October 3, 2009
Game Stats

Gaiters' RB Matt Burke. Photo Andrew Dobrowolskyj

LENNOXVILLE – Austin Anderson’s 28-yard field goal with 41 seconds left gave the McGill Redmen a 21-19 victory over the Bishop’s Gaiters in Quebec University Football League action this afternoon at Coulter Field. A rain-soaked Homecoming crowd of 2,570 saw a game that featured four lead changes, with both teams having chances to win in the last three minutes.

After McGill conceded a safety touch to tie the game at 18 with seven minutes left, a 10-play Gaiter drive put them within the McGill 5-yard-line, aided by a pair of Redmen penalties. However, an offensive pass interference call sent the Gaiters backwards, eventually forcing them into a field goal attempt. Josh Maveety’s (Kingston, Ont.) 32-yard try sailed wide for a single point, giving the Gaiters a 19-18 lead.

Taking the ball at the 35-yard line with 2:18 left, McGill rookie quarterback Jonathan Collin went 5-for-6 as he drove the Redmen 54 yards in eight plays, setting up Anderson’s heroics.

Anderson was good on all four of his field goal attempts, as he scored 13 of McGill’s 21 points. His counterpart for Bishop’s, Maveety, missed all three of his attempts, but scored three single points.

Andrew Hamilton scored the only touchdown for McGill, on a two-yard run in the first quarter. For Bishop’s, Tim Cronk (Kingston, Ont.) scored his first career touchdown on a 37-yard shovel pass in the first quarter, while quarterback Jesse Andrews (Pickering, Ont.) found the end zone on an eight-yard run in the second. A safety touch for each team rounded out the scoring.

McGill recorded 25 first downs to the Gaiters’ 24, while Bishop’s outgained McGill 386 to 360. The Gaiters committed two turnovers, to only one for McGill. The teams combined for 33 penalties, with McGill committing 16 for 160 yards, while the Gaiters were whistled 17 times for 170 yards.

For Bishop’s, Andrews returned to form, as he went 12-for-23 for 236 yards with a touchdown pass and a touchdown run. Matt Burke led the Gaiters’ ground attack, with 18 carries for 84 yards, while Andrews ran eight times for 47 yards. Steven Turner was the Gaiters’ leading receiver, with three catches for 71 yards.

For McGill, Collin was 28-of-48 for 243 yards with one interception. Hamilton carried 19 times for 103 yards and his touchdown. Nine different receivers caught passes for McGill, led by eight catches for 61 yards by Charles-Antoine Sinotte.

The Gaiters (1-4) and Redmen (3-2) are both off next week, as the QUFL has a league-wide bye. The Gaiters return to action on Oct. 17, when they will face the St. FX X-Men (4-0) in Antigonish, N.S. The Redmen will host the Saint Mary’s Huskies (4-0) on the same day.

NOTES: The Gaiters lead the all-time series 39-37-1, but the loss snaps a three-game winning streak in the series … The Gaiters are now 12-13 in Homecoming games since 1985 … The game marked the CIS debut for Mitch Guarna (Dorval, Que.) and Kyle Kavanaugh (Ottawa, Ont.) … Shawn Gore (Toronto, Ont.) now has 959 career receiving yards, and has caught a pass in his last 20 games.

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