The bigger the win, the bigger the potential letdown. It’s a rule of thumb in sports and life and thus a concern for the Queen’s University Gaels ahead of their game against Windsor on Saturday at Richardson Stadium.
The Gaels’ 41-30 victory over the Mustangs at Western last weekend was as big as it could get: two undefeated teams, clearly the elite of Ontario University Athletics football, going head-to-head for first place in mid-season. And even the enormous in-season consequences were dwarfed by history: Queen’s was looking for a win in London for the first time since 2007.
The Mustangs took a narrow lead into the fourth quarter, but Queen’s was full value for the triumph, the final score reflecting a command of play plain on the stats sheet. And moving to 5-0 for the season, the Gaels overtook Western for third place in U Sports’ national rankings, behind only the top-ranked undefeated Laval Rouge et Or and the once-defeated Montreal Carabins, the defending Vanier Cup champs.