Queens University Gaels defensive MVP Chris Smith holds his trophy as teammates celebrate their Vanier Cup victory against the University of Calgary, at Laval University Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques BoissinotJacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press
The Queen's Golden Gaels had to scratch and claw their way for everything they've earned this Canadian Interuniversity Sport football season.
So when the Calgary Dinos took a big first half lead against the Ontario champion panic did not set in.
The Golden Gales were in their element and led by another determined effort by quarterback Danny Brannagan Queen's stormed back in the second half to stun the Dinos 33-31 to win a thrilling Vanier Cup on Saturday afternoon here at PEPS Stadium.
"It didn't hurt us, I'll tell you that," Pat Sheahan, the jubilant Queen's coach, said about the difficult road the Golden Gaels have travelled this season. "It was great training."
On November 14, The Golden Gales hung on to defeat the University of Western Ontario Mustangs 43-39 to capture the Ontario University Athletics Yates Cup.
In last week's Mitchell Bowl, the national semi-final played on their home turf in Kingston, Queen's hung on to upend Laval Rouge et Or, the No. 1 team in the country, 33-30.
But yesterday, the Golden Gaels luck appeared to be running out after the Dinos secured a 27-7 halftime lead on a cold and blustery afternoon on the campus of the University of Laval.
The weather did not deter a standing-room only sellout gathering of 18,628 from turning out and they were treated to an exciting game as Queen's came back to engineer the largest second half comeback in Vanier Cup history.
Calgary did an effective job of bottling up Brannagan and the vaunted Queen's passing game over the first two quarters, restricting the fifth-year quarterback to just six completions.
But Brannagan broke loose in the third quarter with the wind at his back, connecting with Devan Sheahan for a 60-yard pass-and-run play for a touchdown on just the third play to begin the Queen's comeback.
Brannagan finished the game connecting on 17 of 33 of his passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns and was selected the winner of the Ted Morris trophy as the game's most-valuable player.
"That was big," Brannagan said of Sheahan's touchdown play. "At that point I think we were down by 18 points. Had they scored again it would have been almost a snowballing effect.
"For us to go out there and get that first score in the third quarter was really a big deal for us."
Calgary would then surrender a safety and a 12-yard field goal by Dan Village after Queen's recovered a fumble by Calgary quarterback Erik Glavic deep in the Calgary end trimmed the Dinos' lead to 25-19 heading into the fourth quarter.
Calgary had the wind at its back for the final 15 minutes but could not take advantage as Queen's utilized an unsung ground attack led by the relentless Marty Gordon to grind out yardage and maintain ball control.
Gordon finished the game rushing 19 times for 102 yards but 67 of those occurred in the fourth quarter where Queen's maintained ball control for almost 9 ½-minutes.
"Marty made so many big plays in the second half," Sheahan said. "It was a great day for everybody. Marty was super.
"It's probably his last football game. We've got a bunch of guys it was probably their last football game so I'm sending them home champions."
Early in the fourth quarter Brannagan found receiver Scott Valberg in the end zone on a 17-yard TD pass reception that moved Queen's in front for the first time in the game 26-25.
Gordon then extended the lead to 33-25 when he took a handoff from Brannagan, started up the middle then cut to his right and rambled untouched around the corner for a 15-yard score.
That moved Queen's in front 33-25 after 6:26.
Glavic struck back quickly for Calgary, leading the Dinos on a 55-yard march on the next possession, culminating in a 15-yard TD catch by Anthony Parker.
A two-point conversion try by Calgary failed and Queen's lead was down to a precarious two with more than half the quarter remaining.
A fumble recovery by Queen's linebacker Chris Smith snuffed out one promising Calgary drive at their own 48-yard line after that.
Smith, who in the third quarter forced a fumble by Glavic near midfield that led to the Village field goal, was named the defensive player of the game.
With 3:01 remaining, Queen's got the ball back at the Calgary 50 and the Golden Gales were able to run out the clock to earn the school their fourth Vanier Cup title, its first since 1992.