MONTREAL - Gabriel Cousineau passed for more than 400 yards with a pair of touchdown tosses to Mikhail Davidson as the University of Montreal Carabins held on to beat the Manitoba Bisons in a 29-24 victory in the Uteck Bowl at CEPSUM stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Cousineau also ran in a TD while Louis-Philippe Simoneau had a field goal before a sellout crowd of 5,100 for the Carabins, who advanced to the Vanier Cup final next Saturday at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal.
Jordan Yantz threw a pair of TD passes to Matt Sawyer and ran one in himself for Manitoba. The Bisons had three interceptions to give them 12 in three post-season games.
Trailing by five points in the final two minutes, Yantz completed five passes to the Montreal 12, but then was stripped of the ball by Anthony Coady and Byron Archambault recovered to end the threat and seal the Carabins' first visit to the Vanier Cup.
The Carabins, who have won 10 in a row, were coming off an upset win in the Quebec conference final over the top-ranked Laval Rouge et Or while the Bisons, underdogs who were 4-4 in the regular season, had beaten powerhouse Calgary to win the Canada West conference.
Cousineau was sacked on the first play from scrimmage, but on the next found Davidson behind the defence for an 89-yard touchdown.
The Carabins picked up a single on the ensuing kickoff, but Yantz marched Manitoba back on a nine-play drive capped by an eight-yard TD pass to Sawyer.
Montreal answered with Cousineau's 14 yard TD pass to Davidson and a 40 yard Simoneau field goal.
The Bisons' 10th interception of the post-season by Mitchell Harrison put the ball on the Montreal 41 and, three plays later, Yanta hit Sawyer with a 30-yard TD toss 2:22 into the second quarter.
Ryan Jones left a 49-yard field goal attempt short and Cousineau completed three long tosses to the Manitoba six, where he ran it in himself on a draw at 12:12.
But the Bisons weren't done, as Yantz scored on a 10 yard scramble with at 14:15 to close the gap to 27-21 at halftime.
The Carabins picked up their second safety of the day for the only third quarter scoring as the game turned into a defensive struggle in the second half.
A late drive set up Zach Regert's 40-yard boot with 2:12 left to play.
The Bison receiver and punter had limped off the field favouring his right knee after making a catch over the middle in the second quarter. He returned in the second half.
