LONDON, Ont. –
The Guelph Gryphons used a walk-off rouge to defeat the Western Mustangs, 18-17, on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 25, 2025) in London in an OUA football quarterfinal matchup. On the final play of the game, with the score tied 17-17, the Gryphons lined up for a potential game-winning 30-yard field goal. The kick sailed wide left of the uprights, but after catching the ball at the back of his own endzone, Western returner Seth Robertson was unable to return the ball out of his own endzone, resulting in a single point 'rouge' awarded to Guelph, giving the Gryphons an unforgettable 18-17 road playoff win over the Mustangs.
The Gryphons, who entered the 2025 OUA football playoffs as the No. 7-seed in the seven-team postseason picture, knock off the No. 2-seeded Western Mustangs, and now earn a trip to Wilfrid Laurier University on Saturday, November 1 to take on the top-ranked team in the country in the Laurier Golden Hawks with a trip to the Yates Cup on the line.
Aside from the unconventional ending to the Gryphons-Mustangs OUA quarterfinal game on Saturday afternoon, the Gryphons showed tremendous resolve to even put themselves in that position down the stretch. The Western Mustangs held a 17-3 lead on the Gryphons midway through the 4th quarter, but the Gryphons would not go away. With 8:41 remaining in regulation, Gryphons fourth-year running back
Isaiah Smith would run it in from 22-yards out to trim the Guelph deficit to 17-10. With just over 4 minutes remaining in the final quarter, the Gryphons would strike again, this time with third-year quarterback
Tristan Aboud finding fourth-year receiver
Jaxson Zurby for a 20-yard touchdown to tie the game at 17-17.
The Gryphon defence was sensational all afternoon long, and would come through again late, with a Max Holmes sack of Western quarterback Evan Hillock helping force a punt to get the ball back to Guelph.
Tristan Aboud and the Gryphon offence would then move the ball down field and into game-winning field goal range, setting up the unlikely and unforgettable finish on the final play of the game.
The Gryphons will now look to do something which no other team has done so far this season, and that is hand the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks a loss. Laurier, ranked No. 1 in the country, finished the regular season with an 8-0 record and earned a bye through the OUA quarterfinals. The Gryphons gave Laurier their closest game of the season way back on August 23 in the season opener in Guelph, where the Golden Hawks escaped Alumni Stadium with a 33-28 road win. The second meeting between these two will now take place in Waterloo at Laurier's Knight-Newbrough Field, with kickoff set for 1pm on Saturday, November 1.
Tickets for the game can be purchased online at laurierathletics.com.
Elsewhere in OUA football playoffs on Saturday, the Windsor Lancers defeated the Ottawa Gee-Gees, 31-24, while the Queen's Gaels defeated the McMaster Marauders 46-10. The 2025 OUA football semifinal picture is as follows:
Guelph Gryphons (No. 7-seed) @ Laurier Golden Hawks (No. 1-seed)
Queen's Gaels (No. 4-seed) @ Windsor Lancers (No. 3-seed)
