HALIFAX, NS – AUS football is in full effect, now three weeks in there have been games down to the wire, and games that were decided in the first few minutes, and we are only getting further into the thick of university football.
The kings survive a scare
StFX football has not given anything for other Atlantic teams to grapple on to.
Acadia gave the X-Men their best effort to take down the two time straight champions, but they were too little too late and STFX came out at the end.
STFX opened the score after 2021 AUS MVP quarterback SIlas Fagnan and his offence had a six minute drive down the field that ended with Ben Hadley putting a 32 yard kick through the uprights to put three points up for the X-Men.
The game then slowed down with two drives ending with a punt, until Acadia quarterback Riley Naujoks darted a 15 yard pass Brady Newcomb down to STFX’s 26 yard line.
After a penalty that put the Axemen up 10 yards and a few running plays and incompletions the drive resulted in a 15 yard field goal off the foot of Michael Adams.
Before the end of the quarter Ben Hadley would get a rouge point to put the X-Men up one.
Acadia then looked like they had a given touchdown, but the STFX defence came up with a huge stop on their own one yard line after running back Dante Tabacu was stopped for no gain to turnover the ball on downs.
With a minute left in the first half the Axemen would drive down the field 51 yards, which ended up with kicker Michael Adams putting another three points on the board with time expiring.
STFX would immediately get to work with QB Fagnan launching a bomb to Zakariya Karim to go 56 yards down the field, but the X-Men’s offence stalled up and Hadley made a 21 yard field goal.
After Acadia gave up a safety, the X-Men went on a long drive in the fourth quarter with Fagnan rushing in a one yard touchdown and now STFX was up 10 points.
STFX would get a rouge point, and then receiver Ben Harrington would take a punt 84 yards and to the house.
This would be the total score with the X-Men escaping Wolfville with a 23-6 win.
Gaiters chomp down on SMU Huskies
Bishop’s home opener kept the fans out of their seats with the Gaiters racking up 38 points and 373 total offensive yards.
The scoring began when the Huskies’ QB Duncan Patterson found Liam Stewart running down the left side of the field for a 51 yard reception.
The offence would not get much further, but ended up with three points on the board for the Huskies.
After a huge sack the Gaiters put their first touchdown on the board after Gabin Leux blocked a punt that was scooped up by Alex MacDonald which he took to the house for six.
Xavier Gervais would then put three field goals through the uprights to put the home team up 17-3.
Bishop’s quarterback Justin Quirion would then launch a cross body throw to Oliver Burnett for a 22 yard touchdown.
SMU would try to respond by having a six minute drive down the field that cut into the Bishop’s lead with a touchdown pass from Zac Montgomery-now in the game-to Liam Stewart for eight yards.
Bishop’s would then change their quarterback out to Mason McGriskin who drove in a one yard touchdown to bury any hope of a comeback.
Just for good measure Bishop’s running game then took over with David Chaloux running for 36 yards on two straight plays then driving in a three yard touchdown to end the game on a high note for the Gaiters.
A game of kicking
Acadia would then keep up their home streak with Saint Mary’s taking the hour long tour down to Wolfville.
The game would begin in an exciting way with five straight punts, until the streak would end after SMU’s Trehjen Bhullar looked like he received a pass, but Riley Gabriel had other plans, and forced a fumble that was recovered by Acadia.
Acadia’s drive would end with a touchback to put a point on the board for the Axemen.
The teams would then trade five punts until Acadia drove 43 yards to set up kicker Michael Adams for a 28 yard field goal, which he smoothly put through the uprights.
The Huskies answered quickly this time, when two drives later Ethan Nagler knocked down a 25 yard field goal with a minute left before half.
Both teams started out slow in the new half until Michael Petroschke dropped back for two passes combining for 52 yards on each throw and setting Nagler up for a 20 yard field goal which was good.
Both teams would not score until at 9:26 in the fourth quarter Acadia’s Adams would get a rouge to point to cut SMU’s lead to one.
Acadia would not get an answer, as Brayden RObinson would fumble off of a punt and it would be recovered by SMU’s Trent Price, who took the ball to the endzone to stop all noise in the Axemen’s stadium.
The game would end this way with SMU leaving the Valley with a 13-5 win and a 1-1 record.
Alright that’s enough
After a near escape in their game versus Acadia, the X-Men were set for a date in Sackville, N.B.
They did not disappoint.
By halftime, STFX would be up 28-1 headlined by a 34 yard touchdown rush by 2022 AUS MVP Malcolm Bussey.
Bussey and Zachary Houde ripped all over the field, combining for 192 yards in the game.
The X-Men would open the scoring with a 30 yard field goal, and then blocking a Graeme Maither field goal attempt that was scooped up by Ethan Mastin who bobbled the ball and it was a rouge point for Mount Allison.
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STFX then answered with a 17 yard field goal after SIlas Fagnan found Zakariya Karim for a 36 yards reception that was sweetened by a 15 yard penalty.
Bussey would then get his first touchdown of the day after running in a two yard touchdown.
Ben Hadley would then add onto this by kicking in two field goals, one from a distance of 45 yards.
After Houde fumbled the ball on the Mounties’ 12 yard line, Hadley would pick up the ball and run for 14 yards to the house.
Mount Allison would attempt to cut into the lead by quarterback Justin Vogles finding James Laceby for a four yard reception and a touchdown.
The X-Men would not have this as they added on two field goals and a safety onto their lead.
STFX ended the weekend with a 43-8 win and added another win to their 2-0 record.