The University of Regina Rams run in 2024 is over.
In a confrontation billed as a David vs. Goliath mismatch in Canada’s national university football semifinal, the Rams gave the Laval Rouge et Or all they could handle in a 17-14 loss at home in the Mitchell Bowl.
Reminiscent of a twelve-round boxing match with two fighters feeling each other out most of the way, the Rams dominated most statistical categories. Regina even held the lead until surrendering an 11-play, 85-yard drive that ended in a go-ahead Laval touchdown from Arnaud Desjardins to Isaac Gaillardetz with one minute and 19 seconds to go.
Coming in as 17.5-point underdogs, the Rams offence, led by injured quarterback Noah Pelletier, moved the ball with impressive regularity for 424 yards of total offence and controlled the ball for 12 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the Rouge et Or.
But it would be red zone struggles that ultimately did the Rams in. Four separate drives ended within the Laval 26-yard line and one ended up with a Regina touchdown.
Head coach Mark McConkey will need some time to recover from this one.
“I thought we had them. We were close and we played well. There were a couple plays here and there that got away from us. When you're going against a team that's so well coached and they get the best players all the time, you can't do that versus those teams, McConkey said.
“But I’m proud of our players. We were close, but came up a little bit short at the end of the roller coaster that this season has been.”
Outside of a 75-yard Arnaud Desjardins to Olivier Cool touchdown pass midway through the second quarter, the Regina Rams defence, maybe the best the school has ever seen, pitched a shutout against the high-flying Rouge et Or offence through the first three quarters.
The 7-7 score held from late in the first half until the final eight minutes of the ballgame when a Laval field goal held up as the difference before the two sides traded touchdown drives in the final minutes.
A classic playoff duel including a memorable effort from Noah Pelletier who very nearly outdueled one of the strongest powerhouses in Canadian University football.
Still, Pelletier could not mask his disappointment at the final outcome.
“It's a heartbreaker,” Pelletier said.
“We played a pretty tight game the whole time. The defence played a great game. A tough drive at the end there, but would have been nice if the offence could have driven down. We had a really good season. We're happy with that. We wish we played one more, but that's football.”
Playing the biggest home game in Rams history, Regina was denied what would have been their second-ever birth in a Vanier Cup.
Pelletier is grateful the season came this far for a team that was once 2-5 and very nearly missed the playoffs but will need time to get over the sting of coming so close and falling short.
“It's been a blessing to play with these guys. A defensive battle throughout the game. We knew our defence, going into the game was going to keep them pretty low scoring, so the offence has to step up. A couple plays I’d like to get back, but at the end of the day, that's football.”
“That's a really good team. They played a really good game and we were happy to be able to play them.”
Pelletier says his injured left non-throwing shoulder “feels pretty good” despite making a tackle with it on an interception return late in the fourth quarter.
McConkey was asked if this playoff run has set his team up for taking a real shot at making the Vanier Cup next November when it will be played in Regina.
“Heartbreaking right now for sure and we lose four key players but the majority of our roster is back, that's the exciting part for us,” McConkey said.
Laval takes on the Laurier Golden Hawks in Saturday’s Vanier Cup championship game in Kingston, ON.
