Janssen improved throughout the game and demonstrated both touch and an ability to drive the ball.
On Oct. 14, the Gee-Gees hosted the McMaster Marauders at TD Place. The 3-3 Gee-Gees came into the game looking to pick up an important win against the unusually sluggish 2-5 Marauders. Gee-Gees rookie quarterback Josh Janssen is coming off arguably his best start last week against Laurier, in which he completed just under 74 per cent of his passes, resulting in two touchdowns.
The Gee-Gees offensive attack this season has prominently featured star running back Amlicar Polk, and they opened the game no different. On the Gee-Gees opening drive, Polk broke off a 39-yard run, which he immediately followed up with a 15-yard touchdown. However, on the offence’s next drive, Polk went down with an apparent ankle injury after a tackle from Marauders defensive end Owen Hubert. He did not return.
The U of O defence started strong, not allowing a point to the McMaster offence until there were 45 seconds left in the first half. They pinned the Marauders’ offence deep twice, causing McMaster to willingly take two safeties rather than punt it away. It did look like the Marauders would get on the board after a poor punt from Campbell Fair and a short drive put them in range for a 47-yard field goal. Although they had the wind, the kick missed wide left.
After losing Polk, the Gee-Gees offence also slowed down and struggled to get anything going in the blustery conditions. Josh Janssen struggled to find his receivers and badly under-threw Nick Gendron on a deep corner route, which would have otherwise resulted in a big gain.
Janssen began to find some rhythm near the end of the first quarter, with completions to Gendron and Noah Avery for 8 and 30 yards, respectively, before backup running back Charles Asselin scampered up the middle of the field on a screen pass for 36 yards. However, this promising drive would be undone after a snap went over Janssen’s head, which resulted in a 19 yard loss and a Campbell Fair punt two plays later.
Both offences would continue to struggle through the first half of the second quarter. The McMaster offence finally found some life with just over two minutes to go, as they drove down the field and kicked a field goal to make the game 11-3. On the first play of the next drive, Janssen made an ill-advised throw into quadruple coverage which was intercepted by Marauders half-back Ethan Stuart. This would result in another field goal, which made the halftime score 11-6 Gee-Gees.
In the second half, the punt-fest continued. Although the Ottawa offence was able to move the ball more, highlighted by an impressive 39-yard pass from Janssen to Kerwin Guiste, the Gee-Gees and the Marauders traded 5 punts to start the third quarter.
Another chance for points came with 5:19 to go in the 3rd as Campbell Fair lined up for a 29-yard field goal; although the kick went wide left, the Gee-Gees walked away with the rouge to make it 12-6.
The defence would continue their dominant performance late in the third. While trying to throw out of a sack, Mac quarterback Keagen Hall threw a pass into the hands of defensive tackle Riley Hildebrandt, who rumbled for 30 yards to the house to make it 19-6 Ottawa.
In their next two drives, the Marauders would concede two more safeties to make the score 23-6, and although they would tack on a field goal late, the game was by then out of reach.
Josh Janssen went 17-27 for 261 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Although he struggled early, Janssen improved throughout the game and demonstrated both touch and an ability to drive the ball.
Kerwin Guiste led the team in receiving with 62 yards; Emmanuel Aboagye-Gyan led the team in tackles with 5.5.
The Gee-Gees travel to Kingston to take on Queens in the season finale on Oct. 21. You can get tickets here.
