WLU Golden Hawks the best university football team in Canada

Wilfrid Laurier University’s football team has an undefeated record this season and the Waterloo, Ont. team is now ranked number one in the country.

"It feels good,” said head coach Michael Faulds. “We're proud of the work our players have done.”

The Golden Hawks entered last week ranked fourth in the country, while Western University held the top spot. Laurier moved into first after defeating the Mustangs 43-28 on Saturday.

"Obviously, they had won 30 straight OUA football games, so that was an important one for us,” Faulds explained. “We've played them a lot lately, played them twice late last year, including the Yates Cup. We felt confident going into the game that we were the better team. But we said its one thing to say [it], [but] you have to go out and prove it."

"It's a big accomplishment for us,” said Golden Hawks quarterback Taylor Elgersma. “We haven't been named [number one] since the 90s. And so being able to get that first for our program obviously feels good. But we know that this is the time of year we want to finish number one. We got to finish number one in November. That's ultimately what our sights are on."

WLU Golden Hawks quarterback Taylor Elgersma at a team practice on Sept. 18, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

Elgersma, a fourth-year student at Laurier, has been a big part of the team’s success this season. He spent the last three springs at CFL training camps and said it's given him a confidence to play at the highest level.

"My goal is to play professionally. I believe that Canadian quarterbacks can play and my job is to go out there and just keep my head down, keep working hard and play the best that I can," he explained.

"He's really matured as a player and gotten better each and every year,” said Faulds.

The 6’6” London-native has been named an OUA Most Valuable Player and was the OUA Offensive Player of the Week following their recent win over Western. Playing professional football is the goal for Elgersma, but he isn’t too concerned where.

"I want to go to whoever believes in me,” he said. “I guess that's kind of cliché, but I want someone that's going to believe in me and sees potential for me, and I know I can go prove it and work hard."

Another factor in the already powerful Golden Hawks team is fifth-year running back Tanner Nelmes.

He has signed with the Montreal Alouettes and also attended training camp. Nelmes ultimately returned to Laurier this year, but said he’s bringing back that experience to the OUA.

"Going to Alouettes camp and spending some time there, I played two preseason games with them as well,” the running back said. “You get to understand the professional portion of the sport and just understanding the difference between OUA football and the CFL, obviously."

Tanner Nelmes at WLU's Golden Hawks football practice on Sept. 18, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

"The experience he had in training camp with the Montreal Alouettes has given him a new sense of confidence,” added Faulds. “He's a great rusher, he's got great hands and he's a great blocker. So our whole team has a lot of confidence in him as a running back.”

While Nelmes also hopes to play professional football, he says Laurier's program is perfect for anyone wanting a chance on the gridiron.

"Obviously, there's been some coaches that have come and gone, but Michael Faulds has always been here. And you know, that's part of the reason that I put such a value on this program," Nelmes said. “It really is a great program,”

"We always tell them we have a template in place [and] if you put in the work, you have a chance to go play professionally one day. [That’s] easier said than done. Tanner [Nelmes], Cooper Hamilton, Taylor Elgersma, all these guys put in the work to give themselves those opportunities," said Faulds.

WLU Golden Hawks head football coach Michael Faulds at a team practice on Sept. 18, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV News)

This Saturday, the Golden Hawks will head to the University of Waterloo to take on the Warriors. Laurier’s team said they always look forward to the annual Battle of Waterloo rivalry game.

"I expect our team to come out ready,” Elgersma predicted. “We know the Battle of Waterloo, we're always going to get Waterloo's best punch. We know that they're going to throw everything they have at us. We know that they're in a spot where they need to find a win. And so we just got to be prepared for that and play four quarters of football.”

"It's a fun game, because the proximity of the two schools, the players know each other well. They see each other, they train with each other quite often, and it's fun for the community,” Faulds added.

The Warriors, meanwhile, are heading into the much-anticipated game without a win this season.

Warriors head coach Chris Bertoia said with the recent bye week, the team has been running extra practices.

“This is practice seven for us,” he explained Thursday. “We practiced an extra day on Monday. Preparation is our ally. Last week, when we had three practices preparing for Laurier, they were prepping for Western.”

The Battle of Waterloo kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Warrior Field.