On Oct. 20, McGill Redbirds Football (1–6) played in their 54th Annual Shaughnessy Cup homecoming game against the Concordia Stingers (4–3) with the hopes of snapping a five-game losing streak. However, the Redbirds were unsuccessful, falling 40-23 to the Stingers in front of a sold-out homecoming crowd.
Concordia set the game’s pace early with a touchdown just over eight minutes into the first quarter. The Redbirds responded with a touchdown from running back Brandon Ciccarello with just two minutes remaining in the first to tie the game 7-7. However, with 48 seconds on the clock, the Stingers snagged their second touchdown to end the quarter up 14-7.
With 3,500 fans in the stands, the enthusiasm and spirit were high, despite an overwhelming number of Concordia supporters. On the sideline, the McGill cheerleading team performed stunts and led the crowd in chants, generating a lively atmosphere for the players and fans to enjoy.
“We were excited because [homecoming] games are always jam-packed with lots of fans, so we were expecting a huge turnout,” slotback Daunte Rowe said.
The second quarter began similarly to the first, with Concordia scoring another touchdown and making the field goal with eight minutes to go, widening the gap to 21-7.
Despite the scoreboard, the Redbirds kept up a hard fight and sustained their high energy levels. In the seventh minute, the offence was able to make a play that initially looked like a second touchdown for McGill. The brief moment of excitement from the crowd was dulled as the play was called as a dropped pass, hindering hopes of a McGill comeback.
“The dropped pass was tough,” Rowe told //The Tribune//. “We had the energy, so, if we got the touchdown, we would have had more momentum.”
Concordia then scored yet another touchdown, leaving McGill to fight back from 28-7 at halftime.
The third quarter saw the Redbirds struggle to take possession and secure much-needed points. Concordia closed the quarter with a touchdown and last-second field goal to make it 40-7.
“We made good plays, but too many mistakes and missed opportunities,” quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald said, referring to the second and third quarters.
Although this looked like a tough loss for McGill, the team continued to push through the final fifteen minutes and scored two touchdowns from slotback Darius Simmons and running back Cedric Dabady. The Redbirds’ defence managed to shut down a strong Concordia offence, allowing no points in the fourth, making the game’s final score 40-23.
Simmons’ touchdown was particularly rousing for the crowd. After walking off in the first quarter due to what looked like a head injury, he made a quick comeback on the field.
“The last quarter felt good, we finished strong and we still had a lot of energy,” assistant coach Kenny Charles said. “We still have one more game to go, so we’re gonna use the fourth quarter to take us where we want.”
The Redbirds will play against Université de Sherbrooke (0–6) on Oct. 28, which will decide whether they make it into the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) playoffs. Despite the loss against Concordia, the Redbirds are optimistic.
“I think we’re fine,” Rowe said of the game against Sherbrooke. “We showed a lot of heart at the end so I’m super excited for next week.”
Moment of the Game: At halftime, members of the 1969 Redbirds Football Team were inducted into the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame. 1969 was the inaugural year of the Shaughnessy Cup.
Quotable: “Scoring is always going to give us momentum. Defensive plays are great, but we also have to capitalize and keep scoring to bring the fight back.”
––Quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald
Stat corner: After having a mere 3:36 possession time in the third quarter, McGill took over in the fourth with a 9:19 possession time for a final 29:13 to Concordia’s 30:47.
