The stage is set the University of Calgary Dinos and Laval Rouge et Or, to face off for national supremacy at the 2013 Vanier Cup on Saturday.
It will be the fourth meeting between Calgary and Laval over the last six years, with Laval taking all three of the previous contests.
The matchup between Dinos (11-0) and Rouge et Or (11-0) will mark only the fourth battle between undefeated teams in the 49-year history of the Vanier Cup. The winner will be only the 14th team in CIS history to finish a season with an undefeated record.
Programming alert: Be sure to catch the Vanier Cup between Laval and Calgary on Saturday live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet 360. Coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. ET. You can also listen to the game on Sportsnet 590 The FAN (Toronto), Sportsnet 960 The FAN (Calgary), 1310 News (Ottawa) and News 95.7 (Halifax).
Here, sportsnet.ca provides you with a full statistical breakdown of the two powerhouses heading into the 49th Vanier Cup.
KEY STATS: LAVAL AND CALGARY
Laval is the first team in history to appear in 4 straight Vanier Cup games.
Laval has most national titles (7), followed by Western (6) – Laval is 7-1 all time, in the Vanier Cup title game.
The Dinos are 4-4 in the title game, haven’t won since 1995. (54-24 win over Western)
The two met on Aug. 24 in exhibition play, Laval won 32-3.
Dinos’ Blake Nill could be first head coach to win Vanier Cup with two different programs (won with Saint Mary’s Huskies)
Glen Constantin has 6 Vanier Cup rings as a head coach with Laval.
Laval has won 64 straight games at home, a CIS record. They haven’t lost since Sept. 19, 2004, a 14-13 loss to Montreal.
They both extended conference-record streaks by claiming the RSEQ banner for the 11th straight campaign and the Canada West title for the sixth consecutive year, respectively.
The Dinos ranked first in the run-oriented offence in the CIS thanks to Hec Crighton Trophy nominee Mercer Timmis, who led the country in rushing yards (1,157) and established new Canada West season standards for most all-purpose touchdowns (19) and rushing majors (18), both ranked first in the CIS.
The Rouge et Or finished first in Quebec and fifth in the nation for run-offences thanks to Pascal Lochard (493 yards), Maxime Boutin (449) and Guillaume Bourassa (402), all of whom averaged over
50 yards per game.
Both teams ran again in the national semifinals as Calgary rushed for 305 yards against Western, while Laval rushed for 313 versus Mount Allison.
Laval allowed the fewest points in the country (11.5 ppg) for the fifth time in six years and also finishing first against the run (75.8 ypg).
The Dinos limited the CIS’s top-ranked offence to three points, 256 total yards and 106 yards through the air against Western in the Mitchell Bowl.
Laval’s defensive end Vincent Desloges had 8.5 sacks in conference action (led the conference), Laval defensive end Vincent Desloges added six in three playoff contests, including a pair in the Uteck Bowl.
Calgary, linebacker Doctor Cassama, last year’s Canada West defensive MVP, had a 71-yard touchdown off an interception return against Western.
Guillaume Bourassa (RB), Vincent Desloges (DE), Pierre Lavertu (OL), Tristan Grenon (QB), Guillaume Rioux (REC/RET), Adam Thibault (REC/DB), Maximilien Ducap (DB) and Yannick Morin-Plante (REC) are all Laval returnees for a fourth straight Vanier Cup appearance.
LAVAL UNIVERSITY
Overall record: 11-0
2013 results
Aug. 24 (home): Laval 32, Calgary 3 (pre-season)
Aug. 31 (home): Laval 32, McGill 8
Sept. 7 (away): Laval 20, Sherbrooke 0
Sept. 14 (away): Laval 26, Acadia 14
Sept. 22 (home): Laval 16, Montreal 9
Sept. 28 (away): Laval 46, Bishop’s 38
Oct. 6 (home): Laval 65, Concordia 9
Oct. 20 (home): Laval 38, Sherbrooke 3
Oct. 28 (away): Laval 30, Montreal 11
Nov. 2 (home): Laval 32, Sherbrooke 11 (RSEQ semifinal)
Nov. 9 (home): Laval 14, Montreal 11 (RSEQ final)
Nov. 16 (away): Laval 48, Mount Allison 21 (Uteck Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 7-1
2012 (Rogers Centre, Toronto): 37-14 win vs. McMaster
2011 (BC Place Stadium, Vancouver): 41-38 OT loss vs. McMaster
2010 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): 29-2 win vs. Calgary
2008 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 44-21 win vs. Western
2006 (Griffiths Stadium, Saskatoon): 13-8 win vs. Saskatchewan
2004 (Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton): 7-1 win vs. Saskatchewan
2003 (SkyDome, Toronto): 14-7 win vs. Saint Mary’s
1999 (SkyDome, Toronto): 14-10 win vs. Saint Mary’s
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
Overall record: 11-0
2013 results
Aug. 24 (away): Laval 32, Calgary 3 (pre-season)
Aug. 31 (away): Calgary 41, UBC 31
Sept. 6 (away): Calgary 34, Regina 27
Sept. 14 (home): Calgary 36, Saskatchewan 24
Sept. 20 (home): Calgary 48, Manitoba 24
Sept. 28 (away): Calgary 76, Alberta 21
Oct. 4 (away): Calgary 24, Saskatchewan 12
Oct. 18 (home): Calgary 46, Regina 27
Oct. 25 (home): Calgary 34, UBC 17
Nov. 2 (home): Calgary 42, UBC 28 (CW semifinal)
Nov. 9 (home): Calgary 43, Manitoba 28 (CW final)
Nov. 16 (home): Calgary 44, Western 3 (Mitchell Bowl)
Vanier Cup history
All-time record: 4-4
2010 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): 29-2 loss vs. Laval
2009 (PEPS Stadium, Quebec City): 33-31 loss vs. Queen’s
1995 (SkyDome, Toronto): 54-24 win vs. Western
1993 (SkyDome, Toronto): 37-34 loss vs. Toronto
1988 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 52-23 win vs. Saint Mary’s
1985 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 25-6 win vs. Western
1983 (Varsity Stadium, Toronto): 31-21 win vs. Queen’s
1975 (CNE Stadium, Toronto): 14-9 loss vs. Ottawa