened the game sluggishly, failing to score in their first two possessions. But with 5:11 left to play in the first quarter, Connell hit slotback Greg Hetherington for a 24-yard touchdown pass.
However, the Mounties would come right back on the following possession, putting together a six play, 70-yard drive, capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by running back T.J. Williams.
On Mt. Allison’s next possession, however, McGill forced a vital turnover as quarterback Kelly Hughes’ first down pass was tipped by defensive end Jean-Benoit Breton into the hands of his linemate Luke Van Ruyven.
It would prove to be the turning point, as the Redmen would never look back, scoring 35 unanswered points and taking complete control of the game.
McGill once again relied on their passing game to carry the offence, with five of the team’s six touchdowns resulting from Connell’s aerial attack. Connell’s five passing touchdowns tied the Quebec University Football League record for most in a game. The pivot also added a two yard touchdown run to cap off a superb individual performance.
“We knew we could throw the football,” McMann said. “We just took advantage of what they gave us.”
Freshman wide receiver Charles-Antoine Sinotte led the team with five catches for 137 yards and the first two touchdowns of his college career. Meanwhile, Hetherington added 85 yards on seven receptions with two TDs of his own. Slotback Erik Galas rounded out the scoring with three receptions for 58 yards and one major. Connell finished the day completing 17 of his 26 attempts for 289 yards, putting him over the 1,000 yard mark for the season after only three games.
For the first time this year, McGill fielded some semblance of a balanced attack, running the ball 32 times for 149 yards. Running backs Michael Samman and Alex Bussandri split the majority of the production, combining for 98 yards on 17 carries.
“We’re just rolling, we’re taking what defenses are giving us on the passing game and were going with it,” Connell said. “Today we also showed we can start running the ball, so hopefully everything comes together and we’ll be looking good on offence.”
Defence holds up its endEven the defence, which has struggled to be consistent this year, frustrated the Mounties offence, coming up with key turnovers throughout the match up. The D generated three interceptions and a fumble while recording a pair of sacks.
“Putting pressure on the quarterback on the weak side is always really good,” said linebacker Jean-Nicolas Carrière. “It really opens up the play and allows the rest of the defensive line to get more penetration.”
Penalties slowed up both teams in the second half as the Mounties committed 15 infractions for a total of 125 yards. Not to be outdone, the Redmen chipped in with 18 penalties of their own for 146 yards.
“We had a lot of penalties today,” Carrière said. “If we wouldn’t have had those penalties I think we could have wiped that 14 off the board that they got.”
The Redmen will have to be more disciplined next week when they travel to l’Université de Montréal (1-2), who began the season ranked third in the country. Connell and Co. will be looking for their second win of the year. Hopefully, it won’t take another 364 days.
