Sixth-ranked Gees improve to 4-0 ahead of Panda Game
The nine-hour bus trip to Windsor isn’t always easy to shake, but the Gee-Gees football team was able to trounce the Lancers by a score of 41-18 on Sept. 25, improving to a 4-0 record on the year.
After battling to a double-overtime win over Guelph the week prior, the nationally sixth-ranked Gees found solace in their difficult schedule of taking on a Windsor team in the midst of an identity crisis.
The version of the Lancers that the Gee-Gees went toe-to-toe with on Sunday was significantly different from the team that upset Guelph earlier this season.
Fifth-year quarterback Derek Wendel found his rhythm early, tossing a touchdown to Trevor Kennedy on the team’s first offensive drive.
On the following drive, third-year running back Bryce Vieira found the endzone for another touchdown to put the Gee-Gees up two scores early.
Vieira has rediscovered his freshman form in 2016, after struggling last season, Vieira has excelled in both rushing and receiving so far this year. Wendel connected with the Montreal native in the second quarter for another major.
Penalties and poor offensive execution killed the Lancers hopes of making the game competitive. The Gee-Gees defence proved once again that their improvement is not a fluke, since they have given every team they’ve faced up until this point a tough time through their effective defensive scheme.
The one edge the Lancers had on the Gee-Gees was an early switch from run-heavy starting quarterback Jalen Brady to Casey Wright, the better passing option. The change forced the Gees to switch their plan of attack. Ultimately, they were able to corral the Lancers and systematically shut them down.
Wendel continued his pursuit of a Hec Crighton Trophy, the award for most outstanding player in the nation, with 403 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
On defence, lineman Sam Randazzo added two sacks to his season total, climbing to fourth in the country in the category.
Kicker Lewis Ward, recently named Canadian Interuniversity Sport Special Teams Player of the Week, remained perfect on field goals this year going 4/4 against Windsor.
Following this win, the Gee-Gees now set their sights on the biggest regular season game of the year, the Panda Game against Carleton at TD Place. Last year, the game drew over 17,500 fans and with the quality of competition between the teams this year it could easily draw more.
Kickoff at Lansdowne is set for 1 p.m. on Oct. 1. Tickets are still available on campus at Montpetit and Minto Sports Complex.
