Carabins: the bad luck of the second year?

In 2021, University of Montreal Carabins wide receiver Hassane Dosso came out of nowhere and dominated the Quebec circuit. At the dawn of his second season, can the Frenchman repeat his exploits? 

“I feel a little pressure. However, I tell myself that if I have already done it, I can do it again, ”said Dosso, after a training camp exercise for the Blues on Saturday.

The No. 81 caught 48 balls for 757 yards and four touchdowns in seven regular season games. He added 129 yards to his haul for the year in the two RSEQ playoff games he played.

Even if he feels ready “to do it again”, Dosso will however have to live with the fact that the other teams now know what to expect. His situation is reminiscent of that of a certain Régis Cibasu. In 2014, in his first campaign with the Carabins, the latter had been fantastic. The following year and for the rest of his college career, he was a target in his rivals' game plan and regularly had two roofers on his back.

Dosso doesn't seem to see that as a bad thing. eye.

“I know what to expect and I am ready for this challenge. If they decide to defend too much against me, I have a teammate who will take advantage of it,” he said with a smile.

Beaulieu in the same boat< /p>

The native of Paris will not be the only member of the Carabins attack to experience this situation, since the ball carrier Bertrand Beaulieu will also no longer benefit from the surprise effect.

Last year , the giant format athlete took advantage of an injury to Ryth-Jean Giraud to make his mark in the backfield. No running back has amassed more yards (634) than him with his legs in Quebec in 2021.

“I'm really not stressed about it, because I feel even more comfortable than last year,” said Beaulieu. I'm sure there won't be a difference when it comes to my production.”

When asked about the possibility that some of his key players might be affected by the bad luck of the second year, the ' head coach Marco Iadeluca dismissed the hypothesis out of hand.

“In my career, I've never really seen an athlete regress to their second year. It's even quite the opposite, because guys often take a step. There is nothing new anymore and they have adapted to the league. It is often in the second year that we see the greatest progress.”