HuskiesÕ QB comes off the bench to spark win
The Saint Mary’s Huskies have a decision on their hands at quarterback.
Former starter Jack Creighton came off the bench in relief of struggling rookie Jesse Mills to throw for 283 yards and three touchdowns, two to slotback Jahmeek Taylor, in a 40-16 win over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in AUS football Friday night before 2,400 fans at Huskies Stadium.
It marks the 20th consecutive win for the Huskies over the X-Men in Halifax since 1998. The Huskies, 4-1 or 5-0 pending the outcome of an appeal in a possible forfeited game against the Montreal Carabins, secured a playoff spot with the win.
The X-Men are 1-4.
Huskies fifth-year tailback Craig Leger, making a case for a Hec Crighton nomination, ran for 151 yards on 18 carries. The Salmon River product is averaging 106 yards per game.
Creighton, back in the fold this year after leaving the team in 2010, threw two interceptions in the season opener against Mount Allison to open the door to Mills as the starter.
But Creighton (15-21-283) bided his time and it finally came in the second quarter on Friday when head coach Steve Sumarah was unhappy with the level of offensive execution from Mills (3-9-30).
It was 7-3 for the Huskies in the second quarter when Sumarah made the switch.
"It was kind of unexpected," Creighton said. "I didn’t get a lot of reps. But Coach Sumarah gave me the chance and I went out there and did what I had to do."
Creighton started quickly. Just after entering the game, he connected with Taylor on a short pass that went for 75 yards for a 14-3 Huskies lead.
Up 19-6 at the half, the Huskies gathered in a fumble at the X-Men 38 two minutes into the third quarter. Creighton found slotback Jon Shreve for a 31-yard major for a 20-point lead.
Creighton and Taylor (3-106) went to work again from 26 yards for a 33-6 lead six minutes later.
Creighton said he didn’t deserve any better than he got to this point in the season.
"I worked hard and kept my mouth shut and at the end of the day I got my chance," he said. "We’ll see what happens next week."
Sumarah realized he sparked a quarterback controversy by benching Mills, his starter for all five regular-season games.
"Jack has been playing well the last couple of weeks," he said. "With Jesse, everything is a learning experience. Tonight, there were just a few things. I kind of thought we missed a few throws and I thought we needed a change-up. Jack is a veteran guy and he played with some veteran presence. I thought it settled us down a bit on offence."
He said the quarterback job is open going into next weekend’s rematch at St. F.X.
"I love the battle," he said. "I think they are both going to go out there and compete."
Mills scrambled in on a third-and-goal from the two-yard line in the first quarter for a 7-0 SMU lead. Brett Lauther booted three field goals (19, 32, 25).
Receiver Jordan Catterall (6-118) scored on a 56-yard hook-and-go from quarterback Cory Wensley (15-32-227) in the third quarter for the only X-Men major and the first touchdown allowed by the Huskies in the last three games.
Anthony Alix made three field goals (29, 34, 36) to round out the X-Men scoring.
Both teams took some significant injuries with converted quarterback Jean Legault, now getting his chance at defensive back for SMU, going out with knee damage in the fourth quarter. Offensive lineman Nick Arment hurt his ankle.
St. F.X. starting pivot Jahmari Bennett left in the first quarter after taking a shot to the head. He didn’t return.
Saint Mary’s scrimmaged without four defensive starters, including past all-Canadians Mark Holden and Dan Schutte.
The other AUS game of the weekend goes today at 2 p.m. at Mount Allison (0-4). The Acadia Axemen (3-1) are the visitors.