GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons football team (0-1) will take the field at home for the first time in 2026, as they host the McMaster Marauders (1-0) on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 6) from the University of Guelph's Alumni Stadium. We get you set for the Highway 6 showdown between the Gryphons and Marauders with our Week 2 football preview below.
Location: Guelph, ON | Alumni Stadium
Date: Sunday, September 6, 2026
Time: 1pm
Tickets: gryphons.ca/tickets
How to watch: www.oua.tv | RogersTV Cable 20
The Gryphons (0-1) are set to take the field at Alumni Stadium for the first time this season for Week 2 after
coming up just short in Waterloo in a thrilling Week 1 matchup versus the No. 4 nationally-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks. The Gryphons led the Golden Hawks late in the 4th quarter before Laurier quarterback Will Russell found the end zone on a QB sneak with :48 seconds left in the game to give Laurier the 33-28 lead and the win.
The Marauders (1-0) scored 27 unanswered points in the middle two quarters in their season opener a week ago, erasing a 17-3, 1st quarter deficit against the Windsor Lancers as they came away victorious with a 31-26 win over the Lancers. Lucas Barresi starting at quarterback for McMaster was efficient in the win, completing 18 of 24 passes for 168 yards and running it in for a pair of touchdowns. Barresi took over the starting the job in the final three games of last season, helping lead the Marauders to the postseason. Shane Wismer was Barresi's favourite target against the Lancers, catching 7 balls for 73 yards. The Gryphon defence will want to keep an eye on Aiden Nemeth. Nemeth had a big game last season against Guelph with four receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown that sealed the 25-15 win in Hamilton last season for Mac. Anthony Sestanovic will be a player on the Marauder defence to keep an eye on as he had 10 solo tackles in the matchup against Windsor last week. The Marauders also boast one of the best special team players in the conference in kicker and punter Michael Horvat who can flip field position with his leg. The Gryphon special teams coverage will need to be on high alert as Sean Underhill returned a missed field goal 124 yards for a touchdown last week.
Gryphons fourth-year quarterback
Tristan Aboud is coming off of a solid performance in Guelph's season opener, where Aboud completed 15 of 29 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Aboud also could move up in the Gryphon history books as he's 223 yards away from moving into third on the all-time list for most passing yards in a career. Aboud currently has 5,718 total passing yards, trailing James Roberts' 5,940 passing yards. Aboud could also pass Jazz Lindsey's mark of 6,973 in total offensive yards in a career for 2nd all-time as he needs 416 offensive yards to do so. On the ground, the Gryphons were led by fourth-year running back
Caleb Sargeant (Kitchener, ON) who rushed for 69 yards on 8 carries and found the end zone for his team's first touchdown of the 2026 season. Gryphons fourth-year receiver
Willem Arseneau is also coming off a strong season opener, where he caught a team-high 5 passes for 75 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, the Gryphons were led by standout sophomore defensive lineman
Andre Thompson. Thompson, a member of the OUA All-Rookie Team a season ago, started off his 2026 season by making 6 total tackles against Laurier. Thompson also provided one of the most memorable plays of the game in the 3rd quarter, when he subbed into the game on offence to take a snap under centre, and promptly carried a group of Laurier defenders into the endzone on a 7-yard TD run as quarterback. The Gryphons and Marauders
met last season in Hamilton on September 20, 2025 as Guelph saw their two-game winning streak over McMaster come to an end in their 25-15 defeat.
Kickoff of the Gryphons 2026 home opener is set for 1pm on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, with the pre-game show (featuring former Gryphon quarterback and Canadian football insider, Justin Dunk, and GryphVision host, Scott Fraser) set to get underway at 12:50pm. The action from Alumni Stadium can be seen live online on
www.oua.tv and locally on RogersTV Cable. 20.
