OTTAWA (CP) – Tyler O’Gorman’s two-yard touchdown with less than a minute in regulation time punched Saskatchewan’s ticket to the Vanier Cup as the Huskies fought to a 35-28 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees 35-28 Saturday in the Mitchell bowl.
It was the third TD of the game for O’Gorman, who finished with 162 yards on 25 carries.
The Huskies, who have reached the Vanier Cup for the fourth time in five seasons, now face Laval next Saturday in Saskatoon. Laval crushed Acadia 57-10 earlier in the day to win the Uteck Bowl.
Cornerback Paul Woldu ran 75 yards off an interception for a touchdown to erase a 21-10 deficit, and cue a comeback. O’Gorman scored from one-yard at 14:05 of the fourth quarter for a 27-21 advantage at 2:59.
The Huskies scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, including a 19-yard field goal by Braden Suchan to pull to within 21-17.
Coming off its first Yates Cup title in 30 years, Ottawa’s six turnovers proved costly, compared to the Huskies’ three.
The Gee-Gees overcame three first-half turnovers by getting 227 passing-yards from quarterback Josh Sacobie for a 14-10 lead at the break.
Sacobie’s third score, to receiver Adam Nicholson off a 54-yard pass-and-run at 9:19 of the third quarter, restored the Gee-gees lead to 28-27.
Anthony Plante-Ajah’s interception of Bret Thompson in the third quarter set up Sacobie’s 10-yarder to David Crane for a 21-10 lead before 6,430 at Frank Clair Stadium.
Saskatchewan got on the board with a 17-yard field goal by Braden Suchan at 14:36 of the first quarter, setting up by an interception and 38-yard runback by Saskatchewan defensive tackle Brian Guebert.
Gee-Gees returner Justin Wood-Roy fumbled a punt that the Huskies recovered deep in Ottawa’s end, and four plays later O’Gorman ran in a one-yard score at 12:02 of the second quarter.
Sacobie, 16-for-20 passing in the first half, found leading receiver Wayne Desmond for a 74-yard touchdown at 6:01 of the first quarter for an early 8-0 advantage. Ara Tchobanian had field goals of 31-and 41-yards, and a 20-yard single off the Gee-Gees first possession.
Notes: Huskies receiver Cory Jones did not appear in the second half after suffering an arm injury. … Next Saturday’s game will mark the first time the Vanier Cup will be played outside of Ontario. … Former CFL commissioner Doug Mitchell presented the trophy named after him.
