UdeM Carabins win first ever Vanier Cup 20-19 over McMaster Marauders

MONTREAL – Sean Erlington ran in a fourth-quarter touchdown and Louis-Philippe Simoneau kicked the game-winning field goal as the
Université de Montréal Carabins won the Vanier Cup on Saturday with a 20-19 comeback win over the McMaster Marauders.

Gabriel Cousineau also threw a TD pass to Philip Enchill as the Carabins won in their first appearance in the Canadian university football championship game.

Wayne Moore ran in a long touchdown and Tyler Crapigna kicked four field goals for the Marauders, who fell short in a bid for a second Vanier Cup in four years.

The Marauders marched the ball to the Montreal 24 in the final minute, but Mathieu Girard blocked the field goal attempt and Jonathan Boissonneault-Glaou recovered to end the threat.

It was a wild finish to a game dominated by defence, with Montreal staying in the game thanks to four turnovers.

The McMaster defence held Montreal to only three first downs and sacked Cousineau five times in the opening 30 minutes to go into the intermission with a 13-3 lead.

A 30-yard pass to Max Cameron set up Crapigna’s 22-yard field goal 3:59 into and game.

He added a 35-yard boot at 12:42.

A Montreal drive was stalled at the two and Simoneau was good from eight yards 3:25 into the second quarter.

A Carabins facemasking penalty put the ball on the Montreal 50 and on the next play, Moore found a gaping hole off tackle to the right side and ran it in for a touchdown at 5:38.

The Carabins then wasted a glittering chance when Moore was crushed on a run by Alex Cromer-Emond and Byron Archambault recovered the fumble on the Marauders’ 39.

But Cousineau was unable to move the ball and Montreal was forced to punt.

Moore missed the next set of downs, but returned late in the half.

The pro-Carabins crowd of 22,649 sprang to life when Isaiah Mels fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half and Montreal’s J.C.

Touchette recovered at the 42.

Five plays later, Cousineau found Enchill with a nine-yard TD pass.

The McMaster defence stifled Montreal’s next drive, and Ferguson answered with a drive leading to Crapigna’s 43-yard field goal at 9:54.

Ferguson marched his offence again using a run of short passes to set up a 29-yard boot at 14:07.

Anthony Coady’s second interception of the game shifted field position in Montreal’s favour early in the fourth, and a 32-yard Cousineau toss to Regis Cibasu put the ball on McMaster’s three, where Erlington ran it in at 4:12.

Former McGill star and 1987 Vanier Cup winner Michael Soles and ex-Governor General Adrienne Clarkson took part in pre-game ceremonies as honorary co-presidents.