Death from above
photo by Martha Pearce
Manning to Harrison? Third-year quarterback Brad Sinopoli threw three touchdown passes to fourth-year receiver Cyril Adjeity on Oct. 9 against Guelph.
Gees gain 714 yards on offence in third-straight win
TOUCHDOWNS AND RAINDROPS littered the field at Frank Clair Stadium on Oct. 9. Under the constant flow of rain, the University of Ottawa men’s football team opened the offensive floodgates and drowned the nationally ninth-ranked Guelph Gryphons 50-26. It was the team’s first win at home this season and their third consecutive victory overall.
“We just won a huge football game,” said Gee-Gees head coach Denis Piché after the match. “We’re proud of the [players].”
The first quarter established that both team defences were playing on slippery ground. Third-year Ottawa quarterback Brad Sinopoli’s first throw of the game was a 63-yard rocket launched to fourth-year receiver Cyril Adjeity for a touchdown. Despite bursting Guelph’s bubble with the score, poor tackling on Ottawa’s part allowed the Gryphons to complete an eight-play, 81-yard drive to the end zone on their next series from a mix of passing and running plays.
The Gees conceded a safety on their next possession, handing the Gryphons a 9-7 lead. But Ottawa regained the lead when Sinopoli again connected with Adjeity in the end zone, this time for a 15-yard touchdown pass that capped a seven-play, 60-yard drive. Finally, thanks to another Guelph defensive breakdown, Sinopoli was allowed to burst through the pocket and squirt by defenders. He ran 53 yards into the end zone, increasing the Gees’ lead to 21-9.
“We knew we had to score lots of points against [Guelph],” said Sinopoli. “The fast start was just what we needed.”
In the second quarter, both teams exchanged field goals. Late in the quarter, Sinopoli led the Gees 65 yards down the field with four straight pass completions. With only seconds remaining, Ottawa tacked on a field goal to take a 27-12 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Guelph poured on the pressure and recovered a Sinopoli fumble. The ripple effect was a Gryphon touchdown pass that cut the Gees’ lead to 27-19. Ottawa responded on their next possession, as the offence marched down the field. First-year running back Jordan Wilson-Ross split the defence for a 25-yard gain, which Sinopoli followed up with three straight passing completions, including one to Adjeity—yet again—for a 42-yard touchdown.
“It’s easy,” Sinopoli rearked about Adjeity. “I throw the ball anywhere around him and he’ll go up and get it.”
Ahead 34-19, the Gees deepened their lead after they recovered a Gryphon fumble, prompting first-year running back Brandon Gillanders to sweep in a five-yard touchdown run.
In the fourth quarter, Ottawa dampened Guelph’s spirits with a field goal to increase their lead to 44-19. After splashing on further points due to a field goal and Guelph safety, the Gees momentum was somewhat drained with a late Gryphon passing touchdown that made the score somewhat respectable at 50-26.
“I told the [players] this was a way to earn respect and control our destiny,” said Piché. “They took it to heart and went to town.”
Sinopoli finished throwing 24-for-33 for 342 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, including 107 yards on the ground. Adjeity hauled in 10 receptions for 191 yards and three touchdowns.
“We knew it would take time for us to jell,” said Sinopoli. “We’re peaking at the right time.”
With the victory, Ottawa improves to 4-2 and fifth-place in the Ontario University Athletics Conference. Their next game is at York (0-6) on Oct. 17.
