On Thursday, Brent Bailey, the Gaiters offensive co-ordinator, made the surprise announcement that Mathieu Demers would start at quarterback this week.
Demers sat out the Gaiters’ first two games, and was at No. 3 on the depth chart, behind incumbent starter Travis Eman, the fourth-year Laurier transfer, and sophomore Alex Bouffard.
However, the combination of a concussion to Eman and a desire to keep Bouffard coming off the bench — as he did in weeks 1 and 2 — has led to the former Limoilou Titan leapfrogging into the starter’s role.
“I think that Alex is an exceptional athlete and he’s got great feet. But his strength is running around making plays. I think he’s better coming off the bench,” said Bailey. “I think he’s a better athlete without the pressure of the start on him.”
The last true freshman to start as the Gaiters’ pivot was Jesse Andrews, who made his first start on Sept. 30, 2006 at Concordia and went 12-for-24 for 107 yards in a 41-11 loss.
The five-foot-10, 190-pound Demers is a two-time CEGEP Division 2 all-star, and won a Bol d’Or with the Titans in 2013.
“He’s a fighter. In practice, he shows a fire, a determination, and guys really rally around him,” Bailey added.
