GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Nov. 27
Time: 2:00 PM
Opponent: Montreal Carabins
Location: Montreal, Que.
Venue: CEPSUM
Watch: cbcsports.ca / CBC Gem App
Listen: HuskieFAN
This hasn't come as a fluke. Saskatchewan has been the best in the Canada West all-season long, but this past Saturday — they officially earned that title.
Saskatchewan won their 20th Hardy Cup in program history, doing so in convincing fashion with a come-from-behind 45-17 victory over the Manitoba Bisons in the 84th Hardy Cup.
But as has the story all season long — this is a team with aspirations bigger than a conference championship. Said aspirations are quickly inching closer and closer to reality. Saskatchewan is just 60 minutes away from their first Vanier Cup appearance since 2006.
That being said, those 60 minutes will come against the number-one ranked team in the nation in the Montreal Carabins, who will play host to the Huskies in this Saturday's Uteck Bowl.
The Carabins have earned that billing. They had a 7-1 regular-season. They defeated rival Laval twice in the regular-season and once in the postseason. They will play the bowl game on 13 days rest. Their last game was back on Sunday, Nov. 14 — a 28-19 victory in the Dunsmore Cup — when they claimed their second-consecutive RSEQ Championship.
But if you want to be the best; you have to beat the best.
Saskatchewan has that opportunity in front of them this Saturday, as they look to lock-up their first Vanier Cup appearance since 2006.
Quotables:
Scott Flory on the Hardy Cup win:
"It feels good, but we're not done. Our guys know, we're not done. We got two more games and that's what our eyes are on."
Bisons head coach Brian Dobie on Saskatchewan following the Hardy Cup:
"I don't believe for a second that they're not the best team in the country. Quite honestly, when we played in the exhibition game here and this is the truth; we went 'that team's got Vanier written all over it.' They're the team to beat."
"They're outstanding. They showed it today. They showed it all season long, but today they really put an exclamation mark on it. They're not slowing down. They're going to go into Montreal and I have no doubt they're going to represent the west and they're going to take it to the Vanier Cup. I have no doubt."
Mason Nyhus on Adam Machart's Hardy Cup performance:
"Machart is a stud. It makes my life pretty easy when I can give him the ball and he's taken it for 10-20 (yards). He's a big-time leader for us and he makes big-time plays. I'm very proud of him."
Lane Novak on the Hardy Cup win:
"I'm so unbelievably happy for all the older guys. This is our fifth-year's last game that they'll play at Griffiths. This was the first time for the Hardy Cup being here since 2009 and it was a great game."
5ish Things:
- This will be the first-ever meeting between the Huskies and Carabins.
- Saturday's contest will feature two running backs fresh off massive conference championship games. Adam Machart was the story of the Hardy Cup for Saskatchewan racking up 223 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. But not to be forgotten is the Dunsmore Cup performance of Bertrand Beaulieu, who rumbled for 121 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, adding four receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
- To no one's surprise, Saskatchewan swept the Canada West player of the week honours for the first-time this season. Machart earned offensive honours, while Lane Novak and David Solie were named the defensive and special teams players of the week.
- The last time a Canada West school defeated a RSEQ school in a national semifinal was back in 2005, when Saskatchewan defeated Laval 29-27 to advance to the Vanier Cup. The Calgary Dinos win in the 2019 Vanier Cup over the Carabins was the first win for a Canada West school over an RSEQ school since the Huskies win in 2005.
- The Huskies are 9-3 in national semifinal games since 1989.
- The Western Mustangs will play host to the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in the Mitchell Bowl in London, Ont. on Saturday, which will serve as the other national semifinal. The Mustangs last national semifinal game they appeared in was the 2018 Mitchell Bowl - a 47-34 win over the Huskies.
By the Numbers:
7 - Saskatchewan enters the weekend on a seven-game winning streak, with their lone loss coming back in week-one.
86.3 - Montreal's defence was stifling against the ground game this season. The Carabins allowed 86.3 rushing yards per-game, the third fewest in the nation during the regular-season.
143 - Since week two, Saskatchewan has outscored their opponents 271-128, holding a +143 point-differential
RSEQ vs CW since 2004
2004 - Laval 7-1 Saskatchewan Vanier Cup, Hamilton
2005 - Saskatchewan 29-27 win over Laval Mitchell Bowl, Griffiths Stadium
2008 - Laval 59-10 win over Calgary Uteck Bowl, PEPS
2010 - Laval 29-2 win over Calgary in Vanier Cup, PEPS
2011 - Laval 41-10 win over Calgary in Mitchell Bowl, McMahon
2013 - Laval 25-14 Calgary in Vanier Cup, Stade Telus
2014 - Montreal 29-26 win over Manitoba in Uteck Bowl, CEPSUM
2016 - Laval 31-26 win over Calgary in Vanier Cup, Hamilton
2017 - Laval 35-23 win over Calgary in Mitchell Bowl, McMahon Stadium
2019 - Calgary 27-13 win over Montreal in Vanier Cup, Stade Telus
Scouting the Carabins
The Carabins are making their second-consecutive national semifinal appearance, after the team's 2019 season ended with a loss to the Calgary Dinos in the Vanier Cup.
Montreal is led by Jonathan Senecal, who is the starter under centre for the Carabins. Senecal is in his first-year with the program, after previously signing a letter of intent to play at the University of Connecticut. Instead of suiting up for the UConn Huskies, he will take on the Huskies this weekend.
Senecal was fifth in the nation in passing yards with his 255.0 per-game clip. The Montreal native threw for nine touchdowns and five interceptions on 62.3 percent passing.
His go-to target is Hassane Dosso. Dosso is one of the best receivers in the country, catching 48 passes for 757 yards and four touchdowns.
The aforementioned Beaulieu is a native of Port Au Prince, Haiti and is the leading ball-carrier for the Carabins.
The offence is all orchestrated by Anthony Calvillo, who is in his first-year as play caller for the program. Calvillo was hired prior to the 2019 season as the team's assistant coach under Danny Macioca, who has since departed for the general manager role with the Montreal Alouettes. Calvillo is a former teammate of Flory.
Beaulieu and Dosso, joined guard Alexandre Levac as RSEQ All-Stars on the offensive side of the ball. Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal, Michael Brodique, Kaylyn St-Cyr and Bruno Lagacé were all named All-Stars on the defensive side of the ball, while Michael Arpin was named at the kicker position.
