GUELPH, Ont. – The No. 10-ranked Gryphon football team came out on top of a thrilling, back-and-forth affair on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 5) at Alumni Stadium in a memorable Week 7 matchup against the No. 5-ranked Windsor Lancers. When the dust settled on the high-scoring matchup between the two nationally-ranked opponents, it was the Guelph Gryphons leaving with a 45-40 victory to improve to 5-2 on the season and take a significant step closer to securing a home playoff game in the 2024 OUA quarterfinals. Meanwhile, for the No. 5-ranked Windsor Lancers (5-1), the loss marks an end to their undefeated 2024 season, with the Lancers having entered the game with a perfect 5-0 record.
In front of just under 2,000 fans under sunny skies and perfect playing conditions at the University of Guelph's Alumni Stadium, the Gryphons were able to get off to a fast start, jumping out to a commanding 29-7 lead in the opening half of play. A balanced offensive attack for the Gryphons saw 1st quarter touchdowns scored by running back
Donavin Milloy and receiver
Willem Arseneau, with graduating senior
Kaine Stevenson recording the team's third touchdown of the day in the 2nd quarter after a 28-yard connection with second-year quarterback,
Tristan Aboud.
But the No. 5-ranked Lancers would battle back, scoring a pair of touchdowns late in the 2nd quarter to cut into the deficit, with Guelph taking a 32-21 lead into the locker room at halftime after an action-packed opening 30 minutes of play. In the second half, the Gryphons were able to find the endzone again, this time in the form of a 7-yard run from Gryphons quarterback,
Tristan Aboud. Aboud, who was named the Gryphons 'Firehouse Subs Player of the Game,' finished the day 21-of-27 for 267 yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions and 1 rushing touchdown (54 yards rushing on 6 carries). As a team, the Gryphons racked up 494 yards of total offence against a physical Windsor defence that came into the game leading the OUA in scoring defence. However, it was the Windsor special teams unit that would help keep the Lancers in the game on Saturday. Early in the 4th quarter, with the Gryphons leading 42-24, the Lancers would line up for a field goal looking to chip into the deficit. Instead, the field goal attempt would be blocked by Guelph, but when the Gryphons attempted to scoop up the blocked field goal, the ball would fortuitously pop right into the hands of Windsor holder, Brett Bjorgan, who would run 29-yards for a touchdown to make it a 42-32 ball game. It marked the second unconventional special teams touchdown of the day for the Lancers, whose first touchdown of the afternoon came in the form of a Guelph onside kick attempt in the 1st quarter, that was instead returned 61-yards the other way by Shane Johnson for a score. The Lancers would add one more touchdown late, as a QB sneak from Corson Roy with 1:07 remaining made it a five-point game, with Guelph's lead cut to 45-40. After a failed two-point convert attempt from the Lancers, Windsor's special teams would come through again, this time successfully recovering an onside kick attempt of their own to give the Lancers the ball back with one last shot to steal the win.
But the Gryphon defence would hold up late, stopping a pair of rushing attempts before forcing an incompletion on 3rd down to force a turnover on downs, allowing Guelph to kneel out the game and escape with a hard-fought, 45-40 victory.
Gryphons third-year running back,
Donavin Milloy (Hamilton, ON), impressed yet again, eclipsing the 100-yard rushing mark on just 16 carries. Sophomore receiver,
Willem Arseneau (Calgary, AB), had a team-high 98-yards receiving and a touchdown on 3 receptions, highlighted by an acrobatic 48-yard reception down the 1-yard line late in the 2nd quarter. The two teams combined for over 200 yards of penalties, with the lone turnover of the ball game coming on Windsor's first offensive snap of the ball game, when Lancers quarterback Corson Roy, making his first career start, had his pass tipped and intercepted by Gryphons fourth-year defensive back,
Anakin Guthrie.
Gryphons kicker, Ben Lane (Puslinch, ON), was a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals on the day, including a 48-yard make that banked off the upright and in early in the 4th quarter. Third-year linebacker, Max Holmes (Oakville, ON), accounted for 2 of Guelph's 3 sacks on the day.
The playoff-bound Gryphons (5-2) will close out the regular season portion of their schedule next Friday night (Oct. 11) with a trip to York University to face the York Lions (2-4). Kickoff at York is set for 7pm and can be seen live online at
www.oua.tv.
