2023 USports Football

[jerrym]

Here's the rosters for the East-West Bowl

https://usports.ca/en/sports/footbal...-bowl-20230511

[jerrym]

Team East crushed Team West in the East-West Bowl game to win 37-0 with Sherbrooke QB Anthony Robichaud going 18/23 for 228 yards.

https://usports.ca/en/sports/footbal...-west-20230513

[jerrym]

Below is a look at which U Football players were selected in the CFL draft with Montreal LB Michael Brodrique leading the way with the second overall pick by the Elks.

Overall, 57 U SPORTS standouts were selected out of 72 total picks (79.17 per cent) over eight rounds. The OUA led the way with 23 selections, followed by Canada West with 17 – with the Ottawa Gee-Gees, Saint Mary’s Huskies and Western Mustangs each having the most players picked with five.
In all, 24 of the 27 U SPORTS programs had at least one player chosen.

Since the CFL draft was expanded in 2013, 577 U SPORTS athletes have been drafted into the CFL - more than 75 per cent of the total players selected, while approximately 200 Canadian university football alumni annually start the season on the league’s nine teams. This is the seventh time in the past eight drafts to see at least 50 U SPORTS players selected, with the only exception being 2021 when the draft was shortened to six rounds.
View the full CFL Draft Tracker.

U SPORTS players selected in the 2023 CFL Draft (57)

ROUND	SELECTIONS
1	4
2	8
3	8
4	7
5	8
6	7
7	8
8	7

CONFERENCE	SELECTIONS
OUA	23
CW	17
AUS	9
RSEQ	8

SCHOOL	SELECTIONS
Ottawa	5
Saint Mary's	5
Western	5
Regina	4
Saskatchewan	4
Alberta	3
Guelph	3
Montréal	3
Queen's	3
UBC	3
Laurier	2
Laval	2
Manitoba	2
McMaster	2
Mount Allison	2
Bishop's	1
Calgary	1
Concordia	1
McGill	1
Sherbrooke	1
STFX	1
Waterloo	1
Windsor	1
York	1
Acadia	0
Carleton	0
Toronto	0

TEAM	SELECTIONS
Edmonton Elks	8
Ottawa Redblacks	8
Winnipeg Blue Bombers	8
Calgary Stampeders	7
Hamilton Tiger-Cats	6
BC Lions	5
Montreal Alouettes	5
Saskatchewan Roughriders	5
Toronto Argonauts	5

https://usports.ca/en/sports/footbal...draft-20230502

[jerrym]

The 2023 Vanier Cup will be played at the Richardson Memorial Stadium of Queens University in Kingston on November 25, with kickoff time at 1:00 PM.

[Mocha]

Wish I knew enough about the OUA rosters to predict.

From the OUA twitter account:

https://twitter.com/OUAsport/status/1691125135514783754?s=20

You know what they say about the crème of the crop!Ahead of the 2023 #OUA football season, we want to know who YOU think will rise to the top of these statistical categories! Let us know in the comments below!



Predict OUA Leaders.jpg

[Mocha]

[Mocha]

Here we go. So much Canadian football to choose from this time of year!

Friday:

7 PM
Laval at Sherbrooke


Saturday:

1 PM
Acadia at Mount Allison
https://austv.ca/watch/22

Toronto at Guelph
https://oua.tv/watch/17

Western at York
https://oua.tv/watch/18

2 PM
Bishops at St.FX
https://austv.ca/watch/23

McGill at Montreal

3 PM
Laurier at Queens
https://oua.tv/watch/19

7 PM
Windsor at McMaster
https://oua.tv/watch/20

Sunday

4 PM
Waterloo at Ottawa
https://oua.tv/watch/16

[Mocha]

AUS announced format adjustments for the upcoming season today in the sports of football, soccer and basketball.
Football
This season, AUS football fans will be treated to more playoff action with the conference moving from a single semifinal matchup in the postseason to two semifinal games.
Saturday, Nov. 4, the regular season leader will play host to the fourth-placed team in one semifinal matchup, while the third-placed team visits the second-placed team in the other.
The winners of each will advance to the 2023 AUS Loney Bowl which will be played Saturday, Nov. 11 and hosted by the top-seeded team.

[Mocha]

https://www.prsvre.com/articles/27-questions-2023

OUA

1. Carleton Ravens

Managing to stay competitive, but not being seen as a viable threat, it feels like the Carleton Ravens have been a mid-tier, retooling program for the better part of the last four seasons. What will it take to push this group into legitimate Yates Cup contention?


2. Guelph Gryphons

Was 1-7 just a one-year thing? Or, are the Guelph Gryphons actually a rebuilding program?
Bonus: Is Scott Murray now the best defensive end in the nation?


3. Laurier Golden Hawks

Elgersma, Scott, Jordan, and Thorne: With a talented offence that has now matured, are the Laurier Golden Hawks a legitimate Yates Cup contender?
Bonus: Serious, but not serious - Are Laurier’s gold uniforms cursed?


4. McMaster Marauders

With Justice Allin and Andreas Dueck now gone, what’s in store for the new-look McMaster offence?
Bonus: It sounds crazy, but it’s been four years since the Mauraders’ last OUA playoff appearance. Can Stef Ptaszek regain control of this team’s direction on the field and coach them back into the postseason?


5. Ottawa Gee-Gees

With 2023 CFL Combine standout Amlicar Polk taking over as the starting Running back - after the departure of JP Cimankinda - can the Gee-Gees remain consistent in having one of the top rushing attacks in the nation?
Bonus: Will Kevin Vitcome become a 2x All-Canadian?


6. Queen’s Gaels

In 2023, Queen’s head coach Steve Snyder stated he believes Alex Vreeken has what it takes to be the best quarterback in the nation. Those words have not been forgotten. The time has come. Does Vreeken truly have what it takes?
Bonus: It’s time to have the conversation - Is Ashton Miller-Melancon the best defensive back in the nation?


7. U of T Varsity Blues

After an impressive first year as a starter, what does the leap look like for Varsity Blues quarterback Kinsale Philip?


8. Waterloo Warriors

It got to a point last season where a few opposing offensive coordinators felt they didn’t have to gameplan - can Waterloo’s defence finally get it together? If not, what can be done to repair this defence that has consistently struggled for the better part of the last five seasons?


9. Western Mustangs

Let’s just keep it 100 - Can anyone in the OUA stop Western this season?
Bonus: With running back Keanu Yazbeck expected to take on a bigger role, what can we expect from the Montreal native who’ll be entering his third season?


10. Windsor Lancers

Last season spoke for itself - is this the year that JP Circelli’s Windsor Lancers finally step into Yates Cup contention?
Bonus: Many considered him a snub for OUA Rookie of the Year honours last season - Can Windsor running back Joey Zorn put together an OUA All-Star-worthy campaign?


11. York Lions

Can York (actually) win a game this year?
Bonus: With Nathaniel Griffith and Brian Jones being named associate head coaches, can this program finally turn a new leaf and take the appropriate steps toward establishing a new - and healthy - culture?

[jerrym]

Four U Sports football players made the fall edition of the CFL Scouting Bureau list of 20 top draft eligible players.

UBC offensive lineman Theo Benedet is the highest-ranked U SPORTS player in the Fall Edition of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau. The North Vancouver, B.C., native is joined by three outstanding U SPORTS athletes in the ranking of the Top-20 eligible prospects for the 2024 CFL Draft.
Theo Benedet | OL | UBC | North Vancouver, B.C.

• In eight games last season, UBC’s offensive line only allowed 10 sacks, while the offence averaged 6.1 yards per rush
• J.P. Metras Trophy (2022)
• 2022 Canada West All-Star and First-Team All-Canadian
• 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl
• 25 career games with the Thunderbirds with 19 starts

The CFL Scouting Bureau, comprised of CFL scouts, as well as player personnel directors and general managers from the league’s nine clubs, releases its rankings three times each year: in the fall, winter and spring.
Rank | Name | Position | School | Hometown

• 3 | Theo Benedet | OL | UBC | North Vancouver, B.C.
• 8 | Giovanni Manu | OL | UBC | Pitt Meadows, B.C.
• 15 | Nick Wiebe | LB | Saskatchewan | Okotoks, Alta.
• 17 | John Bosse | OL | Calgary | Calgary, Alta.

https://usports.ca/en/sports/footbal...s-fall-edition

[OV Argo]

Western 83, York 0 - wow ! - brutal / embarrassing

[Mocha]

Western 83, York 0 - wow ! - brutal / embarrassing

If only we could get that super-conference for the likes of Laval, Montreal, Western, Saskatchewan, etc.

["Issues"Mcgee]

Here we go. So much Canadian football to choose from this time of year!

Friday:

7 PM
Laval at Sherbrooke


Saturday:

1 PM
Acadia at Mount Allison
https://austv.ca/watch/22

Toronto at Guelph
https://oua.tv/watch/17

Western at York
https://oua.tv/watch/18

2 PM
Bishops at St.FX
https://austv.ca/watch/23

McGill at Montreal

3 PM
Laurier at Queens
https://oua.tv/watch/19

7 PM
Windsor at McMaster
https://oua.tv/watch/20

Sunday

4 PM
Waterloo at Ottawa
https://oua.tv/watch/16

Thanks for posting this. I signed up today and had the Waterloo/Ottawa game on, which just ended.

I will be streaming many more this season.

[Mocha]

Thanks for posting this. I signed up today and had the Waterloo/Ottawa game on, which just ended.

I will be streaming many more this season.

It's nice to get some of these games for free, eh.

And I'm always blown away by the fast pace of the USports game after a couple months of watching CFL broadcasts. Very little dead time between plays at the amateur levels.

[Mocha]

https://twitter.com/GF_NWO/status/1695935432783990866?s=20

[Mocha]

OUA Players of the week:

https://oua.ca/sports/fball/2023-24/releases/week_1_players_of_the_week

Offensive Player of the Week – Evan Hillock, Western

After an all-star campaign a season ago, Western quarterback Evan Hillock picked up right where he left off when his Mustangs took home the big win over the York Lions in Week 1.

The third-year pivot showcased his precision and poise under centre, completing 13 of his 18 passes on the day for a total of 305 yards in the air. His longest passing play was a 66-yard major to Savaughn Magnaye-Jones, the second such connection between the two on the day, and it didn’t stop there. The Hamilton, Ont. product tossed another two touchdowns the way of Seth Robertson, good for 15 and 22 yards, respectively, before adding his fifth and final major on a 12-yard play to Mohsen Jamal before the half.

Hillock’s numbers would be impressive for a full game’s worth of work; however, he managed the feat in just a single half after helping his team build a sizeable lead at the break and sitting out the rest of the game thereafter.

[Mocha]

[Mocha]

Top 5 OUA Plays

Nice to see some big hits make the list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omcInhSE0p0

[jerrym]

U Sports Top ten rankings are out. Do you agree or disagree with any of them?

U SPORTS today announced its first Top 10 rankings for the 2023-24 season.
The defending Canada Life Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or remain the team to beat on the gridiron after securing a 37-14 victory over RSEQ rival Sherbrooke Vert & Or in the season opener.

Click here for full rankings
U SPORTS uses the Elo rating system for the calculation of its weekly national rankings., Elo calculates team rankings on a game-by-game basis, using an algorithm that generates a statistical calculation based on certain customized variables which have been adapted across the range of U SPORTS team sports. For more information, click here.
The Top 10 in football and men’s hockey is generated by a combination of Elo rankings and a media poll, with each component worth 50 per cent of the final total.

https://usports.ca/en/sports/footbal...cisive-victory

[jerrym]

WR Rhett Vavra, along with other 700+ yard WRs Daniel Perry and Caleb Morin, had a breakout year in 2022 and is expected to be a major contributor for Saskatchewan as it challenges for the top this year.

https://www.riderville.com/2023/08/3...-dogs-in-2023/