Laval University Rouge et Or quarterback Bruno Prud'homme, right, is consoled by teammate Julian Feoli-Gudino after throwing an interception that led to a University of Calgary Dinos' touchdown during first quarter CIS Mitchell Bowl football action in Calgary, Alta., Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntoshJeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
The Laval Rouge et Or will get a chance to defend their Vanier Cup title after defeating the Calgary Dinos 41-10 in the Mitchell Bowl on Friday.
Quarterback Bruno Prud'homme tossed touchdown passes to Julian Feoli-Gudino and Guillaume Rioux, while Sebastien Levesque ran for another as the Rouge et Or broke the game open in the second quarter with 24 points.
Jeremie Chretien also recovered a fumble in the Calgary end zone, while Christopher Lavaud recovered a fumble and ran it in for a touchdown. Boris Bede kicked a pair of field goals for Laval.
Earlier in the evening, the fourth-ranked McMaster Marauders downed the No. 7 Acadia Axemen 45-21 in the Uteck Bowl in Moncton.
The top-ranked Rouge et Or will now face the Marauders in the 47th Vanier Cup next Friday, Nov. 24 at BC Place in Vancouver. Laval will be going for its record seventh Vanier Cup championship. The Rouge et Or are currently tied with the Western Mustangs at six titles each.
Tye Noble had an interception return for a touchdown for the No. 2 ranked Dinos, who were attempting to advance to their third straight Vanier Cup. Johnny Mark also kicked a field goal for Calgary.
The Dinos jumped out to a 7-0 lead at 3:47 of the first quarter when Noble picked off an errant pass by Prud'homme and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.
After Bede kicked a 37-yard field goal for Laval, Mark kicked one through the uprights from 17 yard out to give Calgary a 10-3 lead through one quarter of play.
Prud'homme then led the Rouge et Or on an eight-play, 70-yard drive that culminated with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Feoli-Gudino in the back of the end zone.
Calgary's Adam Ballingall fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff return and Laval's Frederic Plesius recovered it giving the Rouge et Or excellent field position at the Calgary 14-yard line. Three plays later, Prud'homme threw a nine-yard strike to Rioux in the end zone.
Bede then kicked a 25-yard field goal before Levesque scampered for a 35-yard touchdown to give Laval a 27-10 halftime lead.
The mistakes continued for the Dinos in the third quarter as Chris Dobko fielded the kickoff and ran out to the one-yard line before retreating back into end zone, where he fumbled the ball. Chretien pounced on the loose ball for an easy touchdown.
Lavaud rounded out the scoring in the fourth quarter when he recovered a fumble by Calgary's Kevan Hafichuk and ran it back for a 26-yard touchdown.