The #10 Ottawa Gee-Gees (3-2) take on their cross-town rivals, the Carleton Ravens (2-3), in the 56th annual Panda Game on Sunday at TD Place. Ottawa leads the all-time series 38-17, and has won the last six.
An historic matchup
The first-ever Panda Game took place in 1955, and is named after the stuffed panda (named Pedro) which served as the trophy awarded to the winning team until 1979.
After it fell into disrepair and was retired, Pedro was replaced by a bronze replica from 1980 until the cancellation of Carleton's football team in the late 1990s. The current iteration, awarded since the return of the Ravens football team in 2013, is aluminium.
The Panda Game has become famous – and infamous – for a myriad of reasons over the years. Initially, the two schools would conduct raids on each others' campuses in the week leading up to the match to steal Pedro back and forth (during a period known as Hate Week), but that was shut down after a number of incursions led to legitimate damage to both schools.
Later, in 1987, a barricade broke during the game at then-host venue Lansdowne Park which caused over 30 Carleton fans to fall five metres. Students suffered broken bones, concussions and even a 20-day coma as a result.
More recently, Saturday night street parties in Sandy Hill following a 19-17 Gee-Gees win in 2021 resulted in a car being flipped and jumped on. Police investigations and public outcry led to the game being moved to Sunday, while the U of O has invested heavily in controlled, sanctioned pre- and post-game parties to avoid damage to local neighbourhoods.
It hasn't all been bad, though. On field, the game has seen some of the most dramatic finishes in U SPORTS history, including walk-off wins via hail mary (for Carleton in 2014) and a 55-yard field goal (for Ottawa in 2023).
In many recent years, the Panda Game has been better-attended than the Vanier Cup; the 24,600-person capacity of TD Place has been sold out (or nearly) every year since it became the full-time host venue of the event in 2014.
The event is truly the ultimate display of university spirit.
Ottawa looking to extend streak
The Gee-Gees have won the last six editions of the matchup dating back to 2018, on the heels of four straight Ravens wins from 2014-2017.
A win on Sunday would tie their own record for the most consecutive wins in the series (seven, from 1957-1963).
A back-and-forth affair, Ottawa survived a scare in last year's match, when Ravens kicker Brandon Forcier's 54-yard attempt to tie the game (following a late touchdown drive by Elijah Barnes and subsequent recovered onside kick) came up short.
This year's edition is set to kick off at 12:00 PM EST on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Gee-Gees defence looming large
Ottawa's defence is a massive reason they've cracked the U SPORTS top ten ranking this season.
Exceptional play up and down the roster has multiple Gee-Gees in the upper echelon of counting stats: Jaxxon Brashear and Mikhail Nembhard each have a pair of interceptions (T-2nd OUA), Riley Hildebrandt and Louis Prince each have three sacks (T-2nd OUA), while Brashear (27.0) and Marc Djonay Rondeau (28.5) are top-five in tackles in the conference.
Four team interceptions against the Guelph Gryphons – including a go-ahead 21-yard pick-six by Brashear – are proof of what the unit is capable of.
Ottawa's defence left their mark on last year's Panda Game, the highlight of which was a scoop-and-score touchdown by linebacker Daniel Briere to put the Gee-Gees up 25-24, a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
On the opposite side of the ball will be Ravens quarterbacks Elijah Barnes and Tristan Lefebvre. While Carleton's offence has a sky-high ceiling under either, leading the OUA with 344.0 passing yards per game, the two Ravens QBs have combined for 11 interceptions thrown through five games.
The battle of (likely Ravens starter) Tristan Lefebvre versus the Gee-Gees pass defence is poised to be the marquee matchup, although it remains to be seen how aggressive Carleton is in using their run game, particularly on first down attempts.
Both teams have struggled to stop opponent's rushing attacks, but neither have been particularly successful in establishing their own rushes throughout the season either.
After a huge season last year, Gee-Gees running back Charles Asselin has been less effective to date in 2025, averaging just 53.2 rush yards per game (down from 101.1 yards/game in 2024).
For Carleton, Keyshawn Reid has been the primary back as well as kick returner, but with just 6.2 attempts per game thus far, he has yet to eclipse 200 yards on the season.
The passing game has been the weapon of choice for both the Ravens and Gee-Gees, but the team better able to pick up yards on the ground may reap massive rewards in the air.
Gee-Gees QB Josh Janssen has been clinical when throwing over the middle, especially against zone coverage, so any additional defenders Carleton has to commit to stopping Asselin or fellow RB Souleymane Camara in the run game will open up a plethora of soft spots for him to expose in the 10- to 15-yard range past the line of scrimmage.
On the Ravens side, they've used the run effectively in the red zone, scoring nine rush touchdowns, but have picked up just 23 first downs along the ground (ninth in the OUA) over five games.
Forcing the Gee-Gees to think about the run earlier in drives may allow Carleton to have more success in the pass game as well, but they don't have the same rushing personnel as Ottawa: trying to run may simply give the Ravens a lot of 2nd-and-long looks instead.
The Panda Effect
Regardless of the stats, standings or matchups going into the game, the beauty of Panda Game is the unpredictability and drama.
The impact of 24,000+ rowdy fans cannot be understated, and having the better roster on paper does nothing to guarantee a positive result.
Explosive plays have become commonplace. Only two of the eight touchdowns scored last year resulted from a play where the offence started inside the opponent's 10-yard line; the game had a 32-yard, 28-yard, and two 40-yard touchdowns.
Momentum swings can be massive amidst the raucous crowd, with teams eager to build energy early.
The winning team has often been the one who can come up with the big plays in clutch moments, and the one who can limit turnovers.
During Ottawa's six-game winning streak over Carleton, the Gee-Gees have won by a combined 66 points in the four games when they win or tie the turnover battle. In the two they've lost it? They had to scratch and claw to two-point wins in both.
Players to watch
#15 Josh Janssen, QB, Gee-Gees: Enjoying a breakout campaign in his first season unchallenged as a starter, Janssen has passed for 296.0 yards per game (third in OUA) and boasts a 9-2 TD:INT ratio. Turnovers have been an issue for Janssen in the past, but a few years of development and the security of his starting role have allowed the veteran to blossom.
#43 Xavier Malone, LB, Ravens: Leading the OUA with seven tackles per game – and tied for fifth with 3.0 total sacks – Malone has been a force behind Carleton's defensive line. He's also forced (and recovered) a fumble for a 27 yards return. His presence may deter the Gee-Gees from running the ball in short yardage situations on second and third down.
#25, Noah Avery, WR, Gee-Gees: Avery has been Janssen's favourite receiver thus far. Averaging 7.2 receptions and 100.4 yards per game, with 3 touchdowns on the season, Avery has game-breaking potential. He's caught a number of big second down conversions over the middle, and his physical, 6-4 frame has made him an ideal target for red zone fade and corner routes.
#87, Tristan Ready, WR, Ravens: Ready has been a big-play machine for the Ravens – his 23.3 yards per catch lead the OUA, while his 111.4 yards per game rank him third. His 221-yard outburst in a 48-36 win over York (including a 106-yard touchdown catch-and-run) are proof of the potential impact he could have, especially in a game where momentum dictates so much.
#1, Denny Ferdinand, DB/PR, Gee-Gees: Ferdinand has made a massive impact for Ottawa on the punt return team this season. His 408 punt return yards lead the OUA, capped by an 81-yard touchdown against Guelph. Field position can be critical in late game situations; if Carleton is punting, watch out for #1.
Game Predictions
Four of Carleton's five games this season have been shootouts. Unfortunately, in all but one of those games, their opponent was able to run up the score – they've allowed 42 points to Toronto (L), 63 to Western (L), 36 to York (W) and 55 to Guelph (L). The only team they've kept under 30 points were the Waterloo Warriors, in a 19-14 win.
Ottawa has not (yet) shown the ability to score consistently over the course of a full game, but the defences they've played have all been stronger than the Ravens', who rank dead last in points allowed per game. If Janssen, Avery, and company can consistently keep the Ravens defence on the field, they should be able to score big, especially in the second half.
Both teams are loaded with talent who, critically, have played at Panda before. Prior experience under the bright lights (well, the high noon sun) means there shouldn't be any nerves on the part of key players on either side of the field.
Based purely on stats, Ottawa should take this one. They score more points per game (29.8 vs. 28.8), allow fewer points per game (27.4 vs. 42.0), and have had better performances and a better record against common opponents.
The Gee-Gees are also a rested team coming off a bye, while Carleton played Guelph last week.
Anything can happen at Panda, but I've got the Gee-Gees winning this one comfortably.
Final prediction: Ottawa 39, Carleton 20