CIS Roundup: Carabins open season with comeback win over Laval

Montreal Carabins players celebrate after blocking a fake play. (Mathieu Belanger/CP)

QUEBEC – Felix Menard-Briere kicked a go-ahead field goal with 1:04 to play as the Montreal Carabins came from behind to defeat the host Laval Rouge et Or 24-21 on Saturday to open their 2016 CIS season.

Montreal (1-0) trailed 14-2 at halftime and 21-12 after three quarters, but scored the game’s final 12 points for the comeback victory.

After a safety cut Laval’s (0-1) lead to 21-14, running back Sean Thomas-Erlington finished an eight-play 58-yard drive with a four-yard run to tie the game with 2:08 to play.

Carabins quarterback Samuel Caron went 27-of-39 passing for 360 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Rouge et Or QB Hugo Richard was 25-of-33 passing for 248 yards with two touchdowns and a pick.

Montreal, which fell to the UBC Thunderbirds in last year’s Vanier Cup, took 21 penalties that cost it 192 yards compared to just seven penalties and 65 yards from Laval.

VERT et OR 38 GAITERS 7

LENNOXVILLE, Que. — Alex Jacob-Michaud threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns and Landri Akue-Atsa had two interceptions on the defensive side as the University of Sherbrooke (1-0) downed Bishop’s University (0-1).

THUNDERBIRDS 39 GOLDEN BEARS 24

VANCOUVER — Michael O’Connor threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns as the defending Vanier Cup squad from UBC came away with the victory over the University of Alberta.

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