USports Football Roundup

[OV Argo]

Leading 20-13 QB Adam Sinagra did not play it safe with less than two minutes to go. Instead he threw a 43 yard pass completion to Tyson Philpott that helped pin the Carabins near their goal-line when the Dinos failed to gain another first down. Overall Sinagra was the best player on the field, as he also threw two TDs.

Congrats Dinos !!! - not surprising that a vet, all-star QB was a big difference here - facing a very tough Carabins D, but one that was depleted by the early loss of an all-star, play-making DB in Dequoy - who might have helped shut-down the Dinos receivers some

An outstanding football game IMO; solid D with some good offence by both teams at times.

[gilthethrill]

I thought CBC did a great job televising the game. I could certainly notice the difference between them and TSN football telecasts.

[OV Argo]

I thought CBC did a great job televising the game. I could certainly notice the difference between them and TSN football telecasts.

Yeah - but too bad nobody steps-up to televise U Sports football all-season long; pathetic, IMO

[jerrym]

Laval U OL Ketel Asse has been invited to attend the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on January 18th.

[jerrym]

Laurier RB Levondre Gordon, who ran for 1,016 yards in 2019 to finish second in Canada and was a First Team All Canadian, has been invited to the all-star Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision Bowl (FCS Bowl) on December 8th.

[jerrym]

Nelson Lokombo of the Saskatchewan Huskies has won the President's Trophy as Canada West's Outstanding Defensive Player.

The product of Abbotsford recorded four interceptions, running two back for touchdowns, setting a new program record for interception return yards with 197. Despite opposing offences steering clear of his side of the field for much of the year, the kinesiology student finished with 4.5 tackles-for-loss and 23.5 total tackles.

“He was my first recruit after I got the job because I knew how good he was and how good he could be,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “He's a special young man and a special talent for sure.”

https://usports.ca/en/sports/footbal...-all-canadians

[jerrym]

Canadian WR Cory Watson, who gained 4,138 yards as a CFL receiver between 2010 and 2019, has been hired as offensive assistant and receivers coach for McGill.

[jerrym]

Two USports Canadians have been selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game: University of Montreal DB Marc-Antoine Dequoy and University of Alberta OL Carter O'Donnell

The East-West Shrine Game is the oldest United States college football all-star showcase. It has served as an NFL launching point for Canadian players such as tight end Antony Auclair (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), defensive lineman David Onyemata (New Orleans Saints) and offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (Kansas City Chiefs) in recent years. ...

For more than three decades, at least two Canadian university players have been invited to the annual event in Florida. It features a week of practices in front of NFL and CFL coaches and scouts followed by a game broadcast on the NFL Network. This year’s contest takes place on Jan. 18, 2020.

Dequoy led the Carabins with 37.5 tackles in 2019 and registered one tackle for loss, one pass breakup and three interceptions during eight regular season games. The six-foot-three, 195-pounder had a game-sealing 85-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Dunsmore Cup upset at Laval. He earned USports first-team All-Canadian status.

O’Donnell, the Red Deer native, started seven of his eight regular season games at right tackle — he was moved to right guard for match-up purposes during Alberta’s final two contests. Head coach Chris Morris wanted O’Donnell inside to neutralize University of Saskatchewan defensive lineman Evan Machibroda

https://3downnation.com/2019/12/18/t...t-shrine-game/

[jerrym]

UBC DB/punter Stavros Katsantonis is an unusual choice as the Canadian for the American College Gridiron Classic on January 3-5. He was suspended for four years in May after testing positive for the performance enhancing drug SARM LDG-4033. As a result of this, he was made ineligible to play USports football until 2023, although his CFL draft year was only moved back one year until 2020, because the CFL penalty for a positive drug test is one year. As a result of his drug suspension, Katsantonis did not play Usports football in 2019. While he was a 2018 Canadian All-Star for the third straight year, one wonders why any American All-Star event pick him as the Canadian representative when he did not play in 2019 and has had a positive drug test, even if all CFL teams and 31 of 32 NFL teams are going to attend the Classic.

[OV Argo]

UBC DB/punter Stavros Katsantonis is an unusual choice as the Canadian for the American College Gridiron Classic on January 3-5. He was suspended for four years in May after testing positive for the performance enhancing drug SARM LDG-4033. As a result of this, he was made ineligible to play USports football until 2023, although his CFL draft year was only moved back one year until 2020, because the CFL penalty for a positive drug test is one year. As a result of his drug suspension, Katsantonis did not play Usports football in 2019. While he was a 2018 Canadian All-Star for the third straight year, one wonders why any American All-Star event pick him as the Canadian representative when he did not play in 2019 and has had a positive drug test, even if all CFL teams and 31 of 32 NFL teams are going to attend the Classic.

Katsantonis was born in California I believe - not sure how he even qualifies as National for the CFL? - even if he played at UBC ?

Maybe he has Canadian citizenship somehow, or else grew up a number of years in Canada ( does that rule still apply?).

Might be considered a pretty good safety prospect for this draft, but testing #s might be key ?

[jerrym]

On Saturday January 18th, 6'7" 300lb OL Ketel Aase who has been an All-Star for the last two years with the Rouge et Or will join two other Canadians, QB Nathan Rourke and kicker J.J. Molson who played in the NCAA, to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Aase helped the Rouge et Or average 215 rushing yards per game and allow only six sacks all season. The game will be on the NFL Network at 7:00 PM ET.

University of Montreal DB Marc-Antoine Dequoy and University of Alberta OL Carter O'Donnell will be playing in the East West Shrine game which will also be on the NFL Network on January 18th at 3:00 PM ET.

[jerrym]

RB Logan Fisher of the Manitoba Bisons has been suspended for four years for an anti-doping violation involving drostanolone, a prohibited anabolic agent, in his urine test.

[jerrym]

2019 Argo OL coach Dan Dorazio has signed to coach UBC's OL.

[jerrym]

Jamie Barresi has stepped down as HC of the University of Ottawa Gee Gees after seven years and 36-27 record with the team.

[jerrym]

Former Ticat HC and current Als' OL coach Marcel Bellefeuille has been hired as the HC of the University of Ottawa Gee Gees.

[jerrym]

Although other Canadian university conferences, including the OUA, AUS and Canada West and USports itself, have already cancelled their fall sports programs, Quebec's RSEQ conference is still trying to run sports programs for the fall by following Quebec public health directives.

[jerrym]

USports has decided to not extend the eligibility of 24 year old football players for a year, despite their missing the 2020 season due to the Covid-19 cancellation of the 2020 season. Twenty-five year olds have not been allowed to play for at least the last two years. An estimated 300 players will be affected by this ruling.

U Sports has unilaterally decided to take away the final year of eligibility for football players who are currently 24-years-old.

TSN’s Farhan Lalji reports: 24-year-old U Sports players missing this year will not get an opportunity to play as a 25-year-old next year. Sportsnet’s Arash Madani reports up to 300 student-athletes can be affected by the decision.

https://3downnation.com/2020/07/09/2...ay-by-u-spors/

[jerrym]

The 27 HC of the Canadian University Coaches Association want U Sports to reexamine its decision to refuse to allow 24 year olds to play next year when they will be 25 and overage because Covid-19 is preventing them from playing this year. Below is part of the open letter they sent to U Sports.

U Sports’ rationale or their ruling is centred around player safety and liability. Through adopting this rationale, the U Sports Board of directors has abandoned yet another of their guiding principles: ‘evidence based decision making’. U Sports has no empirical evidence to substantiate their player safety concerns. Rugby, Hockey and Wrestling, all combative or contact based sports, operate without an age rule in place. The Board has apparently based their decision on a bullet that was included in the original age rule which referenced player safety. ...

If the board would have, through a detailed evaluation of this issue, contacted some of the coaches or administrators that were involved in the adoption of the age rule and its subsequent amendment they would have learned that competitive imbalance and not safety was the main impetus for the age rule.

Several coaches and administrators across the country that were active participants in the implementation of the original age rule could have been consulted and collaborated with around any questions the board may have had around this issue. Due process however was not followed, not a single coach was contacted and it does not appear as if any of the administrators involved in the original age rule were consulted either. This ruling is quite simply not an evidence based decision.

The decision is based on conjecture by a small group of people that have very limited knowledge of the age rule or its historical evolution. It is almost incomprehensible that the Board did not consult those who were active participants in the development of the age rule and the subsequent amendment to that rule; many of who are still active members of U Sports.

https://3downnation.com/2020/07/13/c...ge-cap-ruling/

[ArgoGabe22]

Here's a conspiracy, not so serious, but still could happen - These over age USport players who don't get a CFL look may be pushed to play in the leagues apart of CFL 2.0

[jerrym]

U Sports board of directors has reversed its decision to not allow 25 year olds to play in 2021 because of pressure from fans, football head coaches and athletic directors, as well as possible lawsuits.

According to sources, U Sports will overturn decision to have 24 years old student-athletes loose eligibility because of cancelled season (COVID). Pressure from coaches, fans and 2 potential lawsuits from players accelerated the decision being overturned.

U Sports cancelled its football season and 2020 Vanier Cup in June due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision came as a result of the on-going uncertainties with student-athlete health and safety, travel and public health restrictions that affect parts of the country and different curriculum delivery models being proposed on the campus of its 56 member universities.

https://3downnation.com/2020/07/18/u...wsuits-report/