The Panda Game is back!
The annual Carleton-Ottawa gridiron tilt started 58 years ago and once was a staple on the Ottawa sports calendar, but it’s since been all but forgotten. Carleton’s return to CIS football instills the cross-town rivalry once again.
Programming Alert: Watch the Carleton Ravens battle the Ottawa Gee-Gees live on Sportsnet 360 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT | Broadcast Schedule
In some generations the Panda Game became more about debauchery and less about football. But since Carleton has been gone for over a decade and Ottawa played off campus for many years and out of town last year, both fan bases are energized to have football at their disposal again. Also remember that the bulk of Carleton’s staff is made up of former Ottawa coaches, so the bragging rights a Panda Game win would provide are huge.
THE OFFENCES
Second-year St. Mary’s transfer, Jesse Mills, has carried the young Ravens at quarterback so far this year and is a building block for years to come. Carleton has also done a great job of recruiting targets for Mills to throw to, notably stealing Nate Behar and Tyler Callahan out of London. That said, the team’s biggest surprise has been WR Kyle Van Wynsberghe, who may well be the team’s MVP midway through the season.
Ironically, the Ravens are running the old Gee-Gees’ offence under the tutelage of JP Asselin, the former Ottawa head coach. Former Gee-Gees QB Josh Sacobie is also on staff at Carleton and has been influential in game-plan installation and play calling.
The man running the show for the Gee-Gees now is head coach Jamie Barresi. After being a long-time play caller in the CFL and NCAA his offence has made a seamless transition to the CIS game. Barresi has transformed what was a Wing-T offence into the second-best unit in the OUA.
Starting pivot Aaron Colbon may not feature in the game due to a dislocated thumb. Thankfully, one of Ottawa’s positions of depth is quarterback, where Derek Wendel is a competent replacement. Case in point, he stepped in and threw for four TDs versus York.
THE DEFENCES
It wouldn’t surprise me to see lots of points in the Panda Game because both defences have struggled this year. Considering Carleton’s young defence has been on the field more, the points relinquished by Ottawa are more troubling. The Gee-Gees have the athletes to compete defensively, but their issue has been discipline, both in their assignments and avoiding penalties.
Carleton’s main issue has been their inexperience. The team’s youthful exuberance to make plays has, at times, gotten them out of position. Their pad level has also been poor late in games as they tire from spending so much time on the field.
KEY MATCHUP
LB Leon Cenerini vs. RB Brendan Gillanders
The matchup in the middle of the field between Carleton’s talented freshmen linebacker Leon Cenerini and Ottawa running back Brendan Gillanders will be a fascinating one. For starters they are virtually the same size at 210 lb. and just under six feet tall. Not often does a linebacker face off against a tailback who is his equal in size, so the battle of who falls forward at the point of attack will be telling.
Gillanders is being utilized more as a secondary read in the passing game with check releases. Cenerini has to keep an eye on Gillanders at all times and not fall asleep, giving Colbon easy completions when all of his down-field options have been exhausted. The multidimensional Gillanders has been held relatively in check this year with jut one TD thus far, and if Carleton is going to continue to keep him off the scoreboard, Cenerini will be the primary reason.