Ottawa defeats Laurier for the first time since 2022, claiming the best record in the OUA.
Following their dominant 44-3 win at home over the U of T Varsity Blues, the Gee-Gees took on a far tougher test against the Laurier Golden Hawks on the road this past Saturday.
In a back-and-forth contest that came down to the wire, Ottawa held off several Golden Hawk drives late in the fourth quarter, securing a 20-18 win.
First Quarter
Following a heartbreaking loss to the Golden Hawks last season, the Gee-Gees looked to set the tone early. Their efforts looked to be in vain as Golden Hawk Quinton Springer ran the ball all the way into Gee-Gee territory on the opening return, giving the Laurier offense an early advantage.
Though the Gees’ defence made a strong stand to stop an early touchdown, the Golden Hawks got themselves into field goal range, where kicker Marcus Reypa gave Laurier an early 3-0 lead.
The Gees’ offense answered quickly with a nice drive into field goal range where fifth-year kicker Zachary Copeland completed a field goal to make it a 3-3 game.
As the quarter continued, the Golden Hawk offence made their way all the way to the Gee-Gee goal line. But as the quarter came to a close, fifth-year defensive back Jaxxon Brashear made a crucial tackle to halt the Laurier advance.
Second Quarter
The quarter began with a 2nd-and-goal opportunity for Laurier, where quarterback Will Russell ran the ball in for the first touchdown of the game, giving the Golden Hawks a 10-3 lead.
Ottawa answered quickly with fourth year running back Souleymane Camara, making the play of the game. With helpful blocking from Brashear, Camara took the hand-off, bounced off a Golden Hawk defender, and ran the ball 52 yards to reach the Laurier end zone.
When asked about the play, Camara said, “I knew we needed a big play. When I got the ball, I saw the hole outside, took off and was able to run all the way to the end zone, with the help of Jaxxon who had my back.”
With the game tied at 10 apiece, the momentum had shifted heavily in favour of the Gee-Gees. The Gee-Gees’ defence put the clamps on Laurier, forcing penalty after penalty.
Fifth-year quarterback Josh Janssen generated some great chances for the Gee-Gees’ offence late in the quarter, connecting with wide receiver Devaughn Blackwood for several big plays later on in the quarter. Unfortunately, Ottawa was unable to capitalize before halftime.
Third Quarter
The Gee-Gees managed to grab their first lead of the game early on in the third, when Janssen and Camara worked in tandem to lead the offense into field goal range. Though the drive eventually stalled, Copeland nailed his second field goal of the game to make the score 13-10.
The Golden Hawks responded quickly, as their drive brought the ball all the way to the Gee-Gee goal line. Laurier took back the lead as running back Lewcas Rayner ran the ball in to make it a 17-13 game.
Ottawa’s offense fought back immediately, with Janssen finding Blackwood for his sixth catch of the game on a huge chunk play, bringing the Gee-Gees within field goal range.
The Gee-Gees pushed all the way to the Laurier goal line, where Janssen nearly connected with fourth-year wide receiver Tristan Gilbert Thibault. Although Thibault didn’t come down with the ball, Golden Hawk defensive back Tucker Pinet tackled him while the ball was in the air.
Though the referees failed to make the call, they did spot another infraction from the Golden Hawk defence. The call was unnecessary roughness, and the Gee-Gees entered the fourth quarter with a fresh set of downs.
Fourth Quarter
With the lead restored, Ottawa’s defense took charge of the game. Late in the quarter, Laurier found themselves deep in Gee-Gee territory, looking to take back the lead. First-year Gee-Gee defensive lineman Conner Johnston made a huge play, stuffing a Golden Hawk run to force second and ten.
The Gee-Gees elected to put second-year wide receiver Emyl Gregoire under centre at the Golden Hawk 1-yard line, where he rolled out to his right and into the end zone to make the game 20-17 Ottawa.
Though the drive stalled, the Golden Hawks were still well within field goal range. In a shocking turn of events, a botched snap left Laurier’s holder scrambling to position the ball. The kick missed to the right, only netting the Golden Hawks one point and leaving the Gee-Gees a two-point lead.
The following Gee-Gee drive stalled out, and the Golden Hawks found themselves with yet another chance to take the lead. Thankfully, the Gee-Gees’ defence stood tall and forced another field goal. Laurier’s kicker missed once again, and the Gee-Gees’ offence was able to run the clock out for a final score of 20 – 18 to Ottawa.
He did what now??
While Janssen did not throw a touchdown pass, he put together another efficient performance, completing 21 of his 31 passing attempts for 245 yards in the game.
Blackwood was the star of the receiving core, catching 7 passes for a jaw-dropping 119 yards. He provided a consistent option for Janssen in the passing game, proving himself completely unguardable for the Golden Hawks.
Camara was the star of the show on offense, rushing for an absurd 135 yards on only 18 attempts, including his 52 yard touchdown run that kept the Gee-Gees in the game early on.
The Gee-Gee defence as a whole proved itself to be one of the most formidable in the OUA, tallying an incredible 58 tackles and making several clutch stops throughout the game.
Looking ahead
Undefeated with three wins, the Gee-Gees find themselves tied with McMaster at the top of the standings in the OUA. This marks the first time they’ve achieved a 3-0 record since 2017. The team will face off against the Guelph Griffons at Gee-Gees field on Lees campus Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Griffons have started the year with one win to two losses, though they are coming off of a dominant 60-15 win over the Carleton Ravens. Buy your tickets to this weekend’s game and watch Ottawa fight to remain undefeated. Good luck Gee-Gees!
