It's hard to believe we're already a third of the way through the 2025 regular season, but that's where we stand after play wrapped up with a rare Sunday tilt between Laval and Sherbrooke.
Not even the opening weekend of NFL football could pull attention away from the defending champion Rouge et Or, with more than 16,000 fans packing Stade TELUS for Sunday’s showdown.
Sherbrooke entered the game still searching for their first win of 2025, but full credit to the Vert et Or — they kept the game close, trailing by just nine points entering the final frame.
Even so, with the win Laval remains firmly atop the national rankings, part of a crowded group of eight unbeaten teams. That standing will be tested in Week 4, when the Rouge et Or head to Montreal for a primetime showdown under the CEPSUM lights with the Carabins.
Out west, Saskatchewan handled UBC with ease on Friday night — though not quite as easily as SMU dispatched the defending champion Bishop's Gaiters on Saturday, holding a late 33-1 lead before the Gaiters finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
While we'll get an early look at who is the early betting favourite to make it out of Quebec next week, there will be no similar meeting in Ontario.
Western and Laurier both made relatively easy work of their ranked opponents on the weekend, and they may stay in a tie atop the OUA standings until Week 9, when they appear to be headed for a 7-0 showdown at Western Alumni Stadium, where the Mustangs haven’t lost a regular season game since 2014.
With all that being said, the race for the Vanier Cup certainly won't be settled in the regular season, but the list of contenders is being assembled. And it looks familiar.
1. Laval Rouge et Or (-)
LAST YEAR: 11-1, Vanier Cup win
WEEK THREE: Sunday, 28-5 win vs. Sherbrooke
The box score on this one tells you one thing, but the eye-test tells you other things about the test Sherbrooke delivered to Laval.
The Vert et Or, travelling to Quebec City still searching for their first win of 2025, turned back to veteran Jeremy Fyfe at quarterback and he turned in a performance that will certainly lead to him going back under centre in Week 4.
Kevin Régimbald-Gagné's squad played Laval hard, sacking Arnaud Desjardins four times and causing a fumble on one of those. The fifth-year star still finished 22-of-30 for 283 yards, however, but certainly fans were expecting more than a nine-point cushion entering the fourth quarter.
Laval has stood strong on nearly every single ballot from every single writer since the preseason — but now they're tasked with a short week and an away game at Montreal, who handled Sherbrooke with ease. Get the popcorn ready. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
2. Montreal Carabins (-)
LAST YEAR: 8-2, Dunsmore Cup loss
WEEK THREE: BYE
Sadly, in a five team conference, there are only two games each week. Which is a shame, really, as Pepe and Co. have been cruising along, outscoring their opponents 85-21 while racking up 486 yards per game of offence.
Does an extra week of preparation and home cooking make a difference for the Carabins on Friday? Each regular season matchup a season ago were won by the home team — by a single point.
Western hadn't lost at home since 2014, and their Week 3 matchup with Ottawa was never truly in doubt of changing that — though the Gees played the Mustangs close early, timely defensive stops got the offence back out on the field.
Teams are truly unable to stop the Greg Marshall run game. This week, Ethan Dolby exploded for 182 yards on just 13 attempts, three of which went for touchdowns.
Week 9 will see the Golden Hawks visit London. Will that 11-year stand continue?
Western has now won back to back games where they have scored over 50 points and the offence looks to be as dangerous as ever with an amazing line, once again. Through three games, Ethan Dolby has been the most dominant running back in Canada averaging 143 yards per game. — Nicolas Tazzeo, OUA Writer
Western didn't dominate Ottawa, but they did beat them in all three phases at home on Saturday. There is a real chance we see Western and Laurier face off in Week 9 with 7-0 records. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
4. Laurier Golden Hawks (-)
LAST YEAR: 11-1, Vanier Cup loss
WEEK THREE: Friday, 47-32 win at Queen's
Laurier survived a test from the Queen’s Gaels in a high-scoring back-and-forth contest at Richardson Stadium. Quarterback Callum Wither threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns, while his teammates exploited their speed and big-play ability — highlighted by Ethan Jordan’s 81-yard catch-and-run touchdown and Tayshaun Jackson’s 98-yard punt return.
Despite Queen’s outgaining the Hawks in net yards (491-463) and first downs (28-22), turnovers and special teams scores proved decisive. Laurier now sits 3-0 and faces Waterloo in the Battle of Waterloo next Saturday, with momentum firmly on their side.
Laurier’s big 47-32 road win at Queen’s was impressive and will be a difference maker when it comes to playoff seeding in the OUA. They are dominant all around but need to establish a method to put away good opposition early on to stave off any comeback attempts. — Nicolas Tazzeo, OUA Writer
5. Saskatchewan Huskies (6)
LAST YEAR: 6-4, Hardy Cup loss
WEEK THREE: Friday, 51-14 win vs. UBC
Anton Amundrud put on a show under the Griffiths Stadium lights, torching the UBC defence for 418 yards and four touchdowns as Saskatchewan rolled to a 51-14 victory Friday night in front of a homecoming crowd of 9,551.
The usual suspects — Daniel Wiebe caught nine passes for 190 yards and two scores and Ryker Frank put up 162 all-purpose yards — headlined the offensive production, but this defence looked scary too.
The result leaves Saskatchewan 2-0 and looking like the team to beat in Canada West. Saskatchewan heads to Winnipeg against a struggling Bisons squad — a matchup that could set the stage for a 3-0 start and further solidify their status as the conference’s front-runner.
Saskatchewan's win over UBC gives them the title of the early team to beat in CanWest. Not only did the dogs win, they dominated the TBirds. Dropping 50 points on a top ranked team in the nation means the Huskies are undoutbly the early Hardy Cup favourites. — Geono Aloisio, CanWest Writer
Saskatchewan flat-out dog-walked UBC on Saturday. That kind of dominance rarely happens in Canada West, especially against the team I had #1 in the conference just last week. The Huskies made a statement at Homecoming. — Bryden O'Flaherty, Co-Founder & CEO
6. Queen's Gaels (7)
LAST YEAR: 6-4, Yates Cup semifinal loss to Laurier
WEEK THREE: Friday, 47-32 loss vs. Laurier
Queen’s had its chances Friday night, but costly mistakes and Laurier’s game-breakers led to a 47-32 loss at Richardson Stadium. The Gaels actually outgained the Golden Hawks 491–463 and moved the chains more often, yet a third-quarter pick-six, a second-quarter fumble, and a 98-yard punt return by Tayshaun Jackson in the fourth gave the Golden Hawks more chances to score.
Quarterback Alex Vreeken finished with 379 yards and three touchdown passes, spreading scores to Jack Ashby-Jacobs, Nathan Falconi, and Logan Walton, but the Gaels fell to 1-2 despite the offensive output. With Toronto, Waterloo, and York up next, look for them to right that ship and improve to 4-2.
I kept Queen's at seven, I still believe they are a top-three team in the OUA. But after their showing against Laurier, they still have some work to do before they can sneak into the top tier of the conference. — Ryan O'Connor, OUA Writer
7. Regina Rams (10)
LAST YEAR: 5-6, Mitchell Bowl loss to Laval
WEEK THREE: Friday, 47-23 win vs. Alberta
Unlike Week 1, the Rams needed no overtime to defeat an Alberta foe. Coming off a Hardy Cup win and a one-possession game against Laval in the Mitchell Bowl, the Rams are on the hunt for a Vanier Cup appearance again — with 2025's edition booked for Mosaic Stadium.
Friday’s 47–23 win over Alberta was highlighted by history on the ground as Marshall Erichsen (171) and Christian Katende (112) became the first Rams teammates to rush for 100 yards in the same game. At 2–0, the Rams now head west to face UBC.
This is the best Regina offence in years. An explosive backfield, a full fleet of receivers, an O-line staking a claim as the nation’s best, and Noah Pelletier playing his best football yet. I wouldn’t want to line up against this Rams team. — Bryden O'Flaherty, Co-Founder & CEO
8. UBC Thunderbirds (5)
LAST YEAR: 5-4, Hardy Cup semifinal loss to Saskatchewan
WEEK THREE: Friday, 51-14 loss at Saskatchewan
UBC crashed back to earth in Saskatoon, overwhelmed 51–14 by Saskatchewan in a night where little went right for Blake Nill’s team.
Quarterback Drew Viotto flashed his deep-ball potential with 234 yards and a score to Mark Webb, while rookie Trey Montour hauled in 118 yards and continued to impress, but the Thunderbirds mustered just 10 rushing yards as the offence sputtered.
The defence couldn’t contain Anton Amundrud, who carved them up for 418 yards, four touchdowns, and a pair of long strikes to Daniel Wiebe. After their sixth straight loss at Griffiths, UBC now turns the page toward a pivotal Week 3 clash with Regina at the more friendly Thunderbird Stadium.
Regina's win over Alberta vaults them above UBC on my list for the time being, making the Rams and Thunderbirds matchup this week all the more intriguing. The Thunderbirds will look to hand Regina their first loss of the season to avoid falling to 1-2 . — Jeffrey Kennett, CanWest Writer
9. Ottawa Gee-Gees (-)
LAST YEAR: 4-5, Yates Cup quarterfinal loss to Guelph
WEEK THREE: Saturday, 55-29 loss at Western
At times in the first half, it looked like if all things went right, the Gees would even keep it close with the Mustangs, but after a pair of untimely turnovers and a decision to punt from their own endzone at the end of the first half, that pipe dream was well out of reach.
The Gees did garner much more offence than in their meetings with the purple machine in 2023 (50-17) and 2024 (38-11), with Josh Janssen rising to the task of his first pass-heavy game script of the year.
The expectation for the Gee-Gees might not have been a win on Saturday, but it will be next weekend against Guelph, in a meeting that is almost sure to have playoff seeding consequences.
Ottawa showed flashes of brilliance on Saturday, including a dime from Josh Janssen to Emyl Gregoire and a 69-yard kickoff return from Charles Asselin, but some untimely giveaways and inability to stop Western at all on defence showed they still have a long way to go to be a Yates Cup contender. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
10. Guelph Gryphons (12)
LAST YEAR: 7-3, Yates Cup semifinal loss
WEEK THREE: Saturday, 31-17 win at Windsor
Guelph managed just 12 first downs in Saturday's win in Windsor — but in a festival that saw teams combine for 23 punts and 954 yards, that was enough to dispatch the 0-2 Windsor Lancers.
Tristan Aboud looked better through the air than in the loss to Western, though Windsor certainly stopped his usual ability to run for first downs at will.
Guelph avoided a potentially disasterous 0-3 start with the win, but the opponents don't get weaker right away — Ottawa vists the The Royal City on Saturday in a battle of the OUA's second tier.
11. Manitoba Bisons (8)
LAST YEAR: 7-2, Hardy Cup semifinal loss
WEEK THREE: Friday, 15-14 loss at Calgary
Manitoba fell just short in Calgary, dropping a 15–14 heartbreaker despite a late rally. Jackson Tachinski engineered a last-minute drive capped by Breydon Stubbs’ 23rd career touchdown, tying him for second all-time in Bisons history.
But the decision to go for two instead of kicking for overtime backfired, as his pass to Braeden Smith was ruled incomplete. Nathan Udoh and Smith both posted career receiving nights, while Jack Shaffer anchored the defence with two sacks, a forced fumble, and five tackles.
Now 0–2, Manitoba returns to Princess Auto Stadium for the first time this season seeking redemption against undefeated Saskatchewan.
Manitoba’s offence has gone cold. Red zone struggles vs. UBC turned into nothing against Calgary. Their defence has kept them afloat, but last year’s firepower hasn’t shown up yet, and my faith is slipping. — Bryden O'Flaherty, Co-Founder & CEO
It's the Canada West, so 0-2 starts can be taken with a grain of salt — but Manitoba has also scored just 23 points through two games. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
After a disappointing one point loss to Calgary, Manitoba drops to the lowest Canada West team included in my rankings. Things don't get easier for the Bisons with the Huskies up next on the schedule, but if Alberta drops their game to Calgary as well, the Bisons and Golden Bears could be battling it out to avoid falling into an 0-4 hole next week. — Jeffrey Kennett, CanWest Writer
12. Concordia Stingers (NR)
LAST YEAR: 2-7, Dunsmore Cup semifinal loss to Laval
WEEK THREE: Friday, 27-19 win vs McGill
Concordia makes their first appearance in the Top 15 after a 27-19 home win over McGill Friday night. The Stingers capitalized on turnovers and key momentum swings despite being outgained in yardage.
Wide receiver turned quarterback Xavier Tremblay completed 65 per cent of his passes and added a nine-yard rushing touchdown, while defensive back Coslens Clairveaux scored on a 73-yard pick-six and sealed the game with a late interception.
Concordia overcame a halftime deficit to claim their first win against McGill since 2023. The Stingers travel to Sherbrooke next Friday looking to climb over .500.
Concordia’s comeback over McGill showed their upside. Tremblay is settling in at QB, and the Stingers have enough balance to lock down third in the RSEQ and maybe surprise Laval or Montréal if the door cracks open. — Bryden O'Flaherty, Co-Founder & CEO
13. SMU Huskies (15)
LAST YEAR: 4-5, Loney Bowl semifinal loss to St. FX
WEEK THREE: Saturday, 33-7 win vs. Bishop's
With Carleton transfer Justin Shibley manning the controls on offence, this SMU Huskies team looks unquestionably different than last year. Shibley has thrown for 851 yards and five touchdowns through three games (though he has been picked off four times too).
But with that being said, it was still a shock to see Shibley best Justin Quirion and the Bishop's Gaiters so dominantly on Saturday in Halifax. Last season, the Gaiters went 8-0 in the regular season and ran the table in the AUS playoffs, but the Huskies’ defence, led by Jahmari Brown, smothered Bishop’s offence all afternoon.
Matthew Schill led with nine solo tackles, while Saint Mary’s offence efficiently spread the field and scored on both air and ground. The victory snaps the Huskies’ slow start to recognition, proving they can not just compete with the conference’s elite but that they are the conference's elite. Saint Mary’s now sits at 3-0 and heads into a bye week before a Sept. 20 visit to St. FX that will test that.
A 3-0 Saint Mary’s team that just smacked around the defending AUS champs are good for a high spot on my ballot any day. The offence is motoring and the defence is very astute as they sit tied for first in the nation for interceptions so far with five. — Nicolas Tazzeo, OUA Writer
SMU really asserted themselves as the dominant AUS team. Justin Shibley has looked great, but maybe it's the defence that has been the most impressive so far — they held Justin Quirion's Gaiters to just a single point until late in the fourth quarter. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
14. Calgary Dinos (NR)
LAST YEAR: 2-6, missed playoffs
WEEK THREE: Friday, 15-14 win vs. Manitoba
The Calgary Dinos pulled off a nail-biter at McMahon Stadium, edging the veteran Manitoba Bisons 15-14 in a clash that showcased the promise of their young roster. Every game is winnable in the Canada West, but Calgary had been previously unable to flip those one-possession games their way.
Trailing 7-0 at halftime, the Dinos scored all their points after the break, including rookie quarterback Jet Zakrzewski’s first U SPORTS touchdown, showing resilience and second-half adjustments.
First-year running back Eri Olarubofin also stepped up, rushing for 56 yards after an injury to Matthieu Clarke. Manitoba’s late surge, capped by Breydon Stubbs’ five-yard TD, fell short on a failed two-point attempt. Calgary improves to 1-1 and travels to face Alberta next in a meeting of the two non-playoff teams a season ago.
Calgary is a tough team. I think they will be tough to play for anyone, as evidenced by their win over Manitoba, but also by their close loss to a 2-0 Regina Rams team. The foundation for the rebuild appears to be there with Coach Sheahan at the helm. — Nicolas Tazzeo, OUA Writer
Calgary has been a sneaky surprise. They took Regina to the brink and squeaked out a win against Manitoba despite having a lot of rookies. Don't sleep on the Dinos. I think they could continue to climb higher as the season goes on. — Geono Aloisio, CanWest Writer
15. McGill Redbirds (13)
LAST YEAR: 3-6, Dunsmore Cup semifinal loss to Montreal
WEEK TWO: Friday, 27-19 loss at Concordia
The Redbirds outgained crosstown rivals Concordia 504-321 but came up short in a 27-19 loss at Concordia Stadium Friday.
Quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald threw for 309 yards and rushed for 85, connecting with Antonio Gioffre (96 yards) and Samuel Macieira (95). Jeffrey Amisial-Chatelier ran for 113 yards in place of suspended Jerry Momo.
McGill threatened late, reaching the Stingers’ three-yard line, but a tipped pass in the end zone was intercepted by Coslens Clairveaux to end the comeback. The Redbirds get a bye before hosting undefeated Montreal on Sept. 19 at Percival Molson Stadium.
I dropped McGill to 15 after a very tough loss to unranked Concordia. It won't get easier for the Redbirds, their next matchup is against the Montreal Carabins.
On the Cusp
Toronto could easily be 3-0 instead of 1-2 right now after another overtime heartbreak. That would have been huge — given that their schedule spells matchups with five straight playoff teams from a year ago. They'll need to rack up at least two wins against Queen's, Windsor, Laurier, McMaster, and Ottawa to make the playoffs. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
I am still not sure what to make of the 2025 York Lions yet. They fluctuate week to week in my ballot but their victory in the Red-Blue Bowl over a high-flying Toronto team this week was telling of how they can withstand one-score games. — Nicolas Tazzeo, OUA Writer
York vs Toronto was the highlight of the week for me. It's nice to see York rebuilding their program. The city of Toronto having a strong football culture is important for the OUA. — Ryan O'Connor, OUA Writer
Tough out for Alberta playing Saskatchewan and Regina right out the gate. They have shown promise on offence, but the defence really took a step back in Week 2 after a decent outing against the Huskies. 0-2 isn't the nail in the coffin, but they need to win against Calgary to prove they have potential to do something. — Geono Aloisio, CanWest Writer
I know that U SPORTS football is a gate-driven league (or are they with these streaming prices?) but three games at the same time out west on Friday night was really hard to follow. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief