'We’ll be ready': Western Mustangs prepare to face Laval at Mitchell Bowl
The outcome of the Mitchell Bowl between the Western Mustangs and Laval University on Saturday will determine who will advance to the Vanier Cup.
It will be the game of the year, with two of the best Canadian teams going head-to-head.
“We work hard here and we’ll be ready for the game,” said Greg Marshall, Western’s head coach at a news conference on Friday.
“This is a team everyone wants a chance to play,” added Elliot Beamer of the Mustangs' offensive line. “It’s a team you want to put yourself up against to test yourself in order to be able to come out of it saying you gave it everything you got.”
Western’s head coach acknowledged Rouge et Or will be a challenge that they will face in reaching the home Vanier Cup.
“We understand how good they are and how talented of a team they are. I expect that this will be a great football game,” Marshall said.
The Mustangs have the potential advantage of being able to play in their backyard at Alumni Stadium.
Laval Rouge et Or Coach Glen Constantin said the team's trip to the region has been smooth so far. As of Friday morning, they made it to Grand Bend, Ont.
“We’re not going to go on the field, we got our installs in, we just need to walk throughout things, it’s more of a focus thing then a physical thing,” Constantin said through a virtual meeting on Friday. “We’re going to focus on what we can do and control and we’re going to show up tomorrow ready to play.”
Marshall added, “The travel to get to Quebec City is not easy; long bus ride, hotels, it is good to be at home. It's nice to be in our routine.”
The Mustangs are looking for their third Vanier Cup in five seasons
Laval meanwhile hopes to get back for the first time since 2018 when they beat Western in Quebec.
“We just got to take them on as we would any other team, trust the game plan and just give them our utmost respect and give them our all on Saturday,” said Daniel Valente, of the Mustangs' defence.
Last weekend, Western defeated Queen's University 44-16, winning the Yates Cup Championship.
Regardless of who wins on Saturday, they will be right back at Alumni Stadium next weekend to play in the first-ever Vanier Cup held in London.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial has fined him US$1,000 for violating his gag order and sternly warned the former president that additional violation could result in jail time.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead
AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
WestJet, mechanics union agree to tentative deal to avoid strike
A potential strike between WestJet and its mechanics union appears to have been avoided.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.