RECAP: Gee-Gees lose close road battle with #1 Laurier
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ottawa
(2-4)
|
10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
|
Laurier
(5-0)
|
9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 32 |
Team Stats
Laurier
| Game Statistics | Ottawa | Laurier |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 302 | 271 |
| Rushing Yards | 72 | 255 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of Poss. | 30:45 | 29:15 |
The Gee-Gees football team put forth a valiant effort against the nation's top-ranked team in the Laurier Golden Hawks at their Homecoming in Waterloo on Saturday.
Despite bringing the score to within a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Ottawa could not complete the upset and lost 32-20.
Ottawa got off to a quick start in the game, with quarterback Josh Janssen marching the offence down the field to score on the team's first possession. Charles Asselin capped off the drive with a one-yard run around the edge of the defence.
Laurier scored quickly themselves, but the Gee-Gees were able to convert on a 30-yard interception by Kevin Victome that setup a Zachary Copeland field goal to put Ottawa up 10-9 to close the first quarter.
Copeland hit another field goal to extend the lead to 13-9 in the second quarter, before Laurier took the lead back just before halftime. In the second half, Laurier built a 26-13 lead through the third quarter, before Janssen and the Gee-Gees matched back down to make it 26-20 on a Souleymane Camara touchdown run.
Ultimately, it was Laurier running back Tayshaun Jackson breaking loose for a 64-yard score late in the fourth quarter that spelled the end for Ottawa.
Janssen finished with 21 for 32 for 302 yards, while Noah Avery had a career day catching six passes for 119 yards. On defence, Victome and Daniel Briere led the way with seven total tackles, while Denny Ferdinand had Ottawa's second interception of the afternoon.
"I'm very proud of the team and their effort and focus. They believed they could win the game," said Gee-Gees head coach Marcel Bellefeuille. "They overcame missing starters coming into the game and losing some throughout, they battled through and hopefully this type of effort pays dividends down the stretch."
Up next, is the 55th Panda Game against Carleton next Saturday. For all intents and purposes, on top of its usual weight, the game will mean a clear path to the postseason for the victor.
The game will kick off at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6 at TD Place. For all information surrounding PandaFest activities before and after the game visit HERE.