Embracing Canadian game, Texas-born Rooker leads UBC’s hunt for Vanier Cup vs. Montreal

In many ways, things have had to come together perfectly for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to return to the Vanier Cup championship game. 

Earning their berth in the final with a 47-17 win over St. Francis Xavier University in the Mitchell Bowl last weekend, the signature moment of the team’s postseason run to date came a week prior in the Hardy Cup Final where they captured the Canada West banner.

With no time left on the clock, quarterback Garrett Rooker connected with Sam Davenport on a 13-yard pass to secure UBC a 28-27 win over the University of Alberta Golden Bears and the conference title in front of a nearly sold-out crowd at Thunderbird Stadium.

The Texas-born quarterback Rooker and former Simon Fraser University receiver Davenport – who transferred to UBC after the Burnaby, B.C. school axed their NCAA DII program – have been the dual engine of the team’s offence throughout their march to the national championship game.

“I remember one of the player-led sessions in the summer, it was clear [Davenport] would help us a lot. We built chemistry throughout training camp and the regular season, and even though he got injured for a bit, we had a lot of depth,” Rooker said.

“We’ve found a way to get healthy and have everyone back for the playoffs, and Sam has been able to hit another level and has done an unbelievable job.”

On Saturday, the duo headline the Thunderbird’s efforts at the 58th Vanier Cup in Kingston, Ont. It’s UBC’s first trip to the final since 2015, and features a matchup with the Université de Montréal Carabins, the same opponent UBC defeated eight years ago. 

Fans can stream the Vanier Cup live on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.

WATCH | UBC defeats St.FX in Mitchell Bowl:

U SPORTS Mitchell Bowl: St. FX X-Men vs. UBC Thunderbirds

Featured VideoWatch the UBC Thunderbirds host the St. FX X-Men with a spot in the Vanier Cup on the line.

While American quarterbacks have become the standard in the Canadian Football League, they are seldom seen in U Sports football. For Rooker, it was a gamble to come to Canada and a challenging task to lead the UBC program back to glory, but he’s taken it in stride despite never visiting UBC or Vancouver before his commitment in 2020. 

His father, Dr. Jay R. Rooker, a marine biology professor at Texas A&M-Galveston, had sent many of his students to further their studies at UBC. He also highly suggested the kinesiology program and football for his son whose recruitment had been impacted by COVID-19 regulations.

“It was something we figured was worth taking a shot; [UBC head coach] Blake Nill reached out to me, and it all lined up,” Rooker said. “As a kid from Texas, you don’t know much about Canadian football, but I knew it was a very quarterback-friendly game and that I would be able to embrace that and what the university had to offer.”

Since arriving, he’s thrived at UBC, helping lift the program back into contention. Yet, this season marked the 2021 Rookie of the Year’s return from a devastating hip injury he suffered in a 2022 matchup with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

When the Thunderbirds stepped onto the gridiron to start their 2023 training camp, few were as excited as Rooker to get back, and his determination and unique mobility have helped him maintain his level despite coming back from a severe setback.

“It was my goal the whole time to be ready by week one,” he said, despite the surgery and rehabilitation plans potentially jeopardizing his career. “It was a huge moment for me when I got the go-ahead for training camp.”

Duelling offences highlight tactical battle

While Rooker and Davenport will likely need to connect for the Thunderbirds to find success, they will have to navigate one of the best defensive cores in U Sports. The Carabins, coming off a 29-3 win over the OUA Yates Cup champion Western Mustangs, forced six turnovers against Canada’s top offensive team, recovering three fumbles and picking off Western quarterback Evan Hillock with three interceptions.

At the same time, the Carabins will look to make Montreal the first city since 1980 to win the Vanier Cup and Grey Cup in the year, with the Montreal Alouettes capturing the CFL title on Nov. 19. Edmonton was the last city to hold the honour, when the Golden Bears and Elks captured their respective titles 43 years ago. 

WATCH | Montreal Carabins trounce Western Mustangs in Uteck Bowl:

U Sports Uteck Bowl: Western Mustangs vs. Montreal Carabins

Featured VideoWatch the Montreal Carabins host the Western Mustangs with a spot in the Vanier Cup on the line.

Montreal’s offence will have to come together under the quarterbacking leadership of Jonathan Sénécal. The 2023 RSEQ Player of the Year,  Sénécal, dominated the regular season but comes off a pair of middling performances in the Dunsmore Cup and Uteck Bowl. 

After a 12-6 win in the RSEQ Dunsmore Cup final over the Université Laval, in which he threw just 171 yards and did not throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season, Sénécal picked up 228 passing yards and a touchdown pass but also tossed a pair of interceptions against the Mustangs.

During the regular season, Sénécal ranked fourth in U Sports in passing yards with 2,215 and fifth in passing touchdowns, with 15, trailing UBC’s Rooker in both categories. 

UBC’s success relies on more than just Rooker’s aerial game. Key contributors include running back Isaiah Knight and defensive back Cesare Rednour-Bruckman, who delivered an impressive 60-yard punt return touchdown in the Mitchell Bowl victory over St.FX.

“We have a bunch of confidence in our quarterbacks to make plays and make the right reads, and [Davenport] has elevated the receiving core,” said Rednour-Bruckman, an American UBC running back.

Montreal, meanwhile, is a group on a mission to banish past heartbreaks, which many of the current student-athletes suffered in recent seasons. That includes a last-play Dunsmore Cup loss to Laval in 2022 and a challenging defeat to the University of Saskatchewan in 2021. 

“Most of the players we have on our team have been part of those two teams,” Carabins head coach Marco Iadeluca said. “I think from the off-season from the get-go, we had a mission from day one, and we wanted to get to those games and finish them differently.”

For Rooker, however, it’s nothing too foreign –  he knows the pressure of playing in front of thousands from his high school days in League, Texas.

“Under the lights and in front of fans is when I play some of my best football,” he said. “This is going to be a big game for all of us, but the big thing I can do is bring energy and calmness to our team.”

Around the U Sports World: 

• U Sports and the Canadian Premier League announced that the annual draft to Canada’s top division of men’s soccer will take place on Dec. 14, and feature two rounds with Winnipeg’s Valour FC holding the first overall selection. 

• The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees might be the stronger Ottawa men’s basketball program these days, riding a five game win streak to open their season while the defending U Sports champion Carleton Ravens sit at 3-2 with a youthful group. 

• The Brock University Badgers men’s hockey team cracked the top three in the U Sports weekly top 10 rankings for the first time in program history after adding two wins to their now seven game win streak. 

• Canada West women’s volleyball is once again proving to be a UBC and Trinity Western clash, with both programs sitting at 8-0 to start their seasons, the only undefeated teams in Canada.