You’ll have to forgive casual football fans for thinking the mob of garnet and grey-clad students rushing the field from the South Side stands of TD Place represented a joyous occasion.
Although the Ottawa Gee-Gees barely hung on to beat the Carleton Ravens by a score of 35-32 in a wildly entertaining 55th edition of the Panda Game, Ravens fans — and anyone with common sense — recognizes that the victory only extends Pedro’s captivity on the UOttawa campus. There are many things you can compare between the two schools but it’s undeniable that the trophy has a better time hanging out between Bronson Avenue, the Rideau Canal and Colonel By Drive.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Lost in time
For a moment, it looked like the Carleton Ravens were on the verge of writing another epic chapter in the already colourful history of the Panda Game.
Down 11 points with 1:01 remaining in the game, quarterback Elijah Barnes needed two plays and 17 seconds to engineer a 79-yard touchdown drive. A two-point convert cut the deficient to three, but the Ravens still needed another possession.
The ensuing onside kick was perfectly struck by Brandon Forcier and after a herd of Gee-Gees somehow failed to secure it, receiver Ben Huckabone recovered the ball for Carleton. Two plays later, the Ravens were sitting pretty on Ottawa’s 38-yard line with around 27 seconds remaining in the game, and a timeout in their back pocket. What unfolded next was horrific end-of-game clock management.
Inexplicably, nobody on the field or the Ravens’ sideline realized that the clock was running. Precious seconds ticked away. The ball wasn’t snapped and head coach Corey Grant failed to call a timeout. By the time the play started, Barnes was sacked and the only thing left for Carleton to do was attempt a 54-yarder. Forcier put everything he had into it but his kick came up well short. The Ravens will be wondering “What if?” for quite some time.
The kids are alright
Quarterbacks Elijah Barnes and Josh Janssen might only be in their second years, but both pivots acquitted themselves well in the highly charged atmosphere that comes with the territory of a Panda Game.
Janssen threw for fewer yards than his counterpart — 295 compared to 329 — but completed 76.6 percent of his passes and avoided turning the ball over. His lone touchdown to Noah Avery gave UOttawa an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Barnes completed 67.8 percent of the passes he attempted and threw an impressive four touchdowns, but his two turnovers, especially the one that came late in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in an otherwise close contest.
For the most part, both quarterbacks made excellent reads, displayed great touch with their passes, and showed an ability to extend plays and evade pressure with their legs.
Twins, Basil, twins!
For the first time in Panda Game history, a pair of twin brothers played against each other. Kaseem Ferdinand, a receiver for Carleton, finished the game with four receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. He also had three dangerous-looking punt returns for 45 yards, with the longest being a gain of 27 yards.
His brother Denny Ferdinand, a defensive back for the Gee-Gees, had four tackles (two solo, two assisted) and an interception. Like Kaseem, Denny was also his team’s punt returner, and fielded six punts for 66 yards, with his longest of the game being good for 26 yards.
The NHL connection?
Former NHLer Donald Brashear was renowned for his toughness, big hits and fighting ability. It seems his son, Jaxxon, has inherited more than a few of those qualities, as the UOttawa defensive back had a whale of a game with 6.5 tackles, including a screen pass where he absolutely blew up Raven’s receiver Derek Yeboah.
Not content to contribute solely on defence, Brashear also blocked a third-quarter punt that was scooped up and returned for a score by teammate Daniel Briere — no relation to the NHL player.
Numbers for naught
Carleton had the more productive passer, the most productive running back (Ethan Rocha gained 85 yards on 12 carries to Charles Asselin’s 51 on 14 carries), and the more productive receivers (Frederik Hachey snagged six passes for 138 yards and a touchdown to Romeo Lussier’s four for 93 yards). In the end, it meant nothing.
Arguably, the game was won in the third quarter, when UOttawa’s defence forced four straight two-and-outs, holding a Ravens offence that had been red-hot to that point to merely a field goal.
A quick history lesson for those new here
In case you’re wondering why this annual U Sports matchup is called the Panda Game, it’s a tradition that dates back to 1955 when Bryan McNulty and Thomas White decided to take things up a notch in the annual grudge game by donating a stuffed panda that would be won by the winner. Pedro, as the panda/trophy came to be known, spent the next few decades bouncing between university campuses, when he wasn’t being kidnapped or otherwise touring the world.
The original trophy was modernized in 2013 when local artist Dale Dunning created an aluminum bear, but at his core, Pedro remains the same.
The Panda Game has survived a global pandemic, the death of Carleton’s football team and endless complaints from Glebites and people living in Sandy Hill. It’s atmosphere is unique and unparalleled on the city’s sports scene and if you ever find yourself in Ottawa in October, you owe it to yourself to attend. Cheering alongside a sold-out stadium of 24,000 fans is always a blast.
Playoff Pedro
Not only did this game come with the typical bragging rights, but given that both teams were tied for seventh place in the OUA standings with identical 2-4 records, the loser was effectively eliminated from playoff contention.
As such, the Gee-Gees and their fans will have something to hold over this Carleton alum for at least the next 12 months.