KINGSTON, Ont. -- With Queen's leading 19-13 in the third quarter of Saturday's Mitchell Bowl, Laval lined up for a field goal that could have brought the Rouge et Or to within three points.
Instead, Laval missed the kick and found itself facing a 13-point deficit it ultimately couldn't overcome.
Queen's defensive back Jimmy Allin returned the missed field goal 120 yards for a touchdown as the fourth-ranked Gaels hung on to beat the top-ranked Rouge et Or 33-30 to book a spot in next weekend's Vanier Cup.
"That was electric," said Queen's head coach Pat Sheahan. "I thought if there was a backbreaker play, that was it."
Queen's, which needed another touchdown and some timely defence to seal the win after Laval made it close late, will face the No. 2-ranked Calgary Dinos on Saturday in Quebec City.
The Dinos beat the No. 6-ranked Saint Mary's Huskies 38-14 in the other national semifinal.
Allin's return of Christopher Milo's 44-yard field goal attempt gave Queen's a 26-13 lead. It was also the second-longest return in Canadian university football playoff history.
Despite scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter on touchdowns by Maxime Beland and Julian Feoli-Gudino to go along with a Queen's safety, the defending Vanier Cup champions ran out of time.
On their own six-yard line in the final minute, Laval quarterback Benoit Groulx had the ball stripped by Queen's defensive lineman Frank Pankewich. Osie Ukwuoma recovered the fumble to seal the win.
Despite the loss, Laval head coach Glenn Constantin was proud of his team's performance in the fourth quarter.
"I thought the better team won today," said Constantin, adding that Laval's running game never got on track. "We had our shots, but we didn't take advantage of all of our opportunities."
The loss stings all the more for Laval since the Rouge Et Or will be forced to watch the Vanier Cup awarded on their home field.
Queen's quarterback Danny Brannagan outduelled Groulx, going 24-of-41 for 306 yards, largely on short passes.
"That's what they were giving us, and I think that's generally how they've played this year," said Brannagan. "They make you earn everything that you get."
Groulx, who went 26-of-42 for 425 yards, was sacked seven times.
Defensive lineman Shomari Williams accounted for 3 1/2 of those sacks and was named the player of the game.
"I just played," Williams said. "I watched films on the two offensive tackles and I knew how to beat them. I just tried to execute."
Despite the euphoria on the field at the final whistle, Williams put the win in perspective.
"This is just another step. It's great that we won but the end goal is to win the Vanier. We've just got to get ready for next week."
The loss marked the end of Groulx's CIS career. Constantin was proud of his quarterback during the fourth-quarter rally.
"You saw a hell of a competitor today," said Constantin. "When the chips were down he came back and he's a hell of a football player. He's an undersize quarterback, but you can't measure his heart."
With Laval trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, Groulx connected on a 62-yard strike to Beland that eventually led to a Seydou Junior Haidara touchdown.
Queen's responded with a drive from its own 20-yard line that ended with tight end Chris Ioannides' two-yard touchdown catch.
The Gaels padded their lead heading into halftime when Brannagan led his team downfield in the final minute, culminating in a 37-yard field goal by kicker Dan Village and a 17-10 advantage.