Steamroller, attack machine, weapon of offensive destruction. Call him what you will, but all those qualifiers applied to wide receiver Kevin Mital on Saturday, who scored four touchdowns and was the driving force behind the Rouge et Or’s 37-20 win over the McGill Redbirds.
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In the Alouettes’ nest and on the Redbirds’ field, it was rather Mital who had wings at Percival-Molson Stadium. The second-year player put on a show like no Rouge et Or player had ever done before.
His four touchdowns through the air are a team record for a wide receiver in a game. In just 12 games, he celebrated in the end zone 14 times. Above all, this is his fifth game with at least two touchdowns. At this rate, other records will not be long in coming.
“It’s the opportunities that came and I completed on beautiful plays,” humbly dropped number 8, who had already scored five in a game at college level. In the end, he ended his day with seven good catches for 134 yards, in addition to rushing for 17 yards.
Kevin Mital obviously drew praise from his head coach, Glen Constantin, who did not fail to recall the chemistry that operates between his wide receiver and quarterback Arnaud Desjardins.
” I am very happy [de la chimie]. On the other hand, with the quality of receivers we have, I think it’s good to distribute the ball. […] It’s really a distribution to all players and there we become hard to cover, ”explained Constantin.
An air of deja vu
Leading 28-10 at halftime, the Rouge et Or experienced a slowdown when it came time to resume action. An air of deja vu, since the same thing happened during the home opener against the Sherbrooke Vert & Or, the week before.
In the third quarter, the Redbirds took the opportunity to score a touchdown and threatened to add a second as they slammed on the goal gate with nine seconds left.
Vincent Delisle, however, took matters into his own hands and made Darius Simmons lose the ball before seeing Charles-Alexandre Jacques recover the ball on the ground. A big game that turned the wind.
“Obviously, I’m happy with the result. We showed great things on all facets. But I think that, like last week, we played a very good first half […]but there was a little relaxation in the second half,” noted Constantin, who was preparing to watch the game between Cégep du Vieux-Montréal and Champlain College Lennoxville.
The defense also had a say in the loss. In addition to this reversal caused at the gate of the goals, Billy Jonas Pernier and Arnaud Laporte managed two thefts at the expense of rookie quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald. A few other balls also came close to being intercepted.
Desjardins also shines
The exploits of Kevin Mital almost put the work of pivot Arnaud Desjardins in the shadows. The sophomore quarterback completed 23 of 27 passes for 343 yards and five touchdowns.
No matter how much we reminded him of his sparkling stats, the number 12 instead took the opportunity to direct the credit to his teammates.
“All credit goes to the receivers and the O-line [ligne offensive] today. There were huge catchs. Kevin has a great game obviously. I had no pressure. During the match, in my pocket it was calm, ”praised the young man.
and bref
David Dallaire was the author of the other major of the Rouge et Or.
Running back Kalenga Muganda finally made his varsity debut in Quebec, finishing his first day in the office with six carries that netted 34 yards.
With his 14e Touched in the uniform of Université Laval, Kevin Mital is already approaching the team record (17), held by Julian Feoli-Gudino and Félix Faubert-Lussier… The Montreal Carabins will be the Rouge’s next opponents et Or, in Montreal, next Saturday.
A rookie who turns heads
The spotlight shone on Kevin Mital’s impeccable work, but a McGill Redbirds rookie made sure to make his name known on his first career start in the college system.
Photo Agence QMI, Thierry Laforce
McGill Redbirds quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald trying to throw the ball, this Saturday against the Rouge et Or.
Quarterback Eloa Latendresse-Regimbald looked more like a seasoned veteran against the Rouge et Or defense. His statistics spoke for themselves. He completed 20 of his 41 passes and accumulated no less than 475 yards by air. He also threw a touchdown pass. His 11 carries also allowed him to add 132 yards.
“He is a young man who is never shy. We have seen him since his first day here with us, he already had confidence in the huddle even if it is with team 3. He was coming back and it looks like it is team 1, ”boasted his coach -chef, Ronald Hilaire.
On several occasions, Latendresse-Regimbald did not hesitate to run with the ball or to attack deep areas. The 20-year-old athlete knows, however, that he still has “a lot to learn”. Two of his passes were intercepted and a few others almost met the same fate.
“I’m really happy with the team. We came out strong. It’s not our full potential. It was something impressive. […] We managed to pass the ball well over Laval and I think it’s a start,” he said.
His vis-à-vis Arnaud Desjardins also threw flowers at him.
“From what I’ve seen, I think for a first game it’s impressive. I think there are great things coming for him in the future. »
Head coach Glen Constantin praised him in turn, speaking of a “quarterback who is still very dynamic and very mobile”.
“Build on it”
Aside from the brilliance of his point guard, Hilaire liked what he saw from his flock.
“It’s not a team you can’t beat. I’m happy with what I saw offensively with a young quarterback in his first start. I think we have a special one, ”he said.
“It’s the first game, we can build on it. »
♦ In Sherbrooke, Vert & Or kicker Louis Tardif made a 26-yard field goal as the clock ticked the final seconds of the game to deliver a 24-23 win over the Concordia Stingers.