No. 3 Western and No. 5 Guelph hold steady, McMaster up to No. 6 in FRC–CIS Football Top 10

OTTAWA (CIS) – The University of Calgary Dinos move up to number one in this week's CIS football rankings, becoming the third team in as many national polls this season to occupy the pole position.

The Dinos (2-0) received 13 out of a possible 30 first-place votes and 274 points from the Football Reporters of Canada panel to dethrone the Laval Rouge et Or (2-0), who merited 14 first-place nods but ended up two points shy of Calgary in the overall tally.

It marks the Dinos' first No. 1 ranking since the Oct. 25, 2011 poll.

Rounding out the new Top 10 are the third-ranked Western Mustangs (3-0 / 253 points / no change), No. 4 Montreal Carabins (1-1 / 213 / no change), No. 5 Guelph Gryphons (3-0 / 162 / no change), No. 6 McMaster Marauders (2-0 / 144 / up one position), No. 7 Manitoba Bisons (1-1 / 114 / down one), No. 8 Mount Allison Mounties (1-0 / 86 / no change), No. 9 Sherbrooke Vert & Or (1-1 / 48 / previously unranked) and No. 10 UBC Thunderbirds (1-1 / 39 / no change).

Western received the remaining three first-place votes. Montreal had topped the inaugural media poll of 2015 on Sept. 1st.

In the lone Top-10 battle of the past weekend, Friday night in Winnipeg, the Dinos scored 17 unanswered points in the final seven minutes of the game to defeat Manitoba 46-38 in a rematch of last year's Canada West championship match won by the Bisons. Running back Mercer Timmis, one of the top prospects for the 2016 CFL Canadian Draft, was once again brilliant in the win with 276 rushing yards and three touchdowns, giving him a CIS-leading 426 yards on the ground with five majors and a 9.5-yard-per-rush average in his first two outings of the campaign.

The following day in Sherbrooke, Que., Laval got all it could handle from the hometown Vert & Or before escaping with a 27-24 overtime win to remain undefeated against their Eastern Townships rivals since Sherbrooke joined the RSEQ league in 2003. Thanks to their remarkable performance, the Vert & Or, who opened the season with an impressive 37-0 victory at Concordia on Sept. 4, join the Top 10 for the first time this fall.

Other Week 3 results from Top-10 teams included Western 59, Laurier 9 (at Laurier); Montreal 42, McGill 2 (at Montreal); Guelph 49, York 22 (at York); McMaster 57, Ottawa 42 (at McMaster); Mount Allison 38, Saint Mary's 6 (at Saint Mary's); UBC 27, Regina 20 (at UBC).

Ranked No. 9 in last week's poll, the Saskatchewan Huskies fell out of the Top 10 after suffering their second straight loss, this time by a score of 38-26 at Alberta.

A trio of Top-10 confrontations – all set for Saturday - highlight the Week 4 schedule, including No. 6 McMaster at No. 5 Guelph (1 p.m. on Rogers TV Cable 20 and OUA.TV), No. 9 Sherbrooke at No. 4 Montreal (2 p.m. on TVA Sports) and No. 10 UBC at No. 7 Manitoba (6 p.m. CT on CanadaWest.TV).

For their part, the Dinos defend their No. 1 status on Thursday night when they host provincial rival Alberta (7 p.m. MT on Shaw TV, Access and CanadaWest.TV).

NOTES: Sportsnet and Radio-Canada are once again the official broadcasters of the CIS football semifinals and final in 2015... The ArcelorMittal Dofasco Mitchell Bowl (RSEQ at OUA) and Uteck Bowl (Canada West at AUS) are set for Nov. 21 at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time, respectively... The Vanier Cup follows on Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. ET in Quebec City... For all the information on the 51st Vanier Cup (including tickets) visit vaniercup.com.

FRC – CIS FOOTBALL TOP 10 (#3)

Pts (1st place) Last week
1. Calgary (2-0) 274 (13) 2
2. Laval (2-0) 272 (14) 1
3. Western (3-0) 253 (3) 3
4. Montreal (1-1) 213 4
5. Guelph (3-0) 162 5
6. McMaster (2-0) 144 7
7. Manitoba (1-1) 114 6
8. Mount Allison (1-0) 86 8
9. Sherbrooke (1-1) 48 NR
10. UBC (1-1) 39 10

Other teams receiving votes: Alberta (31), Ottawa (8), Carleton (5), Queen's (3).

WEEK 3 RESULTS

September 11
Mount Allison 38, Saint Mary's 6 (at Saint Mary's)
Montreal 42, McGill 2 (at Montreal)
Calgary 46, Manitoba 38 (at Manitoba)
Alberta 38, Saskatchewan 26 (at Alberta)

September 12
Acadia 31, StFX 15 (at Acadia)
McMaster 57, Ottawa 42 (at McMaster)
Queen's 47, Waterloo 24 (at Queen's)
Carleton 62, Windsor 16 (at Windsor)
Guelph 49, York 22 (at York)
Concordia 38, Bishop's 18 (at Bishop's)
Laval 27, Sherbrooke 24 OT (at Sherbrooke)
Western 59, Laurier 9 (at Laurier)
UBC 27, Regina 20 (at UBC)

WEEK 4 SCHEDULE (all times local)

September 17
19:00 Alberta (2-0) at No. 1 Calgary (2-0) (Shaw TV, Access & CanadaWest.TV)

September 18
19:00 Regina (0-2) at Saskatchewan (0-2) (Shaw TV, Access & CanadaWest.TV)

September 19
13:00 Windsor (0-3) at Ottawa (1-1) (OUA.TV)
13:00 York (0-3) at Waterloo (0-3) (OUA.TV)
13:00 Queen's (2-1) at No. 3 Western (3-0) (Rogers TV Cable 13, Rogers Sports Plus & OUA.TV)
13:00 No. 6 McMaster (2-0) at No. 5 Guelph (3-0) (Rogers TV Cable 20 & OUA.TV)
13:00 Toronto (1-1) at Carleton (2-1) (OUA.TV)
13:00 No. 2 Laval (2-0) at Bishop's (0-2) (Gaiters TV)
14:00 Acadia (1-0) at No. 8 Mount Allison (1-0) (Bell Aliant FibreOP TV1 & AUStv.ca)
14:00 Saint Mary's (0-1) at StFX (0-1) (Bell Aliant FibreOP TV1 & AUStv.ca)
14:00 No. 9 Sherbrooke (1-1) at No. 4 Montreal (1-1) (TVA Sports)
14:00 McGill (1-1) at Concordia (1-1) (StretchTV)
18:00 No. 10 UBC (1-1) at No. 7 Manitoba (1-1) (CanadaWest.TV)

About Football Reporters of Canada

Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) represents journalists and broadcasters in every region of the country covering CIS Football. Since 1958, Football Reporters of Canada has been an organization of media members who have covered the Canadian Football League, serving to select the league's outstanding players, coach-of-the-year and all-star teams through voting conducted by its members. In 2009, the FRC amalgamated with the University Football Reporters of Canada (UFRC) to give the organization greater scope in its affiliation with amateur and college football. FRC also works with the CFL and CIS to establish guidelines and working conditions for the men and women who report on the game. Selected members of FRC also help to choose builders, players and media members for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Source: CIS