York University

The York University Lions football team controls its own destiny. 

Capturing their third straight Red & Blue Bowl win with a 34-10 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday afternoon at Varsity Stadium, the Lions now need a win over the Waterloo Warriors in the season finale to secure their first postseason appearance since 2004. 

But first, there was business to take care of down the street. 

The game began with a short kickoff that placed the ball at the Toronto 52 after an unnecessary roughness call on the Varsity Blues, and, two plays later, the Lions were in the end zone. First, Maurice Sodja connected with C.J. Vincent for 33 yards and then hooked up with a wide-open Jayden Shallow in the end zone for the first points of the game just over a minute in. A Nathan Walker PAT made it 7-0 York. 

After the teams traded punts, the Blues were pinned in the shadow of their own goal post. Blues quarterback Kaleb O'Donoghue kept on first down and was hit by Peyton Ryder. That knocked the ball lose and reigning OUA athlete of the week Raiden Mastin fell on it in the end zone to give the visitors a quick 14-0 lead, an advantage they held after one. 

The Blues responded with a 26-yard field goal early in the second quarter to get on the board after orchestrating a solid drive down into York territory. Then, on the ensuing Lions drive, Sodja was picked off by Ryan Stewart, who returned it 56 yards to the house, and all of a sudden, the Lions lead was trimmed to 14-10. 

The Lions forced a turnover on downs late in the second quarter, and although they couldn't capitalize offensively, it led directly to a score. A Walker punt inside the five, plus a holding call on Toronto, pinned the Blues deep in their own end once again. The Blues were forced to punt three plays later, and for a second straight week, the Lions punt coverage unit made a huge play. Rookie Mason Burke got through unimpeded on Toronto's punter, Will Netto, getting his hands on it for the block, and Gordon Walsh scooped up the ball in the end zone on a hop for the Lions third score of the first half to make it 21-10. 

The Blues were the beneficiaries of roughing the punter and pass interference penalties on their final drive of the half, but Filippo Marcello missed a 33-yard field goal on the final play of the half, as the Lions continued to hold onto their 21-10 lead. 

Toronto took the ball to start the second half and drove the ball well down the field, including a 22-yard completion from O'Donoghue on 2nd-and-17 for a first down. However, another O'Donoghue fumble deep in York territory – this one recovered by Jack Roberts – gave the Lions the ball back and forced the Blues to leave the field empty-handed. 

The only points of the third quarter came on its last play, and they came off the leg of Walker. Three plays after a solid first-down run by Caelan Gray-Stapleton, Walker nailed a 50-yarder with zeros on the clock to equal a season and career-long and give the Lions a two-touchdown lead after three. 

The Lions forced another turnover in the fourth on a fumble recovery from Jahnoi Prentice, and Walker put the game away with a 41-yarder with 2:06 to play. The next Blues drive ended in a pick-six from Isreal Ayorinde, who jumped the route and took it 58 yards to paydirt. The Blues drove all the way down to the 1 on their final series, but Roberts picked off O'Donoghue in the end zone, sending York into victory formation to put an exclamation point on a 34-10 win. 

LOOKING AHEAD: 

The Lions close out the 2026 regular season next Saturday, hosting the Waterloo Warriors at 1:00 p.m., looking for their third straight win to close out the year and to clinch a postseason berth. You can get your tickets at yorkulions.ca/tickets or watch the game live on OUA TV.