Guelph will travel to Kingston to take on Queen’s in the OUA semi-final
The Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) No.5 ranked Guelph Gryphons booked their ticket to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) semi-finals last weekend with a 31-21 win over the Windsor Lancers during a rainy and bitterly cold matchup at Alumni Stadium. The win will allow Guelph to play Queen’s in Kingston, on Saturday Nov. 2. This game will be a rematch of last year’s semi-final that saw Guelph put up 22 points in the fourth quarter to win 42-39 in overtime in front of a rambunctious Guelph crowd that proceeded to storm the field after the emphatic comeback was completed.
Rob Farquharson was in his usual dominant form versus the OUA’s fifth best running defense as the veteran, who averaged 104 yards-per-game during the regular season, ran for 133 yards on a season-high 30 carries. Jazz Lindsey finished the game with respectable numbers, going 18-for-29 for 247 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Patrick McGrath, the junior linebacker out of Sault Ste. Marie, had an impressive 8.5 tackles to lead the defense.
The first drive of the game was a successful one for the Gryphons as both the run game and the passing attack were in fine form. Farquharson had three runs for gains before pounding in a one yard rush to put the Gryphons up by a touchdown early.
Austin Kennedy then made a rare costly mistake when he threw a pass that was intercepted by Curtis Newton and returned to the house for six. With the extra point by Daniel Ferraro, the score was 14-0 for Guelph heading into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, it was Guelph’s turn to return the favour of a pick-six. A Lindsey pass was caught by Kuinton Elliot, which was followed up by a huge return of 48 yards to bring the Lancers within seven points.
Ferraro then successfully converted a 19 yard field goal to put the home side up 17-7
Windsor’s next break came via a fake punt to the kicker, Dan Cerino, who proceeded to throw a first down. Kennedy bobbled a snap from centre, recovered it himself, and then handed it off to Mitch Dender, who ran it in to bring the score within three.
The beginning of the third quarter proved to be good for the Gryphons as they managed to string together a few passes to Alex Charette and Saxon Lindsey, and runs by Farquharson and Jason Ingram, to make put Guelph at a comfortable 24-14 lead after an Ingram touchdown. Shortly after, a safety put 26 points on the board for the home side.
Windsor fought back with a touchdown off a running play by Dylan Whitfield to make it 26-21 but, as fortune would have it for the mistake-ridden game by the Lancers, another safety would cushion the Gryphons slim lead at 28.
The Windsor offense – which accumulated a respectable 362 total yards – was sustained to 21 points on the evening, and after another Ferraro kicked field goal, (this time from 22 yards), the game ended in favour of the Gryphons, 31-21.
The win will set-up a semi-final rematch between the Gryphons and the Golden Gaels, who beat the Gryphons in week eight to spoil Guelph potential for a perfect 8-0 season, all the while clinching second overall in the OUA and a first-round playoff bye. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. and will be broadcasted coast-to-coast on SportsNet 360.
McMaster travels to London for a 4 p.m. game to take on Canada’s No.1 Mustangs in front of what is sure to be a boisterous Western crowd. That game will be televised Canada-wide.