Rouge et Or: “We have the best defense in the country”

It’s not every day that a defense doesn’t give the Carabins an offensive touchdown. The Rouge et Or have just achieved the feat twice in the same season.

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In Montreal on September 10, the only major scored by the Carabins – who still won the game 21-18 – was the result of an interception by Michael Brodrique brought back into the end zone. Today, the only three points for the Blues came in the third quarter, following a placement by Philippe Boyer.

We don’t know if the Rouge et Or have the recipe to slow down the Montreal attack, but, one thing is certain, they have shown that they have no complexes.

“I think we have the best defense in the country and I sincerely believe that. I work against them every day, I can tell you it’s really difficult, playing against them. They have once again demonstrated their dominance and it’s really nice to see,” said quarterback Arnaud Desjardins.

Sunday, at the half, the statistics sheet showed only 86 yards of attack for the Carabins. They finished the game at 174 yards. Only five first games had been won after two quarters.

Flowers for Marc Fortier

Amazing numbers the team third in the country last week.

In an attempt to find the reason for these successes, head coach Glen Constantin immediately directed the reflectors to his defensive coordinator, Marc Fortier.

“He’s been my sidekick for a long time, Marc Fortier, he works very, very hard. It’s nice to have a plan, the players have to adhere to that. They’ve been doing a big job on it all week. Things are going well. There is a good focus. We mature every week. »

Constantin however recalled that the attack of the Carabins did not have all its weapons, Sunday, and that it was not necessary to swell the head. Their offense has been largely affected by injuries to missing key players, including star wide receiver Hassane Dosso. The latter has still not played a game this fall.

“You also have to understand that they may not have their numbers, their strength of receivers, as they usually have. But that doesn’t take anything away from our players. You have to show up anyway. »

“A good game plan”

Charles-Antoine Beaulieu, author of 4.5 tackles, a quarterback sack and a recovered fumble, savored the performance of his teammates. The defensive back praised « the good game plan » put in place by the coaches. “We do what we have to do and it gives a good result. »

Besides Beaulieu, Nicolas Lessard had an important interception in the fourth quarter. His larceny sealed, so to speak, the outcome of the match.

Giant steps thanks to Constantin

If Quebec football is what it is today, it owes it in part to the “architect” Glen Constantin, whose work and influence forced “everyone to raise their football program”.

The man who has led the Rouge et Or for 21 years has won a 197^e times in his career, making him the winningest head coach in Canadian university football. It was a great opportunity to recall how much his work has had an impact on his sport.

“The Carabins, what they have become today, would probably never have happened if the Rouge et Or were not so powerful and dominant. I think that pushed the program back home to want to take their game up a notch. And I think it’s the same for the other programs in Quebec,” said Montreal Carabins head coach Marco Iadeluca.

“We can see it this year, the RSEQ is more competitive than ever. He is the architect of all this, if you will. He deserves this record and I am very happy for him,” he added.

» A move bold »

The organization had also invited several former players, happy to salute the feat of “their” coach. Glen Constantin seemed moved by this immense wave of love. He multiplied the warm hugs after the historic moment.

» It was a move bold to come here, in a program,” recalled his offensive coordinator and longtime friend, Justin Éthier. Constantin had just spent a few years in Houston, in the NCAA, before accepting the position of defensive coordinator at Laval University in 1996.

“At the time, even me, being a guy from Montreal, we looked at it from the outside and we said to ourselves that it would not be easy to build that. Worse in the space of a few years, it was built. A lot of credit goes to him. »

savor the moment

Quarterback Arnaud Desjardins, for his part, savored the moment, happy to be forever linked to this historic victory.

“I consider myself so lucky to work with a coach like that and to have been there the day he won his game to break the record. It’s amazing and it’s really a good feeling. »