The University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team defeated the York Lions 41-7 in their final game of the 2021 regular season on Saturday, October 30 at York Lions Stadium.
With the win, the Blues clinch second in the OUA East and will host the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, November 6 at 1 p.m. in their first home playoff game since 1993. The win also marks the teams first .500 regular season record since 2013.
TORONTO STATS: With special teams making the difference today, it was second-year returner Ethan MacKinnon who stood above the rest. Mackinnon recorded nine punt returns for 159 yards and one touchdown. Mackinnon's return partner first-year Luka Stoikos registered three kick returns for 118 yards and one touchdown.
Third-year linebacker James Grieg led all players with eight tackles, while fifth-year defensive lineman and 2019 all-Canadian Malcolm Campbell had 5.5 tackles, two sacks and two tackles for a loss. Third-year defensive lineman Jackson Mayer added on with three tackles, one sack and a tackle for a loss.
Fifth-year quarterback Clay Sequeira went 9-for-21 for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Third-year receiver Michael Lehmann led the Blues with three receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown and third-year running back Adam Williams rushed for 94 yards on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Sequeira would open the scoring late in the first quarter, connecting with Lehmann over 27 yards for the first major of the game.
A high-scoring second quarter saw the Blues special teams called into action three times. Third-year kicker Chris MacLean opened the scoring in the second through a 34-yard field goal. 90 seconds later, Mackinnon's 75-yard return saw the Blues extend their lead following a Lions two-and-out. Late in the second, Blues first-year defensive lineman Tucker Burke blocked a Lions punt, which was then recovered by third-year defensive back Cody Hale in the York endzone.
At the four-minute mark of the third, Sequeira found fifth-year receiver Will Corby for a 21-yard strike. Three minutes later, York's Noah Craney would punch it in to put the Lions on the board.
Immediately following York's concession of a safety early in the fourth, Stoikos' 88-yard kick return touchdown cemented the Blues dominance. MacLean would seal the Blues 41-7 victory with a single midway through the fourth.
UP NEXT: The Blues head home to take on the Ottawa Gee-Gees next Saturday, November 6 in OUA quarter-final action. Kick off is set for 1 p.m. Tickets go on sale on Monday, November 1 at 1 p.m.
