As expectations were higher and we heard about the McGill football program in a way we never had before in 20 years, head coach Alex Surprenant believes his team went through a learning curve throughout the season that should put them among the top teams in the RSEQ.
Coming off a promising season last year and the best recruiting class ever, expectations were very high for the Redbirds.
“The fans really wanted McGill to come in and shake up the two powers of Laval and Montreal,” Surprenant mentions from the start. “It's crazy how much we've talked about McGill over the last year and a half. It's good news for the program, but the players have had to learn to deal with that pressure, especially our veterans who are used to losing and going unnoticed.”
While the Redbirds have just two wins to their name, one shy of 2024, the Redbirds driver believes this was a better season in some respects than the previous one.
“This was the season when we were the most competitive with the two powers,” he emphasized. This was a big improvement. Overall competitiveness has improved. We beat Montreal for the first time since 2002. With the exception of the first half in Laval and the last seven minutes of the second leg against McGill, which were very bad, we were in the game in every game.
Surprise believes we need to look beyond just the win-loss record to analyze his team's regular season. “When we look at our track record, the first thing that comes to mind is inconsistency,” he admitted. However, if we look at the details of the results, we will notice that we were involved in four games that ended in just one possession, and we lost three of those games. Unlike 2024, we were unable to win such close matches.
In Concordia and Montreal, McGill found himself inside the opponent's 20-yard line late in the game with a chance to come away with the win, but was unable to do so. In the season finale against Concordia, the Redbirds were at the 9-yard line with a chance to tie the game, but a sack sealed the Stingers' victory.
Players are in a good mood
Surprise ensures spirits are high despite a 31-24 loss to great rivals Concordia. What are the chances of the Redbirds pulling off a surprise at PEPS on Saturday?
“We will have to play an A-level match to win,” he concluded. Our players have had experience playing in front of large crowds early in the season in Laval, and our young men, many of whom are graduates of Champlain College and CNDF programs, have experienced important playoff games during their collegiate careers. Against Laval this year we were sometimes very good and sometimes very bad. The loss to Concordia is part of the learning process.”
For the first time since 2019, the Redbirds made the playoffs in back-to-back years.
