Despite the low fall temperatures this weekend, the U of T Varsity Blues football team had a great turnout at the fourty-fifth annual Red & Blue Bowl and homecoming game on Saturday. The unparalleled school spirit was surely not in vain, as the Blues triumphed over the York Lions, celebrating Toronto’s second consecutive Argo Cup victory with a final score of 70–0. The Blues set a record in Red & Blue Bowl history with the largest margin of victory, giving them great reason to celebrate the beginning of what is anticipated to be an equally successful season.
The score stood at 21–0 at the end of the first quarter, and the Blues wasted no time moving into the second quarter as running back Lukas Gavac picked up his third touchdown of the game on a 12-yard run. The Blues stood at a comfortable 40–0 lead heading into halftime.
Gavac was named the Blues’ player of the game after rushing four times for 140 yards and three majors in the first half, and a nine-yard rushing touchdown.
“We came together as a team. We showed that we have far more potential than we showed in the first two games,” said Gavac.
“Coming into the game I was a little stressed. I had no idea it would be a blowout like this, but I’m feeling very grateful,” he added.
Two-time OVFL all-star Kevin Bradfield was also celebrated for his outstanding performance with seven receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown.
“The Red & Blue Bowl game is always an exciting game for Toronto,” said Bradfield.
“We always practice really hard, and we expected to win coming in here today. Executing every play one play at a time is key for us and after having executed that play, then you deal with what you have to deal with. We also ran the ball really well, which was something we needed to improve on coming into the game,” he added.
Bradfield led Ontario University Athletic and Canadian Intercollegiate Sport with 734 yards on 59 punt returns and one touchdown last season, and is looking forward to an even more successful season this year.
Blues quarterback Simon Nassar also scored a touchdown and shone as another key player in Saturday’s game. Nassar won OUA offensive player of the week last year after defeating the York Lions and winning the Argo Cup on October 10 last season.
“We had a great game plan going into today, and we just had to go out and execute it. We went out and did that and it’s a great feeling. We feel great excitement moving forward and will carry this momentum to the game next week,” said Nassar.
Blues head coach Greg Gary was very proud of the team’s overall performance in Saturday’s game and looks forward to continued success throughout the remainder of the season.
“Our goal was to come in and be competitive right out of the box. Initially I just wanted to see our team not do a poor job, and we certainly exceeded that,” said Gary.
“For us, it’s about how well we manage the standard we try to set for our performance. The standard today was good for us, and if we can carry that into the next game, I’d feel good about it,” Gary added.
Gary believes that Nassar’s ability to manage the game was certainly commendable, noting that his leadership in the season thus far has been one key to the Blues’ success. He also looks forward to seeing Gavac and Smith, as well as defensive back JJ Lam and defensive line Everton Williams, as they continue to improve on their outstanding performance throughout the rest of the season.
After having lost the first two games of the season, the Blues had a great deal of catching up to do in order to stay in the playoff race and showcase their talent. Saturday’s win was certainly a step in the right direction.
U of T now sits at 1–2 on the season and will be looking to enjoy similar success on the field next Saturday in London when they take on the Western Mustangs.
