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Laval tops Saskatchewan 30-24 to win Vanier Cup

GREGORY STRONG

Cigar in one hand and a bottle of Prosecco in the other, Laval receiver Kevin Mital strutted into the interview room at Western Alumni Stadium and rhymed off the postseason goals his team accomplished this year.

The Dunsmore Cup, Mitchell Bowl and now the Vanier Cup, he listed in French, slapping the table for extra emphasis as he went.

“It’s a sweep,” he said, before leaning back in his chair and enjoying a deep haul from the stogie.

Mital led all players with 142 receiving yards and even threw a touchdown pass to lead Laval to a 30-24 victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies on Saturday afternoon.

Kalenga Muganda and David Dallaire scored touchdowns and Vincent Blanchard tied a Vanier Cup record with five field goals to help the Rouge et Or win the Canadian university football championship for a record 11th time.

Arnaud Desjardins completed 27-of-36 passes for 396 yards and helped Laval raise its game in the second half. Both offences were in form – Laval had 506 total yards to 469 for Saskatchewan – but the Rouge et Or delivered in the big moments.

“We trailed, we weathered the storm and we showed resiliency,” Laval coach Glen Constantin said. “We believed in ourselves and the kids performed well.”

Mital regularly flummoxed the Huskies’ defence and shone in a drive that carried over to the start of the fourth quarter.

The Hec Crighton Trophy winner took a shovel pass for a 27yard gain and later drew a pass interference call in the end zone. Mital then took a direct snap at the one-yard line, faked a run and tossed the ball over the pack to a wide-open Dallaire.

The converted TD gave Laval a 10-point cushion. Daniel Wiebe caught a three-yard TD pass for the Huskies moments later but Blanchard provided insurance with a 25-yard field goal.

Saskatchewan head coach Scott Flory said his squad competed at a high level. “Unfortunately we came up six points short,” he added.

Mason Nyhus completed 34of-43 passes for 344 yards for the Huskies.

His one interception – the game’s lone turnover – came in the fourth quarter. Caleb Morin couldn’t squeeze a high throw from the Laval six-yard line and Félix Petit came down with it.

Everett Iverson and Rhett Vavra scored touchdowns for Saskatchewan and David Solie had a field goal. The Huskies, who fell to Western in last year’s title game, were looking for their first Vanier Cup win since 1998.

“I think we played a hard game and they did, too,” Vavra said. “They just made one more play than us.”

Vavra, Nyhus and Flory sat stone-faced in the interview room afterward, the music and celebration audible from the Rouge et Or locker room one floor below.

Mital, meanwhile, entered the room on his own about a halfhour later, sporting a stylish black jacket over his shirtless frame. A championship ball cap completed the look.

“Hey, look at me. I feel good,” he said with a laugh. “I just want to go back home and celebrate with everyone from Quebec. I feel good for my city now. It’s a good day to be a Rouge et Or fan.”

Laval improved its all-time record in the championship game to 11-2. It was the Rouge et Or’s first title since 2018.

Mital was named game MVP. “He brings the best out of our players but also our coaches to perform,” Constantin said. “He’s a special guy. He’s a generational talent for us and he’s probably the best receiver we’ve ever had.”

With strong winds playing a factor at times on a sunny autumn afternoon, both quarterbacks leaned on the running game in the early going and kept the passing primarily to short routes.

Both teams earned road victories a week earlier to qualify for the 57th edition of the Vanier Cup. Laval beat the 2021 champion Western Mustangs and Saskatchewan topped the St. Francis Xavier X-Men.

Laval won both previous meetings against Saskatchewan in the title game, topping the Huskies in 2004 at Hamilton and again in 2006 at Saskatoon.

SPORTS

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2022-11-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

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