Carabins eke out 1-point Vanier Cup win

A blocked 31-yard Tyler Crapigna field goal with 51.7 seconds left was the difference as the Universite de Montreal Carabins eked out a 20-19 victory in a thrilling 50th Vanier Cup at Percival Molson stadium in Montreal.

McMaster led the game up until the final four minutes, but the hometown Carabins hung in and Louis-Phillipe Simoneau kicked a 13-yard field goal that would be the winning points.

McMaster, playing in its third Vanier Cup in four years benefited from stout defence and Tyler Crapigna who kicked four field goals. But in the end, the Carabins took advantage of a well-orchestrated drive to kick the winning points.

The game started  under cloudless blue skies with temperatures around -1. The Marauders arrived in Montreal on Tuesday evening and practiced at Molson Stadium and Concordia University before Saturday’s game.

The hometown Carabins were able to practice at their home field and stay in their own rooms during the week. While the sold out crowd at Molson Stadium was heavily in favour of the Carabins, a strong and vocal McMaster contingent of alumni, fans and students.

The McMaster Students Union sponsored a sold-out bus that left the Hamilton campus at 5:00 am on game day. Prior to the game, the McMaster Alumni Association hosted a breakfast for over 300 supporters who alcheered Go Mac Go in advance of the contest.

The night before the game, McMaster President Patrick Deane addressed the players and coaches. “Please remember, we are all very proud of you, no matter the outcome,” he said. Individual players came forward after the dinner to shake the President’s hand and thank him for his kind words.

Prior to the game, the CIS honoured previous Hec Crighton award winners including McMaster’s Benoit Chapdelaine.

The Carabins received the ball first. The Marauders forced a three and out and got the ball for a first drvie at midfield. A spectacular catch by third year receiver Max Cameron led to a 22-yard field goal by Tyler Crapigna to put the Marauders up 3-0.

The McMaster defence stifled the potent Carabins offence through the first quarter. Montreal had one lone first down and multiple punts and ended the quarter without a point. McMaster couldn’t capitalize on several drives that started around midfield, settling for another Crapigna field goal to lead 6-0 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Carabins got on the board kicking an 8-yard field goal.

The Marauders answered quickly with a dazzling 50-yard run by fullback Wayne Moore to give McMaster a 10-point lead halfway through the second quarter.

A few minutes later, Moore coughed up the ball and the  Carabins recovered. Moore was injured on the play but would return later in the game. But the Carabins returned the favour and the Marauders recovered a fumble taking the ball attheir own 50  yard line.

The Marauders had penned the Carabins deep but a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty by Joseph Richardson kept the drive alive. Back-to-back sacks stopped the Montreal drive in its tracks and the Marauders got the ball back in the last minute of the half and the second quarter ended with McMaster leading 13-3.

Mac got the ball to start the half but Isaiah Mels fumbled the opening kick off and Montreal recovered at the Mac 43 and the Carabins made McMaster pay. A  9-yard pass from Gabriel Cousineau to Phillip Enchill brought the Carabins to within 3, 13-10.

With just over five minutes to go in the third, Tyler Crapgina kicked a 43 -yard field goal to extend the Marauder lead to six, 16-10.

On the next possession the Marauders drove to the Carabins 23 yard line and Tyler Crapigna kicked his fourth field goal to make it 19-10 with under a minute to play in the third quarter.

The Carabins and Marauders exchanged punts before Montreal drove to the McMaster 6 yard line and Sean Thomas Erlington ran it in to make it a 19-17 McMaster lead.

Montreal stopped the ensuing McMaster drive and then began their go ahead drive from its own 38. Cousineau picked apart the McMaster secondary with a series of passes. Mac stopped the Carabins at their own 6 yard line. A 13-yard field goal by Simoneau put Montreal ahead for the first time in the game 20-19.

THe Marauders took the ball at its own 35 and fuelled by a series of short passes and two lenghty Wayne Moore runs, drove to the Carabins 24 for a 31 yard Crapigna field goal that was blocked, sealing the Montreal victory.