Seventeen seconds was all it took for Queen’s football to get ahead of the University of Toronto Blues on Saturday afternoon, and they never looked back.
Returning the opening kickoff, rookie running back Nathan Langley used strong blocking to maneuver 110 yards to U of T’s endzone, giving the Gaels a 7-0 lead.
– Are you serious NATHAN LANGLEY?!
This return has given the Gaels the early 7-0 lead!#TORvsQUE pic.twitter.com/h80bOsZOpK
— Queen’s Gaels (@queensgaels) September 8, 2018
Queen’s would go on to comfortably win 43-7, recording their second victory of the season and their first at home.
“I got it and I saw the seam. It was open and I just started running,” Langley said after the game, itting he didn’t know if he was going to make it all the way until he crossed the endzone. “I thought I was going to get caught, I’m not going to lie.”
While the touchdown would be the only one they recorded in the opening quarter, the Gaels broke open the floodgates in the second quarter, scoring three consecutive touchdowns—two of which were run in by fifth-year quarterback Nate Hobbs.
Going into the game, Hobbs was three touchdown es away from breaking the Queen’s record in ing touchdowns and was two behind the all-time record for rushing touchdowns.
While he ed for a single touchdown on Saturday—he still sits two behind Cal Connor at 50—his two rushing scores in the second quarter gave Queen’s quarterback 11, the all-time record for any Queen’s quarterback.
– Hobbs takes it himself for the TOUCHDOWN
Gaels lead 14-0!#TORvsQUE pic.twitter.com/mbbKCFYInZ
— Queen’s Gaels (@queensgaels) September 8, 2018
“Now, it’s just about me doing my best while I still can,” Hobbs said, adding his decision-making on the field is never impacted by the possibility of hitting a record. “During games, there’s definitely a lot [going on]. The last thing I’m thinking about is a record.”
Hobbs did, however, say he was aware of the significance of breaking records at such a historic football program.
“At a school like Queen’s, it’s so storied [that] it means a lot.”
Entering the final five games of the season, Hobbs said that despite the large margin of victory, he feels the Gaels need to improve their consistency—especially on offence.
“There are times in-game where we think we could roll through anybody,” Hobbs said. “We’re really close right now. If we get that extra gear of focus then we’ll be right there with the top tier of teams.”
Queen’s head coach Pat Sheahan was pleased with his team’s efforts, but agreed with his quarterback that this wasn’t the ultimate test of the team’s mettle.
Over the next three weeks, the Gaels will face Carleton, Guelph, Western—who, in 2017-18, won the Vanier Cup—and McMaster, all teams who Sheahan expects Queen’s will be fighting for a playoff position by season’s end.
“The next four weeks basically define our season. The games we’ve won so far are games everyone thought we’d win,” Sheahan said. “Now our season starts.”
Sheahan and the Gaels will be on the road for the coming two weekends, with trips to Carleton and Guelph, respectively.
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