Like most football teams across North America, significant breaks in action were caused during WWI and WWII, as many men were serving in Europe.

In 1953, as the team's popularity rose, Gee-Gees moved on from their on-campus home at the Varsity Oval to the larger and more centrally located Lansdowne Park, which they would now share with the Ottawa Rough Riders.

Matt Anthony, fresh from a career playing offensive line in the CFL for seven years became the new head coach of the Gee-Gees.

[6] At the same time, the Panda Game had begun as Carleton College began fielding football teams and the rivalry became centre of attention in the city and the nation.

[7] After Anthony's death in 2000, the University of Ottawa opened the Minto Sports Complex in 2001, with it came a multi-use turf field that was named after the Gee-Gees legend.

After captaining the football, basketball, and baseball teams at the University of Montana, O'Billovitch had a career in the CFL before settling in as head coach of the 1970 Gee-Gees.

The quality of team this year set the table for a run to the school's first Vanier Cup after posting a 7–1–1 regular season record.

The Garnet and Grey advanced to their first appearance in the Vanier Cup (then College Bowl) national final, but lost 38–11 to the Manitoba Bisons at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium.

With an influx of American talent from his native New York, the Gee-Gees began assembling what is hailed by many as the best Canadian college football team of all time.

In a tight battle, the Gee-Gees lost 18–16 to the hometown team, Ottawa's Mike Murphy was named Most Valuable Player.

Under Cam Innes, the 1980 Gee-Gees stepped out of the shadows and expectations of the '75 team and began the pursuit of a third Vanier Cup appearance in 10 years.

The team was led by senior quarterback Rick Zmich, who became the second Gee-Gee to win the Hec Crighton in his final year.

In 1983, with Jim Clark at the helm, the Gee-Gees had fallen from their usual perch in the top of the OQIFC standings and found themselves winless midway through the season.

It was at this time that Ottawa and Carleton were involved in a scandal where the teams were docked two points after swapping game tapes with each other, a practice that was only reserved for the playoffs.

Led by Hec Crighton winning quarterback senior Phil Côté, the team powered through the OQIFC and into the Dunsmore Cup finals.

Head coach Denis Piché was hired to lead the Gee-Gees for the 2002 season and during his tenure, the team excelled, but failed to bring home another Vanier Cup.

Piché also received a Frank Tindall Trophy in 2006 as the CIS Coach of the Year, a Mitchell Bowl appearance in 2006 and an undefeated regular season in 2007.

With All-Canadian quarterback Brad Sinopoli under centre, the team cruised to an appearance in the Yates Cup final against rival Western Mustangs.

The Gee-Gees settled on playing their home games at Beckwith Park, located 40 minutes outside of the city, close to nearby Carleton Place, Ontario.

Returning to Canada in the early-2000s Barresi held CFL jobs with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, BC Lions, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Edmonton Eskimos.

With the help of top seniors Aaron Colbon, Brendan Gillanders, and Simon Le Marquand, the team went 5–3 record and a returned to the playoffs.

In the first round of the OUA playoffs, the Gee-Gees ended up with a long road trip to face the Windsor Lancers, who beat them 39–29 two weeks earlier.

All-star performances came from Ettore Lattanzio, Adam Valchuk, and Nick Lecour through the season, while Jackson Bennett was named to the All-Rookie team.

Patrick Spelman, Piriyanthan Sinnathurai, and Tramayne Clark-Stephen were all named to the All-Rookie team, displaying a promising young class of linemen playing for the Gee-Gees.

Most recently, Gee-Gees standout wide receiver Mitchell Baines began his professional career after signing a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

[19] Fellow Gee-Gees football stars Derek Wendel and Osas Obas took part in the NFL Regional Combine in Minnesota.

[21] McNulty later convinced Snow to display the panda in his front window and then organized the first "Pandanapping", a ritual in which Pedro would be stolen from each campus in various ways.

In 1998, it was decided that Carleton University would be cancelling their football program at the end of the season after numerous years of sustained losses.

This decision rendered the Panda Game tradition dead and left the Gee-Gees as the lone collegiate football team in the city for the first time in 53 years.

[citation needed] (*Forced to forfeit post-season titles in 1997 because of ineligible players) The following is the record of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees football team since 2000: [34][35] Vanier Cup Manitoba