The Varsity Blues football team (2-3) handed the No. 2 Ottawa Gee-Gees (5-1) their first loss of the season in a thrilling 40-35 victory on Saturday, October 2 at Varsity Centre.
The win marks Toronto’s first over Ottawa since a 24-21 Yates Cup victory in 1974 and U of T’s first victory over a nationally-ranked opponent since defeating Waterloo 21-15 on Sept. 19, 1997.
“I’m really excited that we stepped up today,” said Blues head coach Greg DeLaval. “Anytime you go into a game you have a specific game plan, but you have to be able to adapt – we did that today. We are a very young team but we came together and really showed what we are capable of.”
Despite a late push by Ottawa in the final two minutes, Toronto played a solid 60 minutes on both sides of the ball. Varsity Blues player of the game Andrew Gillis of Markham, Ont. had a monster game. The fourth-year pivot was 28-for-45 and threw for career-high 343 yards and two TDs. Rookie running back Aaron Milton (Whitby, Ont.) rushed nine times for 147 yards, including a 105-yard touchdown run that ties the U of T record and ranks fourth in the CIS for longest rush.
Linebacker Wilkerson DeSouza had a game-high 10 tackles and fellow Mississauga, Ont., native Derek Batchelor recorded seven tackles and two interceptions in the win.
Gee-Gees Brad Sinopoli of Peterborough, Ont., threw for a game-high 451 yards and four touchdowns and rushed eight times for 89 yards, while Cyril Adjeitey (Ghana) caught nine of those passes for 153 yards and one major.
Veteran receiver Matthew Bolduc of Ottawa opened the scoring for the visitors on the opening series of the game, capping off a three-play, 76-yard drive with a 44-yard touchdown reception from Sinopoli.
Five minutes later, Milton found a hole in Ottawa’s defensive line and bolted down the field untouched for a 105-yard touchdown.
The Blues continued to press and took the lead on the next drive when Gillis connected on a 24-yard pass with sophomore receiver Paul de Pass (Ajax, Ont.) for his first touchdown of the season.
Ottawa responded on the first drive of the second quarter when Cyril Adjeitey of Ghana made good on a 57-yard pass from Sinopoli. Kicker Matthew Falvo converted his second extra point of the game to give the Gee-Gees a narrow 14-13 lead.
Toronto hung tough with the previously unbeaten Ottawa squad and answered the call on the next two series. Gillis led his team down on the field on two solid drives of 74- and 100- yard respectively, to set up two Jordan Scheltgen (Surrey, B.C.) touchdowns. Scheltgen came off the bench in both instances and scored on one- and two-yard rushing TDs. Ottawa added a single before time expired and the Blues held a 27-15 lead at the half.
The Gee-Gees opened the second half with a seven-play, 73-yard drive that Franck Ngandui ended with a one-yard run to bring the game within five.
On the ensuing drive, the Blues faked a punt and veteran quarterback-turned-receiver George Gretes of Toronto connected with Ben Sharpe for a 30-yard gain and a Blues first down. It paid off when Milton ran the ball further into Ottawa territory and fourth-year receiver Michael Prempeh of Toronto capped it off with a five-yard touchdown reception from Gillis. Toronto led 34-22 heading into the final frame.
Blues veteran defensive back Derek Batchelor of Mississauga, Ont., had two key interceptions in the second half and kicker Andrew Lomasney added two field goals before the Gee-Gees mounted any sort of a comeback.
Ottawa’s Bogdan Raic and Steve Hughes both scored in the last minute of the game on eight- and three-yard receptions to pull the game to within five.
The Varsity Blues head to Kingston, Ont., next Saturday, October 9 for a huge game versus the defending Vanier Cup champions, Queen’s Gaels (1-4). Kick off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
GAME NOTES:
The only other Varsity Blue to rush for 105 yards was Maurice Doyle at McMaster on Sept. 8, 1979.
With a 20-17 head-to-head record, the Gee-Gees still hold a slight lead over the Blues over the past 105 years.
The game capped off the University of Toronto Student’s Union Blue & White Week as fans put on a morning spirit parade that ended at Varsity Centre at 1 p.m.
| Ottawa 35 |
Toronto 40 |
| Toronto (2-3) | 13 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 40 |
| Ottawa (5-1) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 35 |
| Toronto, Ontario | Varsity Centre |
| 1 | 13:38 | Ottawa – M. Bolduc 44 yd pass from B. Sinopoli. (M. Falvo kick is good). Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards in 1:22. |
7 – 0 |
| 1 | 09:24 | Toronto – A. Milton 105 yd run. (2pt conversion pass by A. Pierzchalski failed). Drive: 1 plays, 105 yards in 0:19. |
7 – 6 |
| 1 | 02:27 | Toronto – P. de Pass 24 yd pass from A. Gillis. (A. Lomasney kick is good). Drive: 9 plays, 100 yards in 3:56. |
7 – 13 |
| 2 | 13:31 | Ottawa – C. Adjeitey 57 yd pass from B. Sinopoli. (M. Falvo kick is good). Drive: 1 plays, 57 yards in 0:14. |
14 – 13 |
| 2 | 10:03 | Toronto – J. Scheltgen 1 yd run. (A. Lomasney kick is good). Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards in 3:20. |
14 – 20 |
| 2 | 04:22 | Toronto – J. Scheltgen 2 yd run. (A. Lomasney kick is good). Drive: 11 plays, 100 yards in 4:21. |
14 – 27 |
| 2 | 01:55 | Ottawa – | 15 – 27 |
| 3 | 10:31 | Ottawa – F. Ngandui 1 yd run. (M. Falvo kick is good). Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards in 3:01. |
22 – 27 |
| 3 | 07:28 | Toronto – M. Prempeh 5 yd pass from A. Gillis. (A. Lomasney kick is good). Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards in 2:56. |
22 – 34 |
| 4 | 07:27 | Toronto – A. Lomasney 13 yd field goal. | 22 – 37 |
| 4 | 01:48 | Toronto – A. Lomasney 30 yd field goal. | 22 – 40 |
| 4 | 01:00 | Ottawa – B. Raic 8 yd pass from B. Sinopoli. (2pt conversion pass by M. Falvo failed). Drive: 10 plays, 0 yards in 1:21. |
28 – 40 |
| 4 | 00:09 | Ottawa – S. Hughes 3 yd pass from B. Sinopoli. (M. Falvo kick is good). Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards in 0:51. |
35 – 40 |
| 35 | FIRST DOWNS | 33 |
| 22 10 3 |
Passing Rushing Penalty |
20 10 3 |
| 80% (4 of 5) | THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY | 100% (2 of 2) |
| 0% (0 of 0) | FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY | 0% (0 of 0) |
| 659 | TOTAL NET YARDS | 625 |
| 73 9.0 |
Total Offensive Plays Average gain per play |
75 8.3 |
| 462 | NET YARDS PASSING | 377 |
| 34-47 9.8 3 for 13 3 |
Completions-Attempts Net yards per pass play Sacked:Number-Yards Had intercepted |
29-49 7.7 1 for 1 2 |
| 197 | NET YARDS RUSHING | 248 |
| 26 7.6 |
Rushing Attempts Average gain per rush |
26 9.5 |
| 6 for 226 | PUNTS: Number-Yards | 7 for 230 |
| 37.7 | Average | 32.9 |
| 73 | TOTAL RETURN YARDS | 150 |
| 4 for 8 6 for 65 2 for 0 |
Punt Returns:No-Yards Kickof Returns:No-Yards Int. Returns:No-Yards |
6 for 47 5 for 84 3 for 19 |
| 8 for 67 | PENALTIES: Number-Yards | 11 for 90 |
| 1-1 | FUMBLES: Number-Lost | 0-0 |
| 28:59 | TIME OF POSSESSION | 31:01 |
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| 2 | C. Elliott | 8 | 1 | 9 | – | – | – | 1-0 | ||||
| 42 | J. McNaughton | 7 | 2 | 9 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 24 | C. Daly | 8 | 0 | 8 | – | – | – | 1-0 | ||||
| 35 | T. Seal | 6 | 0 | 6 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 3 | L. Shaver | 4 | 0 | 4 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 22 | F. Rodrigue | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1-1 | 1-1 | – | – | ||||
| 97 | K. Magee | 2 | 1 | 3 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 45 | A. Lothian | 2 | 1 | 3 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 14 | P. Lavergne | 2 | 1 | 3 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 23 | R. Williams | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 52 | T. Sawyer | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 98 | B. Lowe | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 17 | J. Beck | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 44 | N. Lecour | 0 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 87 | A. F -Labonte | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| TM | TEAM | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 65 | N. Randall | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 29 | M. B-Lapointe | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 9 | S. Tetreault | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 28 | A. Gourgon | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 84 | B. Raic | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 50 | A. Randall | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| TOTALS | 55 | 11 | 66 | 1-1 | 1-1 | – | 2-0 | |||||
| 43 | W. DeSouza | 10 | 1 | 11 | – | – | 1 | – | – | |||
| 24 | K. Kennedy | 7 | 1 | 8 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 22 | D. Batchelor | 7 | 1 | 8 | – | – | – | 2-9 | ||||
| 26 | K. Asare | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1-9 | 1-9 | 1-0 | – | ||||
| 92 | M. Evans | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1-2 | 2-3 | – | – | ||||
| 36 | E. Barzegar | 4 | 0 | 4 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 55 | A. Fehler | 3 | 1 | 4 | – | – | – | 1-10 | ||||
| 99 | J. Cappiello | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1-2 | 2-4 | – | – | ||||
| 54 | P. Brunet | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 91 | A. Olusoga | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 1 | |||
| TM | Team | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 16 | W. Sharpe | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 21 | H. Lopez | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 1 | |||
| 17 | T. Inkila | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 81 | P. De pass | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 80 | M. Prempeh | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 42 | H. Beeforth | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 15 | A. Lomasney | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| TOTALS | 59 | 6 | 65 | 3-13 | 5-16 | 1 | 1-0 | 3-19 | 2 |
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