Whether Janssen or Maracle starts, the Gee-Gees enter as favourites
Whether you’ve been obsessing over every game like us in the sports section at the Fulcrum, can name a couple players, or don’t quite yet know what a first down is, all Gee-Gees fans will be united on Sunday at TD Place for the 55th annual Panda Game.
The Gee-Gees and Ravens enter the game fighting for their lives in the OUA, where they both sit with a 2-4 record. Seven teams will make the postseason, and a win will see either team move into a playoff position with just a game left to play.
Also looming for the teams is the infamous Pedro the Panda trophy, which the Gee-Gees have taken home five years in a row. Since the first Panda in 1955, Ottawa leads the all-time series 37-17. The game is the most significant rivalry match in Canadian university football, routinely drawing crowds of more than 23,000 fans.
The Matchup
The Ravens are led by second-year quarterback Elijah Barnes, who is coming off of a 357-yard performance against York last week which led to him taking home OUA player of the week honours. Barnes is averaging 258 passing yards per game on the season, and has thrown for eight touchdowns in six games.
On the other end, the Ravens defence has been susceptible to the air game, and is allowing an average of 246.5 passing yards per game and gives up 27.7 points per game.
For the Gee-Gees, the quarterback situation is once again murky. Ben Maracle appeared on last week’s depth chart before the team’s game against national #1 Laurier, but it was Josh Janssen who ultimately took the reins.
Janssen performed even better than could have been expected as the Gees took the Lancers all the way to the fourth quarter. Last year’s third-stringer turned Panda Game starter threw for 302 yards in the loss, and has steadily been gaining head coach Marcel Bellefeuille’s trust.
Maracle, a fourth-year, was injured in the first quarter of Week 1 last year and has played just two full games this season. He has been a far cry from his pre-injury self in 2024, throwing for just one touchdown on 32-of-65 passing.
With that in mind, perhaps more important for the Gee-Gees is that running back Charles Asselin will start at running back on Sunday. Asselin, a third-year in his first year in the starting role, has battled through injury concerns of his own this season to enter the game tied for the league’s lead in rushing touchdowns (6) and second in rushing yards per game (109).
The Cantley, Q.C. native has been quite the revelation for the Gee-Gees, who lost stars J.P. Cimankinda and Amlicar Polk the last two years. Joining Asselin in the backfield is second-year Souleymane Camara, who has seen reps in each of the last three games, scoring against Laurier last week.
The offence is set, and either one of Janssen or Maracle lining up under centre means that the Gee-Gees are in good hands. Speaking of good hands, we turn to the defence, which has remained mostly intact from last season, save for the departure of 2023 OUA First Team All-Star, linebacker Max Charbonneau.
The defensive back tandem of twins Eric and Patrick Cumberbatch will unfortunately not be fully complete, after Eric went down with a lower-body injury against Queen’s, but Patrick leads the secondary, which has held opponents to just 158 air yards per game — good for first in the OUA.
The Outlook
Last year, I said that this will not be a typical Panda Game blowout for the Gee-Gees, but that if Janssen played well, the team had a chance to pull off a “gritty” victory. This year, I’m even more confident in the Gee-Gees. Even if Maracle is held out, Janssen has racked up 506 air yards in the past two weeks on 37-of-51 passing.
The Ravens, as I discussed, are very susceptible to the air game. Charles Asselin is one of the best running backs in the country. And Barnes will not be able to put up those vaunted numbers from last week against this Gee-Gees secondary. And keep in mind, his incredible performance only led to the Ravens beating the hapless York Lions 24-10.
Though the Gee-Gees are coming off three losses, the last two — against unbeaten teams — have been close, and the Gees have competed hard. “There’s going to be a dividend somewhere,” Bellefeuille told TSN 1200 on Thursday.
“You hope it shows up this week in terms of their ability on a big stage … you know when you’re playing good football, or better football.”
If you missed out on tickets for the big game, or are watching from home, catch it on OUA.TV, CBC Sports, or follow along with the Fulcrum’s Twitter feed for updates.
