Gee-Gees left with more questions than answers as they fall to Mustangs 38-11 to open season
The 2024 OUA football season got underway this past weekend as the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees hosted the defending Yates Cup champion Western Mustangs Sunday afternoon at TD Place.
This matchup drew similarities to last year’s contest between the two teams, which the Mustangs won 50-17, as the Gees would start Josh Janssen in place of Ben Maracle, who has yet to return from the leg injury he sustained last year in Week 1.
It was a rough start for U of O, as they received the ball first and were quickly forced to punt. In the first of two significant special teams errors, the resulting punt was blocked, allowing Western to kick a field goal to go up 3-0.
After trading drives that failed to result in points, the second special team error of the day came when yet another punt was blocked, this time returned 31 yards by the Mustangs’ Ben Cottrell for the touchdown.
The U of O offense was able to respond. They added a field goal to capitalize on a return from running back Charles Asselin. A few minutes later, after another Western field goal, Asselin took a handoff 75 yards for a one-play touchdown, which made the game 13-10.
One of the most significant factors keeping the Gee-Gee’s in the game was a tough bend-but-not-break defence. Facing the two-headed monster of Keon Edwards and Keanu Yazbeck in the Mustang backfield, they held firm, only allowing the Western offense to score three field goals in the first half, keeping the score 19-10 as the two teams went into halftime.
However, as the second half opened, struggles with Josh Janssen and the Gee’spassing game began to rear their heads. On their second drive of the half, Janssen was picked off for the first time, resulting in a Western field goal. Janssen threw another interception on the next drive, resulting in a Mustang touchdown four plays later.
From there, Western continued to pile on the points, forcing a safety and scoring another touchdown to bring the game to its eventual final score, and Janssen threw another interception to end the game.
The Gee-Gees QB would finish the game 12-28 for only 92 yards and three interceptions in a day plagued by mistakes and drops. The running game was better, with Charles Asselin rushing for over 100 yards and Souleymane Camara adding another 56 yards before leaving the game with an injury.
Speaking after the game, Asselin said that the game was “a good wake-up call” and added that “he has full confidence in [Josh] to fix the mistakes” when asked about Janssen’s performance as the season moves forward.
Injuries were also a common theme for U of O on the defensive side of the ball. Up front, defensive lineman Kevin Anderson, Lliam Horrocks, and Louis Prince and although Anderson would return, the other two did not. Starting linebacker Daniel Briere would also leave the game.
Speaking to fourth year defensive tackle Riley Hildebrandt, who recorded the team’s only sack, he emphasized the role the team’s veterans will have overcoming these injuries. With regard to younger players stepping up into bigger roles, “We’re gonna have to teach them, get them in there for extra film … whatever it takes.”
The Gee-Gees will travel to Toronto to take on the new-look York Lions, who had a Week One bye. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday at York Lions Stadium, tickets are available Here and the game will be streaming live on OUA.tv.
