1995 Dunsmore Cup Champions

Ottawa team stats | OQIFC conference stats

RECAP: Tight defence wins U of O conference title

The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees defence one-upped the best defence in the league Saturday. They captured the Ontario-Quebec Interuniversity Football Conference championship and the Dunsmore Cup by shutting down the Queen's Golden Gaels 8-3 at Frank Clair Stadium.

The Gee-Gees are now one win away from their first Vanier Cup appeareance since 1980, when they lost the national university final to Alberta 40-21.

Ottawa travels to Calgary to take on the Dinosaurs on Saturday in the Churchill Bowl national semifinal. The Dinos slipped past the Saskatchewan Huskies 32-30 in overtime Saturday to advance as Canada West champion.

The Churchill Bowl survivor will compete for the Vanier Cup at Toronto's SkyDome Nov. 25 against the winner of the Atlantic Bowl, featuring the Western Ontario Mustangs and Acadia Axemen.

"We have a pretty high-octane offence," said fifth-year U of O quarterback Steve Clarke, who helped his club grind out 291 yards against a Queen's defence that had allowed an average of less than six points in its previous four games.

Queen's managed only 135 yards of offence.

"But games like this show we also have the heart and desire," said Clarke, following his club's defensive triumph before about 700 fans, many of them from Kingston.

Still, Ottawa's victory came down to an illegal-blocking call against Queen's linebacker Tim Ware with 1:48 left in the game. 

Paul Greenhow, the Gaels' outstanding cornerback and returner, grabbed the ball in his end zone after the Gee-Gees' Darren McNeice missed a 32-yard field goal attempt. Greenhow ran 120 yards for what likely would have been the winning touchdown. But Ware was flagged for his block on Ottawa linebacker Mike Hendricks.

"It was a good play, but obviously we had a couple of penalties on it," said Queen's coach Bob Howes, the Ontario-Quebec conference coach of the year and a five-time Grey Cup winner as a centre with the Edmonton Eskimos.

"If you are going to wait the whole game for one play... that's not the way to win any gme. They shut us totally down and managed a couple of points. But I'm very, very proud. I don't think anybody thought we would get this far."

Ware didn't know he was the penalized player until after the game. "We ran into each other," he said. 

"We dominated the possession, but we stalled inside their 30," said Gee-Gees head coach Larry Ring. "They really played a great game on defence."

A 37-yard field goal by McNeice at the end of the first quarter halted the Queen's playoff run of shutout ball at 140 minutes, going back to their 31-0 hammering of Saint Mary's in the 1992 Vanier Cup.

Saturday's score was 3-0 at halftime. McNeice also kicked a 25-yarder in the third quarter and added singles on missed 32- and 27- yard field goal attempts. Two other attempts failed. Rob Weir accounted for the Gaels' only points with a 17-yard field goal minutes into the second half.

Ottawa defensive half Pierre-Paul Dorelien, cut by the CFL's Rough Riders this season, had six tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception.

The Queen's team includes rookie halfback Paul Correale, conference rookie of the year, rookie quarterback Beau Howes, Bob's son; and rookie full-back Steve Giibbens, filling in for an injured John Thelen of Ottawa.

Correale gained more than 100 yards in each of his previous four games, but was restricted to 34 yards on 10 carries Saturday, one of them for 14 yards.

Said Hendricks, who made a team high seven tackles: "We knew we were coming up against the best rusher in the conference in Paul Correale. We had to shut him down and go get their young quarterback, take advantage of their youth."

Quarterback Howes noted the Gaels had only six of 23 first downs. "It's pretty frsustrating. They were coming hard and they have lots of great athletes."

While the Gaels concentrated on U of O running back Carlo Disipio, holding him to 43 yards rushing, Angelo Miceli picked up 75 yards. Clarke completed 17 of 27 passes for 180 yards. Chris Evraire covered 80 yards on eight punt returns.

Note: this article originally appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on November 12, 1995. It was written by Rick Mayoh.