Stewart Johnston’s worst nightmare just became a reality in a critical OUA playoff matchup, and it was glorious!
The seventh-seeded Guelph Gryphons upset the second-seeded Western Mustangs in the Ontario conference quarter-final on Saturday afternoon, winning 18-17 on the back of a game-winning missed field goal rouge.
Trey Thompson lined up for a walk-off 43-yard field goal attempt with no time left on the clock, but missed the kick wide to the left. Fifth-year receiver Seth Robertson fielded the ball in the end zone but failed to get it back across the goal line, opting not to attempt a kick out and instead being chased out of bounds. That resulted in the single point needed for a Gryphons victory.
The Canadian Football League recently announced a slew of rule changes, including several aimed at eliminating the possibility of game-winning rouge. In 2026, a single point will not be awarded if the ball goes directly out of the back of the end zone on a punt or field goal. While this type of scenario would still be possible, it will become highly unlikely once the goal posts move to the back of the end zone in 2027. U Sports has not yet followed suit with the changes and is currently engaging stakeholders to discuss how to handle the variance.
Guelph’s winning rouge came after they scored 14 unanswered points as part of a fourth-quarter comeback. Isaiah Smith ran for a 22-yard touchdown before Tristan Aboud found Jaxson Zurby on a 20-yard strike to tie the game at 17.
This marks the first time since 2014 that Western has been eliminated prior to reaching the conference championship. Guelph will now advance to face the No. 1-ranked Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks next week, as they look to reach their first Yates Cup since 2018.
