Sherbrooke Stuns McGill Football in Season Opener
SHERBROOKE, QC – The McGill Redbirds football team suffered a 34-17 defeat at the hands of the Sherbrooke Vert et Or in thier season opener on Saturday, September 27, 2025. The game, played at Stade Bishop’s in Lennoxville, Quebec, marked a disappointing start to the season for the Redbirds, who were looking to build on a promising off-season.
The loss underscores the challenges facing McGill in the competitive Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference. The Redbirds, aiming for a playoff berth, now face an uphill battle to regain momentum. The team will need to quickly address defensive vulnerabilities and offensive consistency to contend for a championship. McGill’s next contest is scheduled for Saturday, october 5th, against the Concordia Stingers at Percival Molson Stadium.
sherbrooke seized control early, establishing a 20-3 lead by halftime. McGill struggled to contain the vert et Or’s rushing attack and were hampered by turnovers. Despite a second-half rally that saw the Redbirds close the gap to 27-17, Sherbrooke responded with a late touchdown to seal the victory.
McGill quarterback Dimitri Paniotopoulos completed 17 of 31 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Rhys Taylor led the Redbirds’ receiving corps with 78 yards on six catches. Defensively, linebacker Charles-Antoine Sinibaldi recorded eight tackles.
“We made too many mistakes in the first half and couldn’t recover,” said McGill Sports Information officer Earl Zukerman. “Sherbrooke played a very disciplined game and capitalized on our errors.”
The Vert et Or were led by quarterback Antoine Demers, who threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns.Running back Gabriel Roy added 112 rushing yards and one touchdown.
