Gee-Gees have work to do after fall to Mustangs
MUSTANGS 33, GEE-GEES 0
If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.
The University of Ottawa GeeGees want to be the best but their 33-0 loss Saturday to the defending Vanier Cup champion Western Mustangs shows they have some work to do.
First and foremost, the Gee- Gees need to eliminate the big plays and contain the big-game players.
Alex Taylor ran for 225 yards on 13 carries, including an 88-yard touchdown scamper to give the Mustangs a 9-0 lead early in the third quarter. He also had a 47-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that, once converted by Marc Liegghio, gave the Mustangs a 26-0 lead.
The Gee- Gees had 181 yards of total offence. The Mustangs got their first points on a conceded safety in the first quarter, one series after the Gee-Gees’ offence stopped the vaunted Mustangs offence on a first-hand-goal from the six, then the one and finally the two-yard line.
The Gee- Gees’ defence also intercepted Mustangs quarterback Chris Merchant once, forced four fumbles and recovered two.
Merchant did throw for 126 yards on just seven completions but, all things considered, the Gee- Gees defence had a solid day.
Other than the two big runs from Taylor and the Valvano TD, the Mustangs got a 29-yard field goal from Liegghio and a one-yard TD run from Cedric Joseph.
“The defence played well but we can always be better,” said GeeGees back Kyle Rodger, who led everyone in the game with eight solo tackles while assisting on three others. “There were a couple of mistakes here and there, and when you’re playing a championship team like Western you can’t afford those mistakes.”
Despite the loss, Gee- Gees coach Jamie Barresi found positives in the performance. He also found negatives. Costly negatives.
“We can’t let that stuff happen to us. We’ve got to go out and play tough,” he said, referring mostly to protecting quarterback Sawyer Buettner, who was only 17-of-30 for 114 yards with two interceptions.
“We’ve got to control things up front a little better. We were prepared for all of their blitzes and we knew what was coming, so we can’t let our quarterback be on his back, and when the ball is delivered we have to make a play.
The Mustangs will close out the regular season when they host their rival Laurier Golden Hawks next week in a game that, on paper at least, won’t mean anything as the 7-0 Mustangs will finish first in the OUA standings and receive a first-round playoff bye.
The Gee- Gees (5-2) are still in good shape to receive the second bye and can do so without any help if they beat the Queen’s Golden Gaels in Kingston next Saturday.
The good news is the Gee-Gees have secured a playoff berth, but that first-round bye would be huge.
“For us it’s very important because in the OUA you get one extra game in the playoffs and we don’t want to play that game,” Rodger said. “We want to get out of the conference and get to the Vanier Cup and that’s our ultimate goal so getting that extra rest is definitely something we want.”