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SLAM! Sports 2001 in Review A LOOK BACK INTERACTIVE ALSO ON SLAM! 
| Saturday, December 1, 2001 Huskies 42, Bisons 16Huskies end 28-year Vanier droughtTORONTO -- The top-ranked Saint Mary's Huskies football team put the exclamation point on an undefeated season by winning their first Vanier Cup in 28 years, in a 42-16 romp over the third-ranked Manitoba Bisons. It was the Huskies 11th straight victory in an absolutely dominant season in which they outscored opponents by a monstrous 608-66 margin. They became the first team since the 1994 Western Mustangs to go undefeated. Ryan Jones was the best Huskie on this day, as the fifth-year quarterback completed 19-of-32 passes for 290 yards and three scores and was awarded with the Ted Morris Trophy as the Most Valuable Player. "A fifth-year quarterback is huge," said Huskies coach Blake Nill, who was at the helm when the Huskies lost 14-10 to Laval in the 1999 Vanier Cup. "He did just a super job of being patient and taking what they gave us. The big difference was that the majurity and experience level on this team was higher than on Manitoba." Nill, a former offensive lineman for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, became the Huskies head coach in 1998 after predecessor Larry Uteck was forced to step down after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. Under Nill's guidance the last four years the team is 32-7, losing just three of their last 32 games. "This team is an unbelievable football team," said Nill. "We were fortunate enough to keep them around together for four and five years and this is the result." In an odd bit of personal irony, Nill was able to win the big prize this year after losing the coach of the year honours to Bisons' Brian Dobie. "Coach of the Year is death," joked Nill of the same Frank Tindall award he won two years ago. "It's bad luck, I know that. You go back and look at that trophy and find out how many Coaches of the Year have won the Vanier Cup... not very many." Jones, who led the country with 21 touchdown passes and a 63.2 per cent completion rate during the regular season, was not about to let his last opportunity to win a championship slip through his fingers. He orchestrated the winning drive in the second quarter, by eluding a sack attempt from Bisons' All-Canadian linebacker Israel Idonije and connecting for a 32-yard strike to slotback Paul Flemming. He then hit Dave Stala two plays later for another key first down and then completed the five-play, 75-yard drive by hitting a wide open Jason Currie in the endzone. "They came with a lot of pressure and fortunately on that play I was able to elude his rush and hit Flemming who was wide open down the field," said the Waterdown, ON, native. "We tried this week (in practice) to work the crossing routes, because I don't think they've seen that a lot." He also made a key 10-yard scamper in the third to set up running back Luis Perez's 10-yard touchdown run two plays later. Perez, who led the CIS in rushing with 1,297 yards, managed just 45 on 14 carries against the Bisons' top-ranked defence. "We did exactly what we wanted them to do - stop the run and force them to pass," said Idonije, who had four tackles and a sack on Jones that took the Huskies out of field-goal range. "They played their A-game and we didn't. We played not up to our standards and fell short." Stala's catch just before half was the pivotal play for the Huskies, as the Hamilton, ON, receiver made a spectacular leaping, one-arm grab of Jones' 23-yard toss at the Bisons' 11 with less than two minutes to go. The catch kept the Huskies' drive alive and set up Currie's game-winning touchdown reception on the very next play. "I never knew it was going to be a one-handed catch, it's just the way the ball was there," said Stala, who caught four passes for a tough 58 yards. "It turned out to be a pretty big one. We had a great season and I love these guys." It was indeed a momentous play, as the Bisons had taken their first lead of the game on Jamie Boreham's 32-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the half. It was part of 12 unanswered points by the Bisons, after being outscored 12-3 in the first quarter. Against Laval Jones' late fourth-quarter fumble cost the Huskies the game, but besides a first-quarter interception by James Boreham that set up a Bisons field goal, Jones was sharp. "I like people underestimating me as long I'm winning ball games," said Jones. "Hopefully after this year we will be considered one of the best all-time in the CIAU. We played tough and I think we proved that the AUS is a good football conference and we're a good football team. I don't think anybody can say anything after this." Despite his great career, Jones had been labelled as not being a big-game performer, but after the game the Bisons had nothing but respect for their opponent. "Jones actually impressed me, I think he was a little underestimated," said fourth-year nose tackle Rob Stewart. "We had some big turnovers which were key and like any good team they're going to capitalize on those and that's what happened. We'll take this as a learning experience and we will be back." The Huskies turned it on in the second half outscoring the Bisons 24-3, despite getting called for a Vanier Cup record 23 penalties and 203 yards. With 16 first-half fouls, the Huskies surpassed the previous record of 13 established by Wilfrid Laurier in the 1991 final. Huskies defensive-end Kyle Morrison set up the Huskies' final two scores with a 27-yard interception return off a pass from Munson and a blocked punt on Boreham. For his efforts the Pickle Lake, ON, native named the Bruce Coulter Trophy winner as best defensive player. Munson, who racked up the second-most passing yards in the country during the regular season with 2,097 yards, had a horrible day. He completed just 14 of 34 pass attempts for 156 yards. His only score was a 6-yard touchdown pass to Mike Miller in the second quarter. The Huskies became the first Atlantic Conference team to win the championship since Acadia beat Alberta in 1981. It was Saint Mary's sixth finals appearance and first win since they defeated McGill at CNE Stadium in 1973. The Bisons finished their 2001 campaign with a 10-2 record, ending a streak of 10-straight wins, following an opening day loss to Regina. They became the first team all season to score more than 14 points against the Huskies. Boreham, the leading scorer in the regular season with 106 points, kicked three field goals and accounted for 10 of the Bisons' 16 points. |