We asked the questions, the players gave us the answers.
Here are the answers to questions each U SPORTS football program faced ahead of the 2022 season.
OUA
1. Carleton Ravens
Let’s run this question back one more time - Entering his final year of eligibility, and coming off an appearance at the East-West Bowl, is Tanner DeJong ready to step into the elite tier of U SPORTS quarterbacks?
Answer: In his final season, DeJong threw for 1,869 passing yards (9th in U SPORTS) and 11 touchdowns (T-7th in U SPORTS)
Bonus: After moving on from the Steve Sumarah era, which dated back to the program’s relaunch in 2013, what does the next chapter of Carleton Ravens football look like under new head coach Corey Grant?
Answer: A 5-3 football team that looks like they still have tons of room for improvement - which is a good thing when you’re 5-3
2. Guelph Gryphons
Will Clark Barnes be an All-Canadian receiver and kick returner in the same season?
Answer: In what was an injury-riddled season for the third-year receiver, Barnes only played in four games during the 2022 season.
3. Laurier Golden Hawks
Now set to become the full-time starter, what can we expect from second-year quarterback Taylor Elgersma? (2021 Stats: 5 Games Played, Completed 55% of passes, 672 Passing Yards, 3 TDs, 5 INTs)
Answer: Elgersma started all eight regular season games, leading the Golden Hawks to a 5-3 record while throwing for 1,786 passing yards (10th in U SPORTS) and 13 touchdowns (T-5th in U SPORTS). With Elgersma at quarterback, Laurier’s passing attack averaged 224.4 passing yards per game (14th in U SPORTS).
4. McMaster Marauders
The biggest victim of the conference’s controversial divisional alignment in 2021, what exactly is McMaster’s ceiling in a division-less OUA?
Answer: In the 2022 division-less OUA, the McMaster Marauders went 2-6 and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
5. Ottawa Gee-Gees
The grey uniforms may look cool, but what exactly is this program’s on-field identity?
Answer: An OUA powerhouse. Behind JP Cimankinda the Ottawa Gee-Gees averaged 184 rushing yards per game (5th in U SPORTS) and scored 30.4 PPG (5th in U SPORTS). Defensively, the Gee-Gees allowed only 194.9 opposing offensive yards per game (7th in U SPORTS) and only 16.1 PPG (8th in U SPORTS). Ottawa finished with a 6-2 record, placing them third in the OUA.
6. Queen’s Gaels
The critics are watching - After being one of the most controversial undefeated teams of all time and now in a conference without divisions, can the Queen’s Gaels prove that they truly are one of the top-tier teams in the OUA?
Answer: The critics were silenced - in an OUA conference without divisions, the Queen’s Gaels went 7-1, finishing second in the OUA and returning to the Yates Cup for the second consecutive season.
Bonus: After leading the OUA in interceptions, while being named a conference all-star as a rookie, will Queen’s defensive back Ashton Miller-Melancon have an All-Canadian campaign in 2022?
Answer: Yes, with 32 total tackles and five interceptions, Queen’s defensive back Ashton Miller-Melancon was named an All-Canadian.
7. U of T Varsity Blues
Seriously though, why doesn’t U of T have white game pants?
Answer: We’ll never know.
8. Waterloo Warriors
With the greatest player(s) in this program’s history having departed, what exactly does the next era of Warrior football look like?
Answer: A 1-7 football team with their only win coming against the York Lions.
Bonus: Who takes over as the new starting quarterback for Waterloo?
Answer: Second-year Nolan Kaban took over as the starting quarterback for the Waterloo Warriors. In his first season at the helm, Kaban threw for 1,620 passing yards (13th in U SPORTS) and 10 touchdowns (T-9th in U SPORTS).
9. Western Mustangs
Will Western repeat as National Champions?
Answer: No, led by the nation’s number one rushing attack, the Western Mustangs went 8-0 in 2022 en route to reclaiming the Yates Cup before being defeated by the Laval Rouge et Or in Mitchell Bowl.
Bonus: Does Keon Edwards win OUA MVP?
Answer: Yes, after recording nine touchdowns and a nation-leading 1,023 rushing yards, Keon Edwards was named the 2022 OUA MVP.
10. Windsor Lancers
Building off of their high points from last season, can Windsor finally break through to the playoffs for the first time since 2014?
Answer: Yes, they did. The Windsor Lancers recorded a 4-4 record, finishing sixth in the OUA and returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
11. York Lions
Can York win a game this year?
Answer: It’s complicated…but, the York Lions technically finished with a 1-7 record.
Bonus: Given the fact that the drama surrounding this program has made its way into the public eye over the course of the last several months, fans, parents, past players, future players, and supporters of this team deserve to know: What exactly is going on behind the scenes within the York Lions football program?
Answer: Still no answers. Let’s hope whoever steps in as the new head coach can turn this program around.
Canada West
12. Alberta Golden Bears
After losing both Jayden Dalke and 2021 Presidents’ Trophy winner Josiah Schakel, who will step up and be the new leader(s) of Alberta’s defence?
Answer: The Alberta Golden Bears did not have any defensive conference all-stars in 2022, but it’s worth noting that linebacker Jassen Brown had a team-high 48.5 tackles as well as 2.5 sacks and an interception
13. Calgary Dinos
Rebuild in Calgary - With the departure of both Tyson and Jalen Philpot, along with Josiah Joseph, who do the Dinos look to for offensive production in 2022?
Answer: Still rebuilding - In 2022, the Calgary Dinos produced an average of 297.9 offensive yards per game (24th in U SPORTS). Interpret that how you will.
Bonus: Can the Dinos return to the playoffs?
Answer: No, the Calgary Dinos went 1-7 in 2022, finishing last in the Canada West Conference.
14. Manitoba Bisons
Bringing back the majority of their roster from 2021 as well as veteran signal-caller Des Catellier, are the Bisons primed to be the team to beat in the Canada West conference?
Answer: After an 0-2 start, the Manitoba Bisons went 4-4 in 2022 before being bounced by the Saskatchewan Huskies in the Hardy Cup semifinals.
Bonus: Does Des Catellier win Canada West MVP?
Answer: Saskatchewan Huskies quarterback, Mason Nyhus, was named the 2022 Canada West MVP.
15. Regina Rams
Losing three games by a margin of four points or less and even blowing a fourth-quarter lead to the eventual Hardy Cup Champion Saskatchewan Huskies, the 2021 Regina Rams may have been the most competitive 1-5 team you’ll ever see. Learning from their experiences last season, can the Rams become better game-closers in 2022?
Answer: Yes, behind one of the top defences in the nation, the Regina Rams went 5-3 in 2022, finishing second in the Canada West conference
16. Saskatchewan Huskies
Having lost a significant amount of seniors who were a part of the program’s 2021 Vanier Cup run, can Scott Flory and the Huskies find a way to turn to new faces, while maintaining significant success on the field?
Answer: Yes, through players such as Mason Nyhus, Daniel Perry, Caleb Morin, Rhett Vavra, Ted Kubongo (transfer), John Stoll, Lane Novak, Charlie Ringland, Johnathan Leggett, Nick Wiebe and Katley Joseph (transfer) taking on new roles and responsibilities, the Saskatchewan Huskies were once again able to win the Hardy Cup and break through to an appearance in the Vanier Cup in 2022.
17. UBC Thunderbirds
After an amazing rookie campaign, what does the year-two jump look like for UBC quarterback Garrett Rooker, under new offensive coordinator - and former Western quarterback - Stevenson Bone?
Answer: In seven games, Rooker averaged 217.0 passing yards per game (12th in U SPORTS), completing 62.0% of his passes (9th in U SPORTS)
Bonus: Are the Thunderbirds a dark horse favourite to break through to the Hardy Cup?
Answer: They were. After going 1-3 to start their campaign and losing Rooker to injury towards the tail end of the season, UBC was able to finish 4-4 and claim the final spot in the Hardy Cup playoffs. The Thunderbirds would go on to upset the Regina Rams in the semifinals and punch their ticket back to the Hardy Cup for the first time since 2017.
RSEQ
18. Concordia Stingers
If Concordia can manage to recreate their top-ranked passing attack behind Olivier Roy and Jaylan Greaves, will their defence - which was ranked 23rd in the nation in 2021 - finally be able to step up to solidify the Stingers as a viable contender in the RSEQ?
Answer: Concordia's defence allowed 32.8 PPG (T-23rd in U SPORTS) in 2022. They did not manage to improve.
Bonus: Does Olivier Roy receive his second consecutive RSEQ MVP nod?
Answer: Laval Rouge et Or receiver, Kevin Mital, was named the 2022 RSEQ MVP.
19. Laval Rouge et Or
It’s widely believed that the battle for the RSEQ often comes down to either Laval or Montréal. Well, after coming off a year where their rivalry with Montréal was one-sided - the Carabins won all three meetings - can Laval rekindle their competitive nature with their conference rivals?
Answer: After losing their first meeting with Montréal, the Rouge et Or dismantled the Carabins in their second meeting before squeezing out a last-second win on a rouge in the Dunsmore Cup.
20. McGill Redbirds
Coming off a 1-7 season in 2021, in what ways will McGill shine in 2022?
Answer: 2022 RSEQ and U SPORTS Rookie of the Year Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald. The 6-4 quarterback threw for 2,004 passing yards (5th in U SPORTS) and eight touchdowns and rushed for 602 rushing yards (11th in U SPORTS) and six touchdowns (T-8th in U SPORTS).
The future is bright.
21. Montréal Carabins
After losing last year’s Uteck Bowl in a rather heartbreaking fashion, are the Carabins primed for a trip to the Vanier Cup in 2022?
Answer: The Montréal Carabins’ 2022 season came to an end in a dramatic 25-24 loss to the Laval Rouge et Or in the 2022 Dunsmore Cup.
Bonus: Are Jonathan Sénécal and Hassane Dosso the best QB-REC duo in the nation?
Answer: No, that title currently belongs to Laval standouts Arnaud Desjardins and Kevin Mital.
22. Sherbrooke Vert et Or
Building a reputation as a program that sits in the middle of the RSEQ pack, what highlights can Sherbrooke produce in 2022?
Answer: The Sherbrooke Vert et Or were able to defeat the Montreal Carabins in week 7 of the regular season.
AUS
23. Acadia Axemen
After scoring the second-lowest amount of points in the nation (52) during the 2021 season, has Acadia found a way to retool their offence?
Answer: No, the Acadia Axemen averaged 236.4 yards of offence per game this season (26th in U SPORTS)
24. Bishop’s Gaiters
After coming up short in the Loney Bowl in both 2019 and 2021, will the Bishop’s Gaiters finally claim their first conference championship since 1994?
Answer: No, this Bishop’s Gaiters’ season came to an end in a 15 -12 loss to the Mount Allison Mounties in the AUS semifinals.
25. Mount Allison Mounties
Will MTA once again field one of the top secondaries in the nation?
Answer: The Mount Allison Mounties secondary recorded 11 interceptions (3rd in the U SPORTS) in 2022, and only allowed an average of 183.0 passing yards per game (5th in U SPORTS). It’s safe to say they did field one of the top secondaries in the nation.
26. SMU Huskies
After going 1-5 in 2021, and given the competitive nature of this conference entering 2022, is SMU bound to have another fall-back season?
Answer: The Huskies may have failed to make the playoffs, but to stay in the playoff picture up until the final week of the regular season proves this program had no intentions of falling back in 2022.
27. StFX X-Men
Coming off statistically the greatest season of any rookie quarterback since Laval-legend, Hugo Richard, can Silas Fagnan lead the X-Men to another conference championship in 2022?
Answer: Yes. Fagnan, along with Bussey, Harrington, Karim, Houde, and Fedchun, were able to lead the X-Men to another conference championship in 2022.
Bonus: Does Silas Fagnan receive his second consecutive AUS MVP nod?
Answer: StFX running back, Malcolm Bussey, was named the 2022 AUS MVP.
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