GEE-GEES FALL TO HUSKIES IN MITCHELL BOWL THRILLER
OTTAWA - Tyler O'Gorman ran for 162-yards and three touchdowns, including two in the final quarter as the #4 University of Saskatchewan Huskies rallied to down the #3 University of Ottawa Gee-Gees 35-28 Saturday to capture their fourth Mitchell Bowl title in five years in front of 6,430 fans at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa.
Saskatchewan will now return home to play the second ranked Laval Rouge et Or in the 2006 PotashCorp Vanier Cup Saturday November 25 in Saskatoon.
The Gee-Gees set the tone early in the contest, scoring eight points in the opening six minutes. After driving the field on their first possession, Ottawa settled for a single on a 19-yard missed field goal by Ara Tchobanian.
On their next series, Ottawa would hit pay-dirt as quarterback Josh Sacobie hooked up with Wayne Desmond on a 74-yard touchdown strike. It was the longest reception in Desmond's career.
Tchobanian booted a pair of field goals to put the Gee-Gees up 14-3 midway through the second quarter, but a Justin Wood-Roy fumble on a punt return at his own 18-yard line allowed the Huskies to get back into the ball game.
O'Gorman scored his first major of the contest with 2:58 to play in the opening half, running in from a yard out to make it a four point-game at the half.
Sacobie would put the Gee-Gees up 21-10 as he found David Crane open in the back of the end-zone 7:27 into the third period.
But the turning point in the match came just 2:09 later, as Paul Woldu picked off a Sacobie pass and ran it back 78-yards for a touchdown to bring the Huskies to within four. A Braden Suchan field goal cut the lead to 21-20 after three quarters.
The Huskies took their first lead of the game an O'Gorman 7-yard run with 12:58 to play.
Ottawa responded quickly as Sacobie hit Adam Nicolson for a 54-yard touchdown to put Ottawa up 28-27.
The lead would hold up until the final 55-seconds of the game when O'Gorman pushed his way into the end zone from three yards out to put Saskatchewan ahead for good.
Sacobie completed 23 of the 34 passes he attempted for 348 yards and three touchdowns, while being picked off twice. Huskies QB Bret Thompson went 9 of 16 for 84 yards.
Nicolson was the game's leading receiver making six catches for 109-yards and one touchdown.
With the victory, the Huskies advance to the 2006 PotashCorp Vanier Cup next Saturday at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon where they will host the Laval Rouge et Or in a rematch of the 2004 Vanier Cup in Hamliton. Kick-off is 2:00pm CST. Watch the game live on The Score. Listen to live play-by-play at www.ck750.com. VanierFest kicks off Thursday at the Saskatoon Field House. For tickets to the VanierFest Cabarets, CIS All-Canadian Awards Gala or Russ Jackson Awards Gala, contact Ticketmaster today.
Scoring by Quarter
1-2-3-4=T
Saskatchewan 3-7-10-14=35
Ottawa 8-6-7-7=28
1st Quarter
OTT - Single Tchobanian 33 (19-yard missed field goal) 4:08
OTT - TD Desmond 74-yard reception from Sacobie (Tchobanian convert) 6:01
SSK - FG Suchan 17 14:36
2nd Quarter
OTT - FG Tchobanian 41 3:40
OTT - FG Tchobanian 31 7:23
SSK - TD O'Gorman 1-yard run (Suchan convert) 12:02
3rd Quarter
OTT - TD Crane 10-yard reception from Sacobie (Tchobanian convert) 7:27
SSK - TD Woldu 75-yard interception return (Suchan convert) 9:36
SSK - FG Suchan 19 12:38
4th Quarter
SSK - TD O'Gorman 7-yard run (Suchan convert) 2:59
OTT - TD Nicolson 54-yard reception (Tchobanian convert) 4:19
SSK - TD O'Gorman 3-yard run (Suchan convert) 14:05
Attendance: 6,430