The University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team opened their 2023 campaign with a hard fought 33-10 road loss versus Guelph on Saturday (Aug. 26) afternoon.

A strong defensive first quarter for both teams was highlighted by a third down stop by the Blues, which opened the door for Toronto to tally the first points of the contest. Following the big defensive stop in Gryphon's territory, U of T starting quarterback Kinsale Philip connected with receivers Nic Greene and Jake Oseen to draw the Blues into field goal range. Second-year kicker Sam Henke then converted from 25-yards out to put the Blues ahead 3-0 at the end of the opening quarter.

Momentum appeared to remain with Toronto early in the second quarter as a deep pass from Guelph was tipped away from the intended receiver and into the hands of third-year safety Owen Cassie for the first interception of the season for the Blues defensive unit. However, the Gryphons defence remained stout, while their offense began to steal momentum back driving the field for two touchdowns ahead of halftime.

Returning to the field, both defensive units shut the door on further touchdown opportunities through the entirety of the third quarter.

But in the fourth, the Gryphons were able to break through for one more offensive score once they reached the goal-line, along with a defensive touchdown following an interception return for a score.

To close out the game, Toronto made one final drive in the closing seconds which saw second-year quarterback Scott Barnett connect with third-year tight end Jared Currie for the final touchdown of the game.

Toronto was able to dominate time of possession throughout the game, holding onto the ball for an impressive 34 minutes, compared to just 25 minutes for Guelph. However, the Gryphons proved efficient with their offensive attack, totaling 414 total yards versus 190 offensive yards for the Blues.

Greene led the Blues offensive attack finishing the afternoon with seven total catches for 52 yards, while Oseen recorded five receptions for 46 total yards.

Defensively for the Blues, Cassie added four solo tackles and two tackle assists to his interception, while second-year linebacker Ryan Stewart registered a team-high 5.5 total tackles.

The Varsity Blues will return home to Varsity Stadium next Sunday, Sept. 3 when they challenge the visiting Ottawa Gee-Gees. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets for the home contest can be purchased by visiting varsityblues.ca/tickets, while the game will also be available online via oua.tv.