For the second straight season, the Lancer football team defeated the No. 9 nationally ranked Guelph Gryphons with a 28-24 victory on Labour Day in Guelph.
 
The victory also marks the Lancers first road win in seven years. It has been 2,536 days since the blue and gold headed home with a win under their belt, the last being on September 26, 2015 when they defeated the Laurier Golden Hawks 22-18 in Waterloo.
 
The Lancers are now 1-1 on the season as they head into their bye week.
 
STATS
Quarterback Danny Skelton went 5-13 for 88 yards, while first year quarterback Josh Shim also threw for 88 yards on 5-7 passing. First year running back Joey Zorn helped the Lancers run the field with 198 rushing yards on 18 carries and one touchdown. On the defensive side, linebacker Devin Veresuk racked up seven total tackles.
 
Guelph's first year running back Isaiah Smith led the hosts with 119 yards rushing on 12 carries and 2 touchdowns.
 
GAME FLOW
In the first quarter, kicker Griffin Fenton started in command for Windsor with a wide kick to get the game going. With a quick start, the blue and gold secured a good field position after running back Liam Talbot ran straight into the midfield. As the pressure was put on for the Lancers by the Gryphons' good defensive plays, first-year Brady Lidster got the first field goal of the game and put the Lancers up 3-0. Yet shortly after, Smith ran off for a touchdown that had the Gryphons takeover 7-3.
 
The teams continued to battle into the second quarter with the Gryphons attempting to make moves into Lancer territory. However, after a missed field goal by the hosts, momentum changed in Windsor's favour. Zorn rushed the ball 59-yards to the Guelph 9-yard line, and three plays later, quarterback Josh Shim scooted the ball one yard into the end zone to put the Lancers up 10-7.
 
The Gryphons found the endzone again before the end of the half, and held a narrow 14-13 lead at the break.
 
Windsor started the third quarter on the right foot, with Zorn's second touchdown of the season less than two minutes into the frame. Windsor led 20-14. Guelph's Eric Stanz's field goal and a rouge from Windsor's Griffin Fenton midway through the third made the score 21-17 heading into the fourth.
 
The Gryphons regained the lead in the fourth quarter when Franck Kemayou intercepted the ball and returned it 40-yard into the end zone. However, their lead would be short lived as the blue and gold took over on the very next drive.
 
At the end of a very long drive, running back Christopher John rushed for 6-yards into the Guelph endzone to put the Lancers up for good 28-24.
 
The Gryphons found some momentum at the end of the game, but the Lancer defense held strong and secured the team's first win of the season.  
 
UP NEXT
Windsor will have a bye-week in Week 3 of competition, but returns to the field on Saturday, September 17th when they host the Toronto Varsity Blues at Alumni Stadium. Kick-off is set for 7:00pm and tickets can be purchased at the gate or in advance at goLancers.ca/tickets.