One of the definitions Merriam-Webster lists for "chaos" is "a confused mass or mixture," listing "a chaos of television antennas" as an example.
U SPORTS football’s Week 5 could just as easily be listed. Between upsets, nail-biters, and controversy, the weekend had all the ingredients of organized disorder.
McGill QB-RB duo of Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald and Jerry Momo rushed for over 300 yards on Friday night in Montreal, shocking the Montreal Carabins to end the Redbirds' 36-game losing streak against their cross-city rivals.
Saskatchewan and UBC both won at home over Regina and Calgary — by a combined three-point margin.
Five games kicking off at 1 p.m. in Ontario saw Ottawa take a run at Laurier and come up heartbreakingly short, Carleton and York combine for over 1200 yards of total offence, a 40-point win by Queen's over Waterloo, and most suprisingly, a McMaster win over Guelph.
In Antigonish, St. FX scored a touchdown in the dying seconds of the game to take down SMU, making the race for the Loney Bowl just as intriging as the race for the Jacques Dussault Cup.
And just when you thought Week 5 couldn’t get any wilder, a controversial incompletion call on a fourth-quarter Robin Collioud touchdown (Ottawa), a controversial fourth-quarter kickoff turnover (Regina), combined with an ejection on a targeting penalty for Justin Pace (Queen’s) that forced Nick Orr (Waterloo) out of the game left much for fans, players, coaches, and media around the country to discuss.
1. Western Mustangs (2)
LAST YEAR: 9-2, Yates Cup loss
WEEK FIVE: BYE
With Montreal's loss to McGill, the Mustangs make a rare bye-week jump to number one. Games against McMaster, Windsor, and York will serve as tuneups for Week 9's showdown against Laurier.
Other than the Queen's game Week 1, Western's wins have been quality. They beat Ottawa by 26 — which places them firmly ahead of Laurier for me. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
After McGill's historic upset of Montreal, Western moves into my top spot. With a high-powered offence led by a veteran quarterback, and one of the best coaches in the country, the Mustangs look to be a mid-season favourites for the Vanier Cup. Week 9 against Laurier is the last real test that awaits them. — Ryan O'Connor, OUA Writer
2. Laurier Golden Hawks (4)
LAST YEAR: 11-1, Vanier Cup loss
WEEK FIVE: Saturday, 30-24 win at Ottawa
The Golden Hawks remain perfect on the season after a thrilling 30-24 win over the Gee-Gees on Saturday. It was a tale of two halves, with Laurier’s offence exploding early and then weathering a late Ottawa surge to preserve the victory.
Quarterback Cal Wither continued his dominant play, throwing for 379 yards, four touchdowns, and an 83 per cent completion rate, while Ethan Jordan turned in yet another stat-padding performance with eight catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns, extending his U SPORTS lead in both receiving yards (724) and touchdowns (8).
Home games against Toronto and Carleton bookend a bye week before the looming trip to Western.
Laurier staked their claim for the best team in Ontario after establishing a brilliant goal-line defensive stand on third down to beat Ottawa in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter. One-score games are challenging to win, and Laurier just pulled one off against one of Ontario’s best. — Nicolas Tazzeo, OUA Writer
I have Western and Laurier neck and neck. I gave Western the slight edge because they handled Ottawa a bit better than Laurier, but it truly is a coin flip for number one. I fully expect the Week 9 matchup between these two to decide the conference and the number one seed. — Geono Aloisio, CanWest Writer
3. Laval Rouge et Or (3)
LAST YEAR: 11-1, Vanier Cup win
WEEK FIVE: Saturday, 39-14 win at Concordia
The Laval Rouge et Or cruised to a 39-14 win over the Stingers in the Shrine Bowl. Quarterback Arnaud Desjardins was unstoppable early, connecting with Guillaume Cauchon on an 89-yard touchdown — his first since mid-last season — and following it up with a 73-yard strike to Olivier Cool. By halftime, Desjardins had amassed 300 passing yards and four touchdown passes.
Laval’s offence set the tone early and never looked back, jumping to a 36-0 lead before Desjardins exited at halftime.
The defence was equally dominant, holding Concordia scoreless for more than 45 minutes and allowing only late-game points. Special teams also contributed, with Felipe Forteza converting all his kicks, including a 43-yard field goal.
Laval slides again for me. They followed up last week’s loss to Montréal with a 25-point win, but McGill’s upset has cracked the RSEQ wide open. The Rouge et Or look far less untouchable than usual. — Bryden O'Flaherty, Co-Founder & CEO
4. Montreal Carabins (1)
LAST YEAR: 11-1, Vanier Cup loss
WEEK FIVE: Friday, 31-24 loss at McGill
A week after Pépé Gonzalez and the Carabins toppled Laval and Arnaud Desjardins, Montreal came up short against Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald and McGill, falling 31-24 in a thrilling cross-town rivalry clash at Percival Molson Stadium.
The Carabins staged a furious third-quarter comeback, scoring 17 unanswered points to briefly take the lead, but McGill responded in the fourth with three touchdowns to reclaim victory.
Gonzalez threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-38 passing, but three costly interceptions ultimately swung the game in the Redbirds’ favour.
Pépé's Hec bid may have come to an end on Friday night, but his case for U SPORTS Rookie of the Year remains strong. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
5. Saskatchewan Huskies (7)
LAST YEAR: 6-4, Hardy Cup loss
WEEK FIVE: Friday, 22-20 win vs Regina
The Huskies rallied in dramatic fashion Friday night to edge intraprovincial rivals Regina 22-20 at Griffiths Stadium, scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. 10 months after falling to the Rams in last season’s Hardy Cup, the Huskies avenged that loss with a hard-fought win, improving to 3-1 on the season.
Quarterback Anton Amundrud was efficient in the air, completing 24 of 33 passes for 330 yards and a touchdown, while receiver Daniel Wiebe had a game-high eight receptions for 155 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter that gave Saskatchewan the lead.
Defensively, the Huskies shined in the final frame, forcing critical turnovers including a fumble recovery and an interception by Jacob Goldstone, ultimately stifling Regina’s final possession.
Saskatchewan gets my vote as the top team in Canada West. Although it may not have been pretty, they did stop a Regina offence that was on fire to start the season. The Huskies still need to work on something things like their cold streaks on offence, but Friday's win was an impressive feat. — Geono Aloisio, CanWest Writer
Saskatchewan survived a real test in Regina Friday night. The Rams moved the ball and slowed the Huskies’ attack, but Saskatchewan still closed it out. That ability to win tough games cements them as the team to beat in Canada West. — Bryden O'Flaherty, Co-Founder & CEO
6. Regina Rams (5)
LAST YEAR: 5-6, Mitchell Bowl loss to Laval
WEEK FIVE: Friday, 22-20 loss at Saskatchewan
The Rams’ undefeated start came to an end Friday night in a heartbreaker, falling 22-20 to intraprovincial rivals Saskatchewan. Undefeated seasons are rare in Canada West, and this clash proved why: Sask and Regina are clearly the top teams in the conference.
Regina built a 17-10 halftime lead before Saskatchewan came back to tie it late in the fourth, but a controversial ruling on the kickoff following that Wiebe score gave the Huskies good field position that would help them win the game.
The loss drops Regina to 3-1, tied with the Huskies but behind on the tiebreaker. The Rams return home for back-to-back games against Manitoba and Calgary.
Regina stalled. Despite outplaying Saskatchewan for stretches, the Rams couldn’t finish drives on the ground or through the air. After multiple game-winning drives fizzled in the final minutes, I’m intrigued to see how this offence and this team responds. — Bryden O'Flaherty, Co-Founder & CEO
7. Queen's Gaels (6)
LAST YEAR: 6-4, Yates Cup semifinal loss to Laurier
WEEK FIVE: Saturday, 58-18 win at Waterloo
The Gaels controlled the game from start to finish, and slip a spot in the national rankings through no fault of their own; but do solidify their bid for a home playoff game.
Jared Chisari stole the show in Waterloo, rushing for 223 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries, including a 105-yard sprint, to lead the Gaels to a 58-18 road win over the Warriors.
On defence, Justin Pace led a dominant performance by the Gaels, but delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit that injured Waterloo quarterback Nick Orr in the second quarter, leading to his ejection and potential suspension.
Queen’s returns home to host York, travels to Guelph in Week 7, and earns a bye before welcoming Windsor in Week 9. A 6-2 season is the expectation in Gaels country.
Queen's stays at six on my ballot again this week. After a dominant win against Waterloo, the Gael's move to 3-2 on the year. Guelph & Windsor still await, but if things keep rolling the way they are, expect Queen's to be a semifinal playoff matchup that both Laurier and Western will want to avoid. — Ryan O'Connor, OUA Writer
8. Ottawa Gee-Gees (8)
LAST YEAR: 4-5, Yates Cup quarterfinal loss to Guelph
WEEK FIVE: Saturday, 30-24 win vs Laurier
The Gee-Gees came up just short in their bid to prove the OUA is more than a two-team league, falling 30-24 to the undefeated Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday — eerily reminiscent of Queen’s Week 1 loss to Western, complete with a controversial incompletion late in the game.
Ottawa rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit, with quarterback Josh Janssen spreading the ball to nine different receivers, including Noah Avery’s eight catches for 135 yards and a touchdown.
Denny Ferdinand’s leaping interception nearly swung the result, along with a strong showing on defence (Jaxxon Brashear, Riley Hildebrandt) that repeatedly stopped Laurier on second and third downs in the second half.
The Gee-Gees now head into a bye week before the Panda Game. Much like the Gaels, this is a semifinal matchup that Western and Laurier would prefer to avoid.
Ottawa played well in all three facets of the game against Laurier, causing turnovers and getting big third down stops. This team is finally through the gauntlet in their schedule and ready to battle for a home playoff game. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
9. Manitoba Bisons (9)
LAST YEAR: 7-2, Hardy Cup semifinal loss
WEEK FIVE: Saturday, 34-7 win vs Alberta
Alberta remains the little brother of Canada West. The Bisons rolled to a 34-7 homecoming win against the Golden Bears, breaking the game open in the second quarter with three straight scoring drives.
The Bisons' offence scored almost as many points (34) as the team had entering Saturday (43). Running back Breydon Stubbs was the driving force behind that change, running for 129 yards on the ground and added 33 through the air.
The road ahead is brutal: at Regina (Sep. 27), home vs UBC (Oct. 4) and Calgary (Oct. 18), then at Saskatchewan (Oct. 25). A pair of wins would get Manitoba dancing in Stan Pierre's first season as head coach.
10. McGill Redbirds (15)
LAST YEAR: 3-6, Dunsmore Cup semifinal loss to Montreal
WEEK FIVE: Friday, 31-24 win vs Montreal
The McGill Redbirds snapped a 36-game losing streak against the Université de Montréal Carabins — a streak that stretched so long, most of Friday night’s Redbirds roster wasn’t even born the last time McGill won, back in 2002.
Quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald and running back Jerry Momo combined for nearly 300 rushing yards, with Latendresse-Regimbald accounting for three late touchdowns in a furious fourth-quarter rally that erased a 24-13 deficit.
The Redbirds’ defence also forced three crucial turnovers, cementing a historic 31-24 upset over the No. 2-ranked Carabins. McGill improves to 2-2 in the RSEQ and visits Sherbrooke next Saturday with a chance to improve to over .500.
McGill moves up to 12 on my list. After a historic win against the Montreal Carabins, the Redbirds will look to build on this momentum next week against Sherbrooke. They still have to play both Laval & Montreal once more this season, huge games to decide playoff seedings for the RSEQ. — Ryan O'Connor, OUA Writer
McGill had the most shocking result of the weekend with their 31-24 win over Montreal. For how highly I regard the Carabins and their talent this year, the Redbirds definitely deserve a big jump up my rankings. — Nicolas Tazzeo, OUA Writer
11. UBC Thunderbirds (10)
LAST YEAR: 5-4, Hardy Cup semifinal loss to Saskatchewan
WEEK FOUR: Friday, 23-22 win vs Calgary
The UBC Thunderbirds rallied late to stun the Calgary Dinos 23-22 on Homecoming Friday, thanks to a game-turning interception by Darrien.
Trailing 22-20 with two minutes left, UBC’s defence forced four turnovers overall and held Calgary to just 125 rushing yards, proving the T-Birds can win even when their offence struggles — like it did Friday, when they only produced 225 yards.
Quarterback Drew Viotto — who is trying to win the starters job back from Drew Engel — orchestrated key drives and Toluwalope Ayedegbe scored twice in the second half, including the go-ahead touchdown that set up the final defensive stand.
12. Calgary Dinos (11)
LAST YEAR: 2-6, missed playoffs
WEEK FIVE: Friday, 23-22 loss at UBC
Calgary’s defence was stellar Friday night, keeping UBC’s offence largely in check, but four turnovers by the Dinos’ offence proved costly in a 23-22 loss.
Despite limiting the Thunderbirds to just 143 passing yards and making several key stops, late turnovers — including a decisive interception with under two minutes remaining — set up UBC’s game-winning field goal.
Quarterback David Jordan threw for 287 yards and a touchdown along with two interceptions and a fumble.
A one-point loss to UBC is nothing to be ashamed about if you are Calgary. They excel at staying competitive in close games, which can be challenging for some of the more talented teams to manage on any given day. If they can manage to beat Saskatchewan next, watch out. — Nicolas Tazzeo, OUA Writer
13. Concordia Stingers (14)
LAST YEAR: 2-7, Dunsmore Cup semifinal loss to Laval
WEEK FIVE: Saturday, 26-13 loss at Sherbrooke
Concordia’s home games aren’t being streamed this season, so this one is lost to history anyways — and honestly, with both Laval and the Stingers swapping in backup quarterbacks for the second half, it can't exactly have been must-see TV.
With limited resources and a tough schedule ahead, the Stingers will look to regroup and fight for the last playoff spot in the RSEQ.
14. SMU Huskies (13)
LAST YEAR: 5-5, Loney Bowl loss to Bishop's
WEEK FIVE: Saturday, 20-17 loss at St. FX
SMU produced just 271 yards of offence on Saturday, but that looked like enough until St. FX's touchdown in the dying seconds of Saturday's loss. The AUS looks wide open this year — well, that is, except for Acadia and Mount Allison. Sorry.
15. St. FX X-Men (NR)
LAST YEAR: 5-4, Loney Bowl semifinals loss to SMU
WEEK FIVE: Saturday, 20-17 win vs SMU
Silas Fagnan returned in style, engineering a last-second touchdown pass to Devaughn Blackwood to give the X-Men a 20-17 comeback win over Saint Mary’s.
Fagnan also hooked up with Zach Houde for a 70-yard score earlier, while Owen Watrych led a stingy defense with 12.5 tackles. STFX improves to 3-1 and sits atop the AUS standings alongside the Huskies.
I moved STFX into 14 on my ballot. I think the AUS is far too chaotic to pick a front runner right now. However, the X-Men did impress me with their win against SMU. I have them as my highest ranked AUS team right now. — Geono Aloisio, CanWest Writer
On the Cusp
The RSEQ is an extremely strong division, and Sherbrooke and Concordia shouldn't be discounted completely because of their records. These are two potential playoff teams in the OUA. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Alberta's season has not gone to plan — and that's putting it lightlty. 0-4 leaves them with a tall mountain to climb to get into the playoffs. The run game has been non existent this season. The defence has sturggled to keep games close. The only bright spot has been Carter Kettyle and Eli Hetlinger so far this season. I have to wonder when this team might start trying out some more rookies to see what they got for 2026. — Geono Aloisio, CanWest Writer
Guelph falls off these rankings and unfortunately it's not even really close in my books. Their challenging start can be chalked up to opponents (Western, Laurier, Ottawa), but a loss to McMaster puts this team in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Guelph slips out my top 15. 1-4 is just not a good enough record to keep them in. Yes they have had a hard schedule against some tough ranked teams, but their only win was against Windsor. And with the loss to McMaster, I don't see how this team can be considered a serious contender for the OUA. Still a chance they make the playoffs, but this Guelph team has been disappointing to say the least. — Geono Aloisio, CanWest Writer
Tristan Lefebvre looks to have won the starting job back at Carleton after throwing for almost 500 yards. He'll be hungry to keep it that way with Panda looming. — Andrew Wilimek, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Great week of football around the country. Ottawa coming close to defeating Laurier, McGill's huge upset against Montreal, and UBC edging out Calgary in a homecoming classic. Pure cinema. — Ryan O'Connor, OUA Writer