The Concordia Stingers (1-1) defeated the McGill Redbirds (1-2) by a score of 27-19 Friday night at Concordia Stadium.
While McGill led the way in terms of net passing yards, rushing yards, and first downs, Concordia took advantage of turnovers and momentum shifts.
Redbirds quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald rebounded from a Week 1 loss against the Laval Rouge et Or, completing 20 of his 42 pass attempts for 309 yards Friday night.
Concordia’s quarterback Xavier Tremblay also put up strong numbers despite the Stingers having less possession than McGill. Tremblay, in his first season as a starting quarterback, achieved a 65 per cent pass completion rate while rushing for 56 yards on his own.
The Stingers fed off the crowd’s energy, which packed into the stands for their home opener.
On the first drive of the game, Tremblay threw three passes that were each completed for 23 yards or more, putting Concordia on the doorstep to strike first.
While the Redbirds kept the Stingers out of the endzone, rookie kicker Dante Magliocco knocked down a 15-yard field goal for a 3-0 Concordia lead. On the ensuing drive, something out of the ordinary occurred.
The Redbirds found themselves with a third down at the Concordia 47-yard line, which is when quarterback Latendresse faked a run or pass play and instead punted the ball, perhaps in an attempt to throw the Stingers off guard and claim a first down.
The kick went straight up in the air but was caught by Stingers defensive back Coslens Clairveaux and returned 73 yards into the McGill endzone for a Stingers touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
McGill would, however, gain momentum in the second quarter. Down 11-0 late in the first quarter, the Redbirds added a field goal and then a 43-yard touchdown reception by receiver David Kabwe. Another field goal put the Redbirds up 13-11 at halftime.
Despite giving up the lead, Stingers head coach Brad Collinson shared postgame that his team on the sideline never panicked.
“It's about one step, one rep at a time, one play at a time,” he said. “Never too high, never too low, and that's something that we've been preaching since the beginning of this year.”
The third quarter provided a break in the action, with the only points coming from a McGill field goal. It was the fourth quarter that ultimately determined the story of the game.
Concordia added a one-point rouge early in the quarter to close the gap to 16-12, but the momentum shifted when McGill failed to kick a punt past the Concordia 45-yard line, setting the Stingers up with strong field position.
On the first play of the drive, Tremblay aired a ball out to wide-open receiver Ely Rivest for the go-ahead 45-yard touchdown.
“I was so excited just to put a ball down the field for a touchdown after a pick [on the previous Stingers drive],” Tremblay shared, responding to the long touchdown pass. “So just bouncing back, it feels good, feels super good.”
A stop on defence, and the Stingers had the ball once again, looking to add to their late lead.
With four minutes remaining, Tremblay shook multiple tackles and ran the ball nine yards for a touchdown. Despite the Stingers being up 27-16 after a rouge on the following kick-off, the game was far from over.
McGill rushed down the field for a field goal that halted the clock at 1:18, setting themselves up for a one-possession game relying on an onside kick recovery.
And sure enough, a nearly perfect onside kick found the Redbirds with possession near midfield. Three first downs and several Stingers penalties brought McGill all the way down to the Concordia three-yard line, but an incomplete pass and an interception by none other than Concordia’s Clairveaux put the game to rest at last.
The 27-19 Stingers victory was its first against McGill since Oct. 20, 2023.
The Redbirds will look to bounce back after a bye week when they host the Université de Montréal Carabins at Percival Molson Stadium on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.
Concordia will be back in action on Sept. 13 when they face the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or on the road at 7 p.m.