Tucker, Allen, Fair named OUA football players of the week
Offensive Player of the Week - Rasheed Tucker, Queen's
FB ?? | TOUCHDOWN: Rasheed Tucker gets the handoff and goes untouched for the score! Liberatore's kick is good.
- Queen's Gaels (@queensgaels) October 2, 2021
QUE 26-1 TOR#GoGaelsGo | #QUEvsTOR pic.twitter.com/F5txQTsRRI
In a meeting between the lone remaining undefeated teams in the OUA's East Division, the Queen's Gaels turned to running back Rasheed Tucker to carry the load in their win over the Varsity Blues.
Tucker, who entered Saturday's tilt with Toronto as the conference's third-leading rusher, made sure he rose the ranks after Week 3 with a masterful performance on the ground. His impressive day kicked into high gear on the Gaels' second drive of the game, where the talented tailback logged 41 yards on five carries to help position his team for a field goal.
He would continue from there to rack up a total of 194 yards on 24 carries, with his longest rush being a 41-yard scamper on the Gaels' final drive of the game. The third-year business major would end that drive with a touchdown, his second of the day, after finding the endzone in the first half as well to give his side the 26-1 lead early on. For good measure, the Ajax, Ont. native also reeled in one pass for 14 yards in the air to bring his total scrimmage yardage on the game to 208 on the day.
Defensive Player of the Week - A.J. Allen, Guelph
??FB HIGHLIGHT: Lancer's 3rd down sneak attempt- DENIED!#GUEvsWSR #GryphonPride pic.twitter.com/KtL6JNXpKi
- Guelph Gryphons (@guelph_gryphons) October 2, 2021
Points were hard to come by in Windsor for both the Lancers and Gryphons, and despite the home side coming out on top, Guelph's A.J. Allen did everything he could to help his side keep Windsor in check.
Allen was a man on a mission on Saturday for the No. 5 Gryphons and made his presence felt throughout the defensive battle. The arts and sciences major was quick to get in on the action, picking up the tackle on just the second play from scrimmage on the day, which ultimately proved as a sign of things to come. The linebacker from Burlington, Ont. was part of 17 tackles on the day, including seven solo and 10 assisted, to serve as the true standout on the vaunted Gryphon defence. Among the onslaught of 12 total takedowns were also 2.5 tackles for a loss.
To follow up a strong season opener that included 7.5 tackles (five solo, five assisted) with this potent performance, the 2020 Saskatchewan Roughriders fourth-round draft pick has shown early and often that he is primed for a big 2021 campaign with the Gryphons.
Special Teams Player of the Week - Campbell Fair, Ottawa
The Kick, The Win.
- Gee-Gees Football (@GeeGeesFootball) October 3, 2021
Cold-blooded Campbell Fair. ???? pic.twitter.com/djFhZxRkhN
The storied past of the Panda Game features many names etched in its history books, and thanks to his late-game heroics in the 52nd edition of the iconic Ottawa-Carleton matchup, Gee-Gees kicker Campbell Fair has added his name into the rivalry's folklore.
While Fair's heroics in the dying minutes helped cap off the game, he also got the scoring started for Ottawa with a first quarter field goal. His first make of the game would cut the Carleton lead down to four, but his second extended his team's cushion to eight at the time. The uncertainty surrounding any Panda Game result made it a down-to-the-wire finish once again, and with the stage set for someone to step up, the Garnet and Grey called upon their kicker with just over a minute to play to give them the lead once again.
The arts major would not disappoint, as he split the uprights on a 45-yarder to give the Gee-Gees the lead and, eventually, the win. Fair's three makes (12, 22, 45) and single convert accounted for more than half of his team's scoring on the grand TD Place stage. The third-year kicker would also contribute eight punts for 282 yards.