Walk-off field goal lifts Gee-Gees over Ravens in 54th Panda Game
CBC Sports | Posted: October 2, 2023 12:55 AM | Last Updated: October 2, 2023
Campbell Fair connects from 55 yards in final second as Ottawa wins 5th straight edition
Campbell Fair kicked a walk-off field goal to give the Gee-Gees an 18-16 win over the Carleton Ravens in the 54th edition of the Panda Game on Sunday at TD Place in Ottawa.
Carleton held the narrow lead after an 88-yard touchdown drive earlier in the fourth quarter, but Fair nailed a 55-yard kick with one second left for Ottawa's fifth-straight Panda Game victory, prompting fans to storm the field.
Fair's clutch field goal was also a moment of redemption after missing an attempt from 42 in the first quarter. Carleton called a timeout in an attempt to freeze him before the last-second kick, and some Ravens fans even stormed the field prematurely, but Fair remained unfazed and drilled the ball through the uprights.
Ottawa's Josh Janssen passed for a game-high 251 yards while throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Gee-Gees mounted the game-winning drive after getting the ball back with just 36 seconds left.
WATCH | Ottawa beats Carleton in Panda Game with last-second field goal:
Gee-Gees receiver Nicholas Gendron led the way with a game-high 121 yards on four catches, including a key grab on the final drive to set up Fair's game-winner.
Ravens quarterback Tristan Lefebvre, who finished with 170 passing yards, opened the scoring in the first quarter with an 11-yard touchdown strike to receiver Kaseem Ferdinand after Ottawa fumbled the opening kickoff.
The Gee-Gees entered the fourth quarter with a 15-7 lead after receiver Maxim Malenfant and tight end Scott Fulton caught first-half touchdown passes from Janssen.
WATCH | Full coverage of 54th Panda Game: