Photo Credit: Emery G.
Photo Credit: Emery G.
November 16, 2024

OUA MVP Elgersma leads Golden Hawks into first Vanier Cup since 2005

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LENNOXVILLE, Que. – Taylor Elgersma threw for 452 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Laurier Golden Hawks to a 48-24 win over the Bishop’s Gaiters in the 2024 Uteck Bowl at Coulter Field, Saturday. The crowd of 2175 in Lennoxville, watching the first bowl game at Coulter Field since the 1994 Churchill Bowl, watched the reigning OUA MVP set a new record for passing yards in a bowl game as he completed 30 of 34 passes to send Laurier to their sixth appearance in the Vanier Cup, their first since they won the 2005 contest.

Box Score

Elgersma connected with Ryan Hughes on three of his majors, including two late in the second quarter that extended Laurier’s lead to 34-3 at halftime. The other Elgersma scoring passes went to Sebastian Parsalidis in the second quarter and Ryan Speight midway through the fourth.

After taking a 3-0 lead on their opening drive, courtesy of the first of Dawson Hodge’s two field goals of the day, they extended their lead to 10 points on a three-yard run from Tayshaun Jackson. A 32-yard field goal by Xavier Gervais cut the first-quarter margin to 10-3.

The second quarter was one-way traffic for the visitors, highlighted by two Laurier touchdowns within 1:27 midway through the period as they scored 24 unanswered points to blow the game wide open.

The Gaiters held brief comeback hopes early in the second half, after a 30-yard pass from Justin Quirion to Charles-Édouard Bizier capped a six-play, 84-yard Bishop’s scoring drive to open the period. However, the Golden Hawks responded on the next possession with a seven-play, 65-yard drive of their, capped by Hughes’ third major of the day to restore their 24-point lead.

The Gaiters’ special-teams highlight came at 4:05 of the fourth, when Mason McGriskin blocked a punt by Hodge and fell on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. The touchdown to Speight and Bizier’s second touchdown of the day, this time a 25-yarder, rounded out the scoring.

Quirion, the AUS player of the year, went 18-for-31 for 283 yards. Bizier was his favourite target, with five catches for 97 yards. O’Shae Ho-Sang, making his return to action for the first time in a month, had 12 carries for 93 yards.

For Laurier, Elgersma’s preferred targets were Hughes, who racked up 212 yards on six catches, and Ethan Jordan, who had nine catches for 76 yards. Jackson and Tanner Nelmes each ran for 81 yards.

Elgersma was named the game’s offensive player of the game, while defensive honours went to Johari Hastings, who had five tackles and a third-quarter interception that snuffed out a promising Gaiter drive.

Kyle Chorney of Bishop’s led all players with 11 tackles (nine solo, four assisted), while Alex MacDonald, the AUS Defensive Player of the Year, had nine tackles and a forced fumble.

The Golden Hawks, who are 2-3 all-time in Vanier Cups will take on either the Laval Rouge et Or or the Regina Rams in the Vanier Cup on Saturday, November 23 at Kingston. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.