(LENNOXVILLE, QUE.) Gabin Leux's blocked punt at the 11:35 mark of the first quarter set the tone as the Bishop's Gaiters rolled to a 38-10 victory over the Saint Mary's Huskies in their home opener at Coulter Field on Saturday in Atlantic University Sport football action.
Alex MacDonald picked up the block and scampered 22 yards to finish in style for the Gaiters first major of the day.
Bishop's never looked back from there.
Saint Mary's Ethan Nagler had opened the scoring with an 11-yard field goal halfway through the first quarter before the Gaiters special teams took over.
It was more special teams' heroics in the second stanza. Following a Yani Gouadfel rouge, the Gaiters used some trickery in the waning moments.
With 16 seconds remaining and Bishop's in punt formation, they snapped the ball to their upback Xavier Gervais who pooch-punted it down the field. Gouadfel and Marco Briones were on-side and recovered the loose ball. That set up a Gervais 15-yard field goal as the first half ended to put Bishop's up 14-3.
Gervais added a 37-yard field goal early in the third frame.
Bishop's all but put the game away when quarterback Justin Quirion surprised everyone including the Huskies defence with a quick snap on third and four. He connected with Oliver Burnett for a 22-yard touchdown as time expired in the third quarter, much to the delight of the 1187 in attendance on Bishop's move-in day.
St. Mary's back-up quarterback Zac Montgomery did march the Huskies on an 11-play, 84-yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Liam Stewart to cut the lead to 24-10.
Bishop's responded with two late touchdowns thanks to the legs of Mason McGriskin and David Chaloux as they focused on the potentially crucial point differential tie-breaker at the end of the season.
The Gaiters out-gained Staint Mary's 373 yards to 187. Quirion finished 17-29 for 197 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Huskies starter Duncan Patterson went 7-15 for 51 yards and Montgomery was 3-8 for 33 yards and the touchdown.
The victory moves Bishop's to 1-1 as they head into their bye week. Staint Mary's falls to 0-1 and will play at Acadia (1-1) on Friday night.
Source: Bishop's Gaiters Communications