LONDON, Ont. – Laval University Rouge et Or linebacker Ian Leroux jumped onto the turf at Western Alumni Stadium for the start of practice on Friday afternoon, reaching out for a first down sign and even blowing a few kisses in the air.
The Rouge et Or feel relaxed, confident and at home after stopping the Western University Mustangs from defending their Vanier Cup title.
The next step is a return to the same field on Saturday for a meeting with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies for the Canadian university football championship.
“We’re still confident and we still think we’re going to win,” said Rouge et Or offensive lineman Nicolas Guay. All teams on the planet should think this way. When you walk on the field, you have to think that you are going to win. This is our case. We think we’re going to win, that’s all. »
For their part, the Huskies get another opportunity to lift the Vanier Cup, after losing 27-21 against the Mustangs in the final, played last year in Quebec.
The Huskies advanced to the varsity finals by beating the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men 39-16 in the Uteck Cup last weekend.
“We’ve performed on this stage before,” Huskies head coach Scott Flory said. We don’t live in the past, but you have to be able to take advantage of this experience, because you have already been there. It’s like it’s the second time you’ve been to a restaurant. You know him well. »
The Rouge et Or overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to win 27-20 against the Mustangs in the Mitchell Cup. Arnaud Desjardins had 265 passing yards and Kalenga Muganda had 173 rushing yards in the win.
“We are confident in our preparation,” explained Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin. We are going to face a very good team. We hope to have a better start than last week. We will try to make this land our home. »
Constantin guided his players through a light hour-long training session on the eve of the big game. The Huskies also practiced for about 60 minutes earlier in the day.
The Rouge et Or are led by receiver Kevin Mital, who won the Hec Crighton Trophy this week as the most valuable player in Canadian college football. He had 12 touchdowns this season and topped the nation with 58 receptions and 751 yards in eight games.
Huskies quarterback Mason Nyhus was also nominated for the annual honour. He averaged 352 passing yards per game on the season and led Canada West with 18 touchdowns.
Flory said his players had a great week of preparation and were ready to play.
“It’s about visualizing big things,” he said. If you can’t see it in your mind, how are you going to do it? It’s simply a matter of visualizing the big plays. »
The Rouge et Or will try to win the Vanier Cup for the 11th time in history, which would be a record. The Huskies are aiming for a fourth Canadian title, after suffering seven losses.
“There’s a lot of guys back,” Huskies defensive back Charlie Ringland said. I think we all know we didn’t do the job last year so we have to come out stronger. »
The two teams have already crossed swords at the Vanier Cup twice before the matchup on Saturday. The Rouge et Or won in 2004 and 2006.
Weather conditions should have no impact on Saturday. Sunny skies and a maximum of 10 degrees Celsius are expected.
