Golden Hawks crack CIS Top 10 after knocking off Yates Cup champs McMaster

OTTAWA (CIS) – The University of Calgary Dinos are the top-ranked team in CIS football for the eighth consecutive week after completing an unblemished regular schedule.

In the final national poll of the season, the Dinos (8-0) received 26 of 30 first-place votes and 296 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel. The remaining No. 1 nods went to the Western Mustangs (8-0), who merited 270 points to hold on to second place for the third straight week.

Following in order in the tenth Top 10 of the campaign are the third-ranked Laval Rouge et Or (7-1 / 238 points / no change), No. 4 Montreal Carabins (6-2 / 216 / no change), No. 5 Guelph Gryphons (7-1 / 170 / no change), No. 6 UBC Thunderbirds (6-2 / 134 / up three positions), No. 7 Sherbrooke Vert & Or (5-3 / 126 / no change), No. 8 Manitoba Bisons (5-3 / 76 / no change), No. 9 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (5-4 / 51 / previously unranked) and No. 10 Carleton Ravens (6-3 / 43 / no change).

Laurier makes its first Top 10 appearance in over a calendar year (No. 10 in Oct. 7, 2014 poll) after scoring the first upset of the 2015 playoffs Saturday at Hamilton, a 29-15 OUA quarter-final win over defending conference champion and Vanier Cup finalist McMaster. Playing in what could have been the final game of his brilliant university career, running back Dillon Campbell exploded for 285 rushing yards, the best tally in the country this season, on 39 carries, which tied the OUA single-game record.

In the other OUA quarter-final, Carleton dominated Queen's 39-8 at Kingston for its first playoff victory since 1986.

In the other conferences, where the regular season was coming to an end, results from Top-10 teams included Calgary 64, Alberta 28 (at Alberta); Laval 57, McGill 10 (at McGill); Montreal 22, Concordia 17 (at Montreal); UBC 24, Manitoba 10 (at UBC); Sherbrooke 42, Bishop's 29 (at Sherbrooke).

In addition to completing a perfect league schedule, top-ranked Calgary set a plethora of records Saturday in Edmonton, including most points scored by a Canada West team in a single season (471). Quarterback Andrew Buckley, the reigning Hec Crighton Trophy winner, passed for 463 yards and three touchdowns in just over two quarters of action to end the campaign with 3,162 yards through the air (CIS record), a 72.0 completion percentage (Canada West record) and a sensational 19-1 TD-to-interception ratio. For his part, kicker Johnny Mark had three field goals and 19 points to finish the season with 26 field goals (tied CIS record) and 144 points (CIS record for a kicker).

In Saturday's Canada West semifinals, the Dinos host Saskatchewan (3-5) at 1 p.m. MT (CanadaWest.TV), while Manitoba flies to Vancouver for the second straight week to face UBC at noon PT (live nationally on Global TV and CanadaWest.TV).

The other conference semis, also on Saturday, include Laurier at Western at 1 p.m. (Rogers TV and OUA.TV), Carleton at Guelph at 1 p.m. (CHCH TV and OUA.TV), Concordia (4-4) at Laval at 2 p.m., Sherbrooke at Montreal at 2 p.m. (TVA Sports), as well as Acadia (4-4) at StFX (5-3) at 2 p.m. AT (Bell Aliant FibreOP TV1 and AUStv.ca).

NOTES: The ArcelorMittal Dofasco Mitchell Bowl (RSEQ at OUA) and Uteck Bowl (Canada West at AUS) are set for Nov. 21 at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time, respectively... The ArcelorMittal Vanier Cup, presented by Promutuel Assurance follows on Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. ET in Quebec City... Sportsnet and TVA Sports have live coverage of all three national games... For all the information on the 51st Vanier Cup (including tickets) visit vaniercup.com.

FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#10)

Pts (1st place) Last week
1. Calgary (8-0) 296 (26) 1
2. Western (8-0) 270 (4) 2
3. Laval (7-1) 238 3
4. Montreal (6-2) 216 4
5. Guelph (7-1) 170 5
6. UBC (6-2) 134 9
7. Sherbrooke (5-3) 126 7
8. Manitoba (5-3) 76 8
9. Laurier (4-4 / 1-0) 51 NR
10. Carleton (5-3 / 1-0) 43 10

Other teams receiving votes: Concordia (17), McMaster (9), Mount Allison (4), StFX (2).

WEEK 10 RESULTS

October 30 (regular season)
Saskatchewan 38, Regina 37 (at Regina)

October 31 (OUA quarter-finals)
Laurier 29, McMaster 15 (at McMaster)
Carleton 39, Queen's 8 (at Queen's)

October 31 (regular season)
Laval 57, McGill 10 (at McGill)
Sherbrooke 42, Bishop's 29 (at Sherbrooke)
Montreal 22, Concordia 17 (at Montreal)
StFX 24, Mount Allison 18 (at Mount Allison)
Acadia 27, Saint Mary's 0 (at Acadia)
Calgary 64, Alberta 28 (at Alberta)
UBC 24, Manitoba 10 (at UBC)

WEEK 11 SCHEDULE (all times local)

November 7 (conference semifinals)
12:00 No. 8 Manitoba (5-3) at No. 6 UBC (6-2) (Global TV & CanadaWest.TV)
13:00 No. 9 Laurier (4-4 / 1-0) at No. 2 Western (8-0) (Rogers TV & OUA.TV)
13:00 No. 10 Carleton (5-3 / 1-0) at No. 5 Guelph (7-1) (CHCH TV & OUA.TV)
13:00 Saskatchewan (3-5) at No. 1 Calgary (8-0) (CanadaWest.TV)
14:00 Acadia (4-4) at StFX (5-3) (Bell Aliant FibreOP TV1 & AUStv.ca)
14:00 No. 7 Sherbrooke (5-3) at No. 4 Montreal (6-2) (TVA Sports)

About Football Reporters of Canada

Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958, Football Reporters of Canada has been an organization of media members who have covered the Canadian Football League, serving to select the league's outstanding players, coach-of-the-year and all-star teams through voting conducted by its members. In 2009, the FRC amalgamated with the University Football Reporters of Canada (UFRC) to give the organization greater scope in its affiliation with amateur and college football. FRC also works with the CFL and CIS to establish guidelines and working conditions for the men and women who report on the game. Selected members of FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Source: CIS