Huskies top Gaiters 30-13 in Home Opener

(HALIFAX, N.S.)—Forced to move their 2019 football home-opener one day up due to Hurricane Dorian, the Saint Mary's Huskies defeated the Bishop's University Gaiters 30-13 on Friday night, from Huskies Stadium in Atlantic University Sport football action.

Rookie quarterbacks Avery Clayton and Joshua Shim each saw action for SMU.

Shim (Lawrenceville, Georgia) paced Saint Mary's offence with 181total yards and accounted for two touchdowns, a one-yard plunge capping off a four-play, 25-yard drive opened the scoring 7-0 with Brian Hope's extra-point with 6:31 left in the first quarter.

Shim's other touchdown went 48-yards thru the air and found Brody Bernier-Lawson (Leduc, AB) for the major.

Noah Laursen (Calgary, AB) followed up each SMU touchdown with a Bishop's field goal—from 14 and 28 yards out—as the Huskies took a 14-6 halftime lead.

Hope (Port Coquitlan, B.C.) added field goals of 18 and 41 yards in the third quarter, as SMU increased their lead to 20-6 after three quarters.

Bishop's battled back in the fourth, scoring on a seven-yard touchdown toss from Liam Kennedy to Ianis Cherdieu (Asnieres, France), cutting SMU's lead to 20-13

Hope kicked his third and final field goal, from 43-yards out for a 23-13 lead with 4:25 left in the fourth.

Jordan Angove (Prince George, B.C.) sealed SMU's 30-13 victory with his second interception on the night, returning the pick-6 85-yards to the house with 23 seconds left in the final quarter.

Clayton (Ottawa, ON) finished with 63 yards passing on 4-6 and caught a 26-yard pass on a trick play.

Tyrique Dixon-Bowden (Halifax, N.S.) had 14 carries and finished with 60 yards on the ground for SMU.

Kennedy (Nepean, ON) went 11 for 22 with 185 yards passing, one touchdown and threw two picks.

QB Liam Kennedy threw for 185 yards for the Gaiters for 1 TD. 

Bishop's leading rusher, Louis-Philippe Gregoire (Jonquiere, QC) rushed for 113 yards on 25 attempts for the Gaiters.

A hungry Huskies defence forced seven fumbles and recovered two while SMU's offence had three fumbles and lost one.

SMU improves to 2-0 and Bishop's falls to 1-2 on the year.

Saint Mary's hosts the U Sports #9-ranked Acadia Axemen September 13th at 7 p.m. while Bishop's hosts the Mount Allison Mounties September 14th at 2 p.m.

Dominic Nolasco, SMU Communications

Photo Mona Ghiz