No one expected the final score of the Mounties’ Homecoming game against the Saint Mary’s Huskies to emulate the 1984 team’s dominating performances. The Mounties crushed the visiting Huskies in a performance that rivals anything seen on MacAulay Field in twenty years.
The win is the Mounties’ fourth straight over the Huskies, leaving Mt. A undefeated at 3-0 this season. SMU has been a dominating force in the AUS for almost twenty years. The Huskies have gone to five Vanier Cups since 1999, all the while never losing a home game to Mt. A from 1997 to 2013.
Mt. A jumped out to an 18-0 lead after the first quarter and continued their dominance all the way to the half, when they went into the locker room with a 32-2 lead.
The only points SMU would score in the first thirty minutes came off a conceded safety.
Due to the strong winds, the Mounties mostly kept the ball on the ground, utilizing rookie Chris Reid’s strong running abilities. The freshman running back ran all over the Huskies, carrying the ball thirty-two times for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
“The offensive line played really well so it made my job really easy” said Reid. “Being a freshman, dressing is really hard, but starting makes me feel like I’m in God’s grace. I just try not to over-think stuff; it’s just football” said Reid after the win.
Reid’s was not the only story in the game, as the defense contributed to season highs of three interceptions, nine sacks and eleven tackles for losses. Linebacker Te Nguyen contributed two and a half sacks, while Jacob LeBlanc had five and a half tackles and a sack. Michael Bohan, Kwame Adjei and Andrew Klain each had interceptions.
The special teams, led by kicker Kyle McLean, dominated the Huskies. McLean punted for 337 yards while scoring the second Mounties touchdown on a fake field goal attempt in the first quarter. Mounties goal line specialist Christian Plante contributed with two short rushing touchdowns.
The second half of the game was unimportant in the outcome as Mt. A scored their last points with 9:53 to go in the third quarter, pulling many of their starters from the field.
The Huskies were dealt more bad news in the second half when quarterback Scott Borden injured his wrist while running with the ball. Borden got hit awkwardly while sliding, and he did not return to the field.
During halftime, the 1984 Mitchell Bowl Champions and Vanier Cup finalists were celebrated. Only one other Mounties team has ever made it to the national final.
The eighth-ranked Mounties will travel to Quebec next weekend to play Bishop’s in their only out-of-conference game of the season. The Mounties are looking to push their record to 4-0 against the 0-3 Gaiters, who sit at the bottom of the RSEQ.
