No changes in CIS Top 10 national rankings following light Thanksgiving schedule

TORONTO (CIS) – For the fourth consecutive week, the University of Montreal Carabins were a unanimous No. 1 selection in the CIS football national rankings.

There are no changes in the new Top 10 following a light Thanksgiving weekend that saw only four nationally-ranked teams take the field. 

Montreal (5-0), the only undefeated squad in the country, tops the media poll for the sixth straight week overall after receiving all 30 first-place votes and 300 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel.

Rounding out the seventh rankings of the campaign are the No. 2 Laval Rouge et Or (4-1 / 266 points), No. 3 Western Mustangs (5-1 / 234), No. 4 Regina Rams (4-1 / 198), No. 5 Calgary Dinos (4-1 / 189), No. 6 Carleton Ravens (5-2 / 126), No. 7 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (5-1 / 121), No. 8 McMaster Marauders (5-1 / 113), No. 9 Ottawa Gee-Gees (5-1 / 65), as well as the reigning Vanier Cup champion UBC Thunderbirds (3-2 / 29) at No. 10.

Carleton (53-10 vs. Windsor), Laurier (54-3 vs. Toronto), McMaster (36-6 vs. Queen's) and Ottawa (54-20 vs. York) were all easy winners this past week, creating a logjam atop the OUA conference standings with four teams at 5-1 and the Ravens at 5-2.

In the Gee-Gees' home win against York, senior quarterback Derek Wendel throw for 514 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a CIS-leading 2,371 yards (395.2 per game) and 18 passing majors with two games left in league play. 

In the Marauders' victory over visiting Queen's, freshman Adam Preocanin went 7-for-7 on field goal attempts and now has 22 successful kicks on the campaign, four shy of the single-season CIS record. With 4.5 quarterback sacks against the Gaels, teammate Mike Kashak improved his season total to 11.5, only one behind the national standard with two contests remaining.

This weekend's schedule is highlighted by a pair of exciting Top 10 battles, both on Saturday afternoon, in Montreal and Ottawa.

At CEPSUM Stadium, first place in the RSEQ conference will be on the line when Laval visits Montreal, live on TVA Sports at 2 p.m. The Carabins enter the contest with a small cushion thanks to a 24-21 season-opening win in Quebec City on Sept. 3, and are riding a three-game overall winning streak against their archrivals, including last year's Dunsmore Cup final.

Meanwhile in the nation's capital (1 p.m. on OUA.TV), the Gee-Gees hope to beat the visiting Mustangs for the first time since a 20-19 home win on Sept. 6, 2010. Ottawa and Western are currently tied for first in the OUA with identical 5-1 marks, along with Laurier and McMaster.

Also highlighting the Week 8 schedule is the fourth CIS Football Game of the Week on City TV, featuring Mount Allison and Acadia, Saturday at 2 p.m. Atlantic Time from Raymond Field in Wolfville, N.S.

NOTES: Sportsnet and TVA Sports are once again the official broadcasters of the CIS football semifinals and final in 2016... The ArcelorMittal Dofasco Mitchell Bowl (AUS at Canada West) and the Uteck Bowl (OUA at RSEQ) are set for Saturday, Nov. 19, while the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup follows on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. ET at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ont.... For all the information on the 52nd Vanier Cup (including tickets) visit vaniercup.com.

FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#7)
                                                  Pts (1st place)  Last week
1. Montreal (5-0)         300 (30)           1
2. Laval (4-1)               266                  2 
3. Western (5-1)           234                 3
4. Regina (4-1)             198                 4
5. Calgary (4-1)           189                  5
6. Carleton (5-2)          126                  6
7. Laurier (5-1)            121                  7
8. McMaster (5-1)        113                  8
9. Ottawa (5-1)              65                  9
10. UBC (3-2)               29                   10

Other teams receiving votes: StFX (4), Concordia (3), Manitoba (2), Saskatchewan (2).

WEEK 7 RESULTS (all times local)

October 6
Laurier 54, Toronto 3 (at Toronto)

October 7
Carleton 53, Windsor 10 (at Windsor)
Saint Mary's 29, Mount Allison 21 (at Saint Mary's)
StFX 42, Acadia 21 (at StFX)
McMaster 36, Queen's 6 (at McMaster)
Ottawa 54, York 20 (at Ottawa)

WEEK 8 SCHEDULE (all times local)

NOTE: Click HERE for the complete 2016 regular season schedule & results

October 14
11:00   Guelph (2-4) at No. 7 Laurier (5-1) (Rogers TV Waterloo & OUA.TV)
19:00   McGill (2-3) at Bishop's (1-4) (GaitersTV)
19:00   No. 10 UBC (3-2) at Saskatchewan (2-3) (CanadaWest.TV)
19:00   Manitoba (2-3) at No. 5 Calgary (4-1) (Shaw TV/Access & CanadaWest.TV)

October 15
13:00   No. 8 McMaster (5-1) at York (2-4) (OUA.TV)
13:00   Waterloo (0-6) at Toronto (1-6) (OUA.TV)
13:00   Windsor (2-4) at Queen's (2-4) (TVCogeco & OUA.TV)
13:00   No. 3 Western (5-1) at No. 9 Ottawa (5-1) (OUA.TV)
13:00   No. 4 Regina (4-1) at Alberta (0-5) (CanadaWest.TV)
14:00   Mount Allison (1-4) at Acadia (1-4) (City TV & AUStv.ca)
14:00   StFX (4-1) at Saint Mary's (2-3) (Bell Aliant Fibe TV1 & AUStv.ca)
14:00   No. 2 Laval (4-1) at No. 1 Montreal (5-0) (TVA Sports)
16:00   Concordia (3-2) at Sherbrooke (2-3)