The game statistics were good, the time of possession was great, but the final score was a disappointment. The Concordia Stingers lost 41-18 to the Montréal Carabins before a crowd of more than 3000 at Concordia stadium in Montreal on Sunday.
Concordia rolled up 344 yards of offence – most of it from quarterback Rob Mackay who completed 23 of 46 passes for 292 yards. His favorite targets were Dan Rodrigues with six catches for 62 yards and Cory Watson with four receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Montreal countered with 335 yards of total offence. Rotrand Sene did most of the damage, running up 198 yards and a TD on 22 carries.
The Stingers had the advantage in time of possession with 31:37 minutes. The Carabins controlled the ball for 28:23 minutes.
Montreal was strong on special teams, especially punt return. Frank Bruno returned eight punts for 214 yards, including a 94-yard run for a touchdown to open the scoring at 4:20 of the first quarter.
The Carabins increased their lead to 20-0 by the end of the first quarter. At halftime the score was 28-11.
“We’re not down,” said Concordia wide receiver Dan Rodrigues. “We continue to improve. Both offensively and defensively we showed signs that we’re getting better. There’s still six more weeks in the season. We’re young, we’re learning every week and I like where we’re heading.”
Concordia linebacker Cory Greenwood led all tacklers in the game. He had seven solos tackles and two assists. Defensive end J.P. Binette also stood out. He had two tackles and recovered two fumbles.
The Stingers’ record falls to 0-2. Next Saturday, the team travels to Sherbrooke to face the Vert et Or.
