MONTREAL – Rookie receiver
Enrique James-Leclair of Varennes, Que., hauled in six passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns as the No.2 ranked Université de Montreal rallied from a 17-point deficit en route to a 38-28 victory over visiting McGill in intercollegiate football action before 5,100 at Stade CEPSUM, Friday.
The result improved the Carabins to 5-1 in the RSEQ conference, while McGill dropped to 2-3. U de M registered 29 first downs and 479 net yards, compared to 20 and 353, respectively, for the Redbirds. McGill's 28 points was the team's highest offensive outburst against the Carabins in 22 years, dating back to a 58-0 victory in 2002.
The cross-town rivals each traded a field-goal in the first quarter but when McGill jumped into a 20-6 advantage at 13:43 of the second stanza to silence a boisterous crowd, it appeared that an upset was in the making. However, an early technical glitch with the game clock came back to haunt the Redbirds and that, combined with three McGill turnovers in the second half, provided U de M with the ballast needed to calm a teetering ship.
The game clock moved only one second after the first two plays from the opening kickoff and a brief delay ensued to resolve the issue. The timer rebooted the clock and the officials let it run for only eight seconds before resuming play. However, the kickoff return (7 yards) and subsequent running play (13 yards) appeared to have consumed a lot more time than eight seconds.
The extra ticks came into play with 45 seconds left before halftime when Carabins running back
Mathieu Barsalou bulldozed his way across the goal-line for a one-yard plunge, that reduced the deficit to 21-13 heading into the intermission.
The second half, played in a constant drizzle, was a different story.
Moments after the third quarter kickoff, McGill scrimmaged from its own 10-yard line. On the first play,
Elijah Cramaix picked off an errant pass and ran it back 21 yards for a touchdown. That knotted the score at 20-20 and U de M added another major for a 27-20 advantage heading into the final quarter, which they won 11-8, largely on the strength of a midfield interception off a tipped ball that led to another Carabins TD.
The two picks spoiled an electric outing from McGill quarterback
Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald, who completed 19 of 32 pass attempts for 261 yards and a pair of TDs. He also rushed for 82 yards on 12 carries and one TD.
The third-year pivot found teammates
Darius Simmons and
Abdala Traore in the endzone. Simmons caught four balls for 89 yards, while Traore snared two for nine yards.
Carabins quarterback
Jonathan Senecal went 23-for-34 for 279 yards, threw two TDs and one pick. He added 77 rushing yards on six carries.
Place-kickers rounded out the scoring, with McGill's
Mario Della Fraine contributing nine points on three conversions and a pair of field-goals, from distances of 30 and 23 yards.
Philippe Boyer added 14 points for the Carabins. He went 3-for-5 on field goals, making distances of 16, 41 and 24 yards, while missing from 38 and 36.
The Redbirds (2-3) have three games remaining and can clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2019 with a home-field victory on Friday, Oct. 11, over Sherbrooke (0-5), a team with a 3-23 road record since 2017. McGill took the first confrontation 29-26 in Sherbrooke on Sept. 6.
Before that rendezvous, however, the Vert & Or will play at Concordia (1-4) on Saturday (Oct. 5) in a must-win affair for both sides.
Montreal (5-1) will resume its schedule on Oct. 12 in a much-awaited rematch with division-leading Laval (5-0). The Rouge et Or took the first meeting 23-22 on Sept. 7.
REDMEN RAP: Return specialist and RB
Brandon Ciccarello led McGill with 102 all-purpose yards, including 83 on five kickoff returns, 13 on a pair of receptions and six on three rushing plays… Free Safety
Ryan McNally led the McGill defence with 11 total tackles, including nine solos, and a forced fumble… REC
Josh Campbell also had a forced fumble and one solo tackle… DHB
Thomas Angelin had six solo tackles… McGill's two fumble recoveries were credited to LB
Philippe Bouthot and DT
Jonathan Montour… CB
Brendon Francois registered his first INT and the team's fourth in five games.
BOXSCORE
RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS
SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL:
514-983-7012
E-MAIL:
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
