Laval Stadium can be as much a Vanier Cup adversary as any opponent

At least three hours before home games, Rouge et Or kicker Vincent Blanchard arrives at Telus-Université Laval Stadium in Quebec City to mentally prepare for maddeningly unpredictable weather that can quash field-goal attempts and stifle long passes.

The stadium, home to the Laval University football team, is an artificial valley, set a few metres below street level and partially sheltered by stands on either side of the turf. But wind still finds its way in through the end zones, swirls wildly and — in winter, at playoff time — numbs and bites at exposed flesh.

"Your technique is different when there is more wind," said Blanchard, a second-year kicker at Laval who finished third in scoring this season in the RSEQ [Quebec] conference. "You need to hold the ball longer, and you need to focus a little bit more on your routine."

The Saskatchewan Huskies and Western Mustangs will need to take note of the peculiarities of the stadium when they face off in Saturday's Vanier Cup. CBC has live coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET, on CBC TV, CBCSports.ca, CBC Sports app and GEM streaming.

WATCH | CBC's Signa Butler, Justin Dunk discuss what to know ahead of the Vanier Cup:

Saturday's forecast is calling for a high of minus-8 Celsius, though the sun is expected to make an appearance.

The quirks of playing at Laval are so pronounced that home-field advantage takes on new meaning. It's not just about the psychological boost that comes with having 12,000 screaming fans at your back; it's knowing how the ball travels in November versus September or July. 

"You get used to it, no matter what," said Chris Milo, a fellow kicker who coaches Blanchard and won a national championship with Laval on home turf at the Vanier Cup in 2010. "You're practising there every day, so you have an idea of your surroundings. You know what to expect more so than, let's say, the kicker from the opposing team."

When the Vanier Cup is played here — and it frequently is — any Quebec team that qualifies has an advantage over out-of-province schools that don't visit Laval during the regular season.

"We play a lot of times there," said Bertrand Beaulieu, a running back with the Montreal Carabins, who narrowly missed the 2021 title game but played in a Vanier Cup at Laval in 2019. "It's not a new environment for us, so it helps us to get ready for the game."

Even for regular-season games, the atmosphere is so electric that players have compared it to a CFL environment. 

"This is the closest you can get to playing a pro football game," Beaulieu said. "You feel chills on your body. And it's not a bad stress. It's more like a good stress that makes you want to play harder."

The stadium will likely be quieter and less emotionally charged on Saturday. Laval fans have less of a rooting interest when the Rouge et Or are ousted from the playoffs early, as they were in a 28-19 loss to Montreal in the Dunsmore Cup conference championship.

And a sellout in Quebec City is never a sure thing when the fans are travelling from Saskatoon and southern Ontario. But if the venue is a factor, Western may have an edge.