2021 U Sports football season

The 2021 U Sports football season began on August 28, 2021, with the Sherbrooke Vert et Or hosting the Montreal Carabins in Sherbrooke, Quebec.[1] The Atlantic University Sport conference began play on September 17, 2021, and ten Ontario University Athletics teams opened their seasons on September 18, 2021.[2][3] The Canada West conference began their regular season last with all six teams playing on September 25, 2021.[4] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, all conferences except the RSEQ played six regular season games while the RSEQ played eight.

2021 U Sports football season
DurationAugust 28, 2021 – November 6, 2021
Hardy Cup championsSaskatchewan Huskies
Yates Cup championsWestern Mustangs
Dunsmore Cup championsMontreal Carabins
Loney Bowl championsStFX X-Men
Mitchell Bowl championsWestern Mustangs
Uteck Bowl championsSaskatchewan Huskies
Vanier Cup
DateDecember 4, 2021
VenueTelus Stadium
Quebec City, Quebec
ChampionsWestern Mustangs
U Sports football seasons seasons
← 2020
2022 →

The conference championships were played on the weekend of November 20 and the season concluded on December 4 with the 56th Vanier Cup championship, with the Western Mustangs defeating the Saskatchewan Huskies by a score of 27–21.[5][6] 27 university teams in Canada played U Sports football this season, the highest level of amateur Canadian football.

Schedule changes

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The Atlantic University Sport conference was the first to announce their 2021 schedule after no conference played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.[2] The AUS confirmed a schedule of six regular season games instead of the usual eight with a start date three weeks later than the 2019 scheduled start with the additional one-week delay of this year's Vanier Cup game.[2][7] The AUS also had four out of five teams qualify for playoffs, instead of three, with the fourth seeded team playing the top team and the second seed playing the third.[2] The Loney Bowl was played on November 20, 2021.[2]

The Canada West conference announced their schedule shortly after the AUS, on June 21, 2021, with all six teams playing on September 25, 2021.[4] Canada West featured six teams playing six regular season games apiece with each team playing one game against the other plus one additional game.[4] The first week's opponents are the same as the last week's opponents with the host switching for the last week.[4] The 84th Hardy Cup game was played on the weekend of November 20, 2021.[4]

On June 30, 2021, both the OUA and RSEQ released their schedules.[1][3] The OUA also played on a reduced schedule with each team playing six regular season games over a seven-week regular season. Notably, some OUA teams' schedules featured repeat matchups with some teams playing opponents twice in order to reduce travel.[3] The OUA also shifted to a two-division set up with Carleton, Ottawa, Queen's, Toronto, and York in the East Division and Guelph, McMaster, Waterloo, Western, Wilfrid Laurier, and Windsor in the West Division.[8] The 113th Yates Cup games was played on November 20, 2021.[3] The RSEQ is scheduled to play a standard eight-game schedule with five teams playing over the course of a ten-week regular season. Notably, the Dunsmore Cup did not endure the same delay as the other conference championships and was played on November 13, 2021.[1]

Regular season

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Standings

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Team W   L   PF   PA   Pts Ply
#6 St. FX 6 0   193 99   12
Mount Allison 5 1   94 61   10 X
Bishop's 2 4   88 135   4 X
Acadia 1 5   52 59   2 X
Saint Mary's 1 5   58 131   2
† – Conference Champion
Rankings: U Sports Top 10
Team W   L   PF   PA   Pts Ply
#1 Montréal 7 1   226 113   14
#5 Laval 5 3   234 108   10 X
Concordia 4 4   209 243   8 X
Sherbrooke 3 5   159 240   6 X
McGill 1 7   99 223   2
† – Conference Champion
Rankings: U Sports Top 10
East Division
Team W   L   PF   PA   Pts Ply
#3 Queen's 6 0   172 44   10
Toronto 3 3   112 129   6 X
Ottawa 3 3   92 124   6 X
Carleton 2 4   99 147   4 X
York 0 6   49 201   0
West Division
Team W   L   PF   PA   Pts Ply
#2 Western 5 1   266 68   10 X
Laurier 3 3   127 122   6 X
#8 Guelph 3 3   140 86   6 X
Waterloo 3 3   150 143   6 X
#9 McMaster 3 3   146 125   6
Windsor 2 4   67 231   4
† – Conference Champion
Rankings: U Sports Top 10
Team W   L   PF   PA   Pts Ply
#4 Saskatchewan 5 1   217 128   10
#7 Manitoba 4 2   138 124   8 X
Alberta 3 3   174 186   6 X
British Columbia 3 3   135 221   6 X
#10 Calgary 2 4   181 163   4
Regina 1 5   123 146   2
† – Conference Champion
Rankings: U Sports Top 10

Post-season awards

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Award-winners

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Quebec Ontario Atlantic Canada West National
Hec Crighton Trophy Olivier Roy
(Concordia)
Tre Ford
(Waterloo)
Silas Fagnan
(St. Francis Xavier)
Tyson Philpot
(Calgary)
Tre Ford
(Waterloo)
Presidents' Trophy Alec Poirier
(Laval)
A. J. Allen
(Guelph)
Daniel Bell
(Mount Allison)
Josiah Schakel
(Alberta)
Josiah Schakel
(Alberta)
J. P. Metras Trophy Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal
(Montreal)
Deionte Knight
(Western)
Reece Martin
(Mount Allison)
Brock Gowanlock
(Manitoba)
Deionte Knight
(Western)
Peter Gorman Trophy Jaylan Greaves
(Concordia)
Evan Hillock
(Western)
Malcolm Bussey
(St. Francis Xavier)
Garrett Rooker
(British Columbia)
Jaylan Greaves
(Concordia)
Russ Jackson Award Malick Sylvain
(Concordia)
Francis Perron
(Ottawa)
Graeme Stevens
(Mount Allison)
Josiah Schakel
(Alberta)
Francis Perron
(Ottawa)
Frank Tindall Trophy Marco Iadeluca
(Montreal)
Steve Snyder
(Queen's)
Gary Waterman
(St. Francis Xavier)
Scott Flory
(Saskatchewan)
Steve Snyder
(Queen's)

[9]

All-Canadian Team

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Offence
First Team Second Team
Quarterback Tre Ford (Waterloo) Olivier Roy (Concordia)
Running Back Adam Machart (Saskatchewan)

Rasheed Tucker (Queen's)

Malcolm Bussey (St. Francis Xavier)

Keon Edwards (Western)

Receiver Tyson Philpot (Calgary)

Jalen Philpot (Calgary)

Savaughn Magnaye-Jones (Western)

Jaylan Greaves (Concordia)

Kiondre Smith (Guelph)

Kevin Mital (Laval)

Darius Simmons (McGill)

Hassane Dosso (Montréal)

Centre Elliot Beamer (Western) Connor Berglof (Saskatchewan)
Guard Rodeem Brown (Alberta)

Nicolas Guay (Laval)

Che Morales (St. Francis Xavier)

Phillip Grohovac (Western)

Tackle Noah Zerr (Saskatchewan)

Andy Genois (Laval)

Gregor MacKellar (St. Francis Xavier)

Zack Fry (Western)

Defence
First Team Second Team
Defensive Tackle Reece Martin (Mount Allison)

Nathan Cherry (Saskatchewan)

Malcolm Hinds (Western)

Jean William Rouleau (Laval)

Defensive End Deionte Knight (Western)

Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal (Montréal)

Brock Gowanlock (Manitoba)

Anthony Federico (Queen's)

Linebacker Nick Thomas (Manitoba)

Josiah Schakel (Alberta)

A. J. Allen (Guelph)

Alec Poirier (Laval)

Michael Brodrique (Montréal)

Benjamin Carré (McGill)

Free Safety Daniel Valente (Western) Jayden Dalke (Alberta)
Defensive Halfback Daniel Bell (Mount Allison)

Tyshon Blackburn (Alberta)

Devynn Cromwell (Guelph)

Bruno Lagacé (Montréal)

Cornerback Marcel Arruda-Welch (Manitoba)

Siriman-Harrison Bagayogo (Guelph)

Tyrell Ford (Waterloo)

Ahmadou Boubacar (Concordia)

Special Teams
First Team Second Team
Kicker Eric Stranz (Guelph) Michael Arpin (Montréal)
Punter David Solie (Saskatchewan) Cole Crossett (Waterloo)
Returner Kiondre Smith (Guelph) Justin Julien (Saint Mary's)

[10]

Post-season

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The Vanier Cup is played between the champions of the Mitchell Bowl and the Uteck Bowl, the national semi-final games. In 2021, according to the rotating schedule, the Atlantic conference's Loney Bowl championship team will visit the Yates Cup Ontario championship team for the Mitchell Bowl. The winners of the Canada West Hardy Trophy will visit the Québec conference Dunsmore Cup championship team for the Uteck Bowl.[6] These games are scheduled to be played on November 27, 2021.[6] On June 17, 2021, it was announced that the 56th Vanier Cup would be played in Quebec City, Quebec, and would be hosted by Université Laval for the seventh time in school history.[7]

Atlantic University Sport

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November 13
Semi-final
November 20
Loney Bowl
      
1 StFX 27
4 Acadia 22
1 StFX 25
3 Bishop's 17
2 Mount Allison 5
3 Bishop's 23

Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec

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November 6
Semi-finals
November 13
Dunsmore Cup
      
1 Montreal 31
4 Sherbrooke 3
1 Montreal 28
2 Laval 19
2 Laval 30
3 Concordia 10

Ontario University Athletics

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November 6
Quarter-finals
November 13
Semi-finals
November 20
113th Yates Cup
         
E1 Queen's 41
E4 Carleton 14
E1 Queen’s 32
E3 Ottawa 15
E2 Toronto 17
E3 Ottawa 27
E1 Queen’s 0
W1 Western 29
W1 Western 51
W4 Waterloo 24
W1 Western 33
W3 Guelph 12
W2 Laurier 18
W3 Guelph 31

Canada West Universities Athletic Association

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November 13
Semi-finals
November 20
84th Hardy Trophy
      
1 Saskatchewan 39
4 UBC 17
1 Saskatchewan 45
2 Manitoba 17
2 Manitoba 43
3 Alberta 17

National Semifinals

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Mitchell Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34Total
St. Francis Xavier 0 3 036
Western 23 28 3761

at Western Alumni Stadium (London, Ontario)

Uteck Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Saskatchewan 1 0 01314
Montreal 3 1 5110

at CEPSUM Stadium (Montreal)

National Championship

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Quarter 1 2 34Total
Saskatchewan 3 9 2721
Western 7 3 14327

at PEPS Stadium (Quebec City)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Calendrier / Résultats / Classement 2021" (in French). Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "2021-22 AUS schedules released". Atlantic University Sport. June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "OUA announces football schedule for 2021 season". Ontario University Athletics. June 30, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Conference action returns September 25". Canada West Universities Athletic Association. June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "Carabins and Rouge et Or to launch the 2020 university football season at TVA Sports". U Sports. February 28, 2020. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "U Sports Championship Information". U Sports. February 20, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "U Sports awards 56th Vanier Cup championship to Université Laval". U Sports. June 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "2021 Football Standings". Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Waterloo QB Tre Ford wins 2021 U Sports Hec Creighton Award". U Sports. December 2, 2021.
  10. ^ "Vanier Cup finalists top the U Sports football All-Canadian charts". U Sports. December 2, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "U Sports fall digital broadcasts set viewership records". U Sports. November 25, 2021.