U of O historically and statistically favoured to win
The pandemonium of the Panda Bowl, the Carleton University versus University of Ottawa football rivalry, is upon us. On Oct. 5, it will be raining black raven feathers.
How can such a bold claim be made, you ask? Simply put, the Ravens have never statistically held the Panda Bowl above the U of O’s heads. Their longest and only winning streak was three games. The U of O has had many, but our longest was a seven-game streak.
The Ravens’ biggest victory over the Gee-Gees was in 1977: a 36–16 defeat after all-star players like Neil Lumsden and Mike Murphy had been drafted from the Gees to the Canadian Football League (CFL) the year prior. The Gees’ greatest victory over the Ravens was in 1957, with a 44–0 shutout. It was U of O’s first win and precursor the seven-game winning streak.
The Ravens haven’t been flying comfortably through their first season in over sixteen years. They went into their Sept. 27 game against the Toronto Varsity Blues with a 0–4 record. The Blues sang the birds to a quiet sleep with a 50–10 victory. The Ravens haven’t really been producing much noise at all this season. They felt the Western Mustangs’ stomp in their 71–4 defeat at the beginning of the season and the tone hasn’t changed much since.
The Ravens’ game has been mostly passing-oriented, and if the Gees play anything like they have been on defence it’ll be no contest. The Gees only allowed a total of 101 passing yards in their Sept. 28 win against York University.
Winning isn’t everything. The Ravens’ fans have been showing up in great numbers to support their team, with more than 4,000 fans in attendance. Given the newly built Lees Avenue stadium, the Gees fans should have no trouble bringing spirit and pride to support the team.
Many of the alumni from the 1955 football teams will be present at the event because tradition is the very crux of this rivalry and this event.
Tickets for the event are available at Montpetit Hall and at the Minto Sports Complex, as well as online and via phone and email. The student rate is $15 while tickets last. The game takes place at 1 p.m. on Oct. 5.
