November 1, 2012
NO. 8 MUSTANGS LOOK TO UPSET TOP RANKED MARAUDERS IN YATES CUP SEMI LIVE ON THESCORE
HAMILTON, Ont. - University Rush heads to Hamilton on Saturday, November 3 to catch part two of the semifinal doubleheader as the top ranked McMaster Marauders host the No. 8 Western Mustangs, live on theScore. The second game starts at 4:30 p.m. and will be broadcast directly following the 1 p.m. Queen’s at Guelph semifinal.
The Marauders and Mustangs are no strangers in the OUA postseason, as five of the Mustangs’ last dozen playoff games have been against McMaster. Dating back to 1971, the Mustangs and Marauders have split meetings 3-3, including last year’s Yates Cup final when the Marauders defeated Western 41-19 at TD Waterhouse Stadium.
The visiting Western Mustangs are coming off a convincing victory over Windsor in the quarter-finals last weekend. The Mustangs lit up the scoreboard for 56 points, 44 of which came in the first half, and secured a 56-35 win. The win marked Western’s ninth consecutive berth to the Yates Cup semifinal.
The win was an important one for the club, but head coach Greg Marshall knows the challenge is only beginning. “It’s important that we’re still in the running. Windsor is a great team; they came out and played a physical game. But this weekend against McMaster is the biggest road playoff game that this Western team has ever encountered,” said Marshall.
All season, the Mustangs have relied on some young and inexperienced faces, but they all stood up to the challenge against Windsor. Rookie quarterback Will Finch (Burlington, Ont.) completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns. It was Finch’s second four-touchdown game of the year. “Will played well on Saturday. He got a lot of a snaps, he stayed calm and spread the ball around well.”
Second-year receiver Matt Uren held his coming out party against the Lancers. The London, Ont. native racked up 403 total yards and set a new OUA playoff record with four touchdown receptions. “Matt’s extremely talented,” said Marshall. “This is his first year playing the position full-time. He’s got great hands and I wasn’t surprised because he comes up with those kinds of plays every week at practice.”
First-year running back Yannick Harou (Gatineau, Que.) has split time with Garret Sanvido (Vancouver, B.C.) all season, but with the CIS leading rusher out with an injury, it was Harou’s turn to execute Western’s ground game on his own. “Yannick runs the balls tremendously well, and he does a great job filling in for Garret. Garret may be back on Saturday, but either way I have no hesitation and feel completely comfortable with Yannick carrying the football.”
Western’s defence is a more veteran group and will be challenged on Saturday against the pass-happy Marauders. “Our secondary will definitely be tested against Mac. They throw the ball as well as any team in the country, and Kyle Quinlan is outstanding.”
Pawel Kruba (Tecumseh, Ont.), Simon Bahru (London, Ont.) and Clarence Buchanan (Toronto) all registered interceptions against Windsor, though Western only caught four throughout the regular season.
“It’s not going to come down to any one player this weekend. We’re going to need a collective team effort; you win and lose together as a team. Everyone will have a hand in Saturday, and it will take everybody to compete with McMaster this Saturday.”
When McMaster and Western met in week five of the regular season, the Marauders took a 33-27 decision. Though the game was never in doubt, it was by far the closest an OUA team has come to challenging the defending Vanier Cup champions on the scoreboard this season.
The McMaster Marauders enter Saturday’s semifinal after a week of much-needed rest. Plagued by injuries to key players from the beginning of the season, the bye week gave the troops an extra week of recovery, which will come in handy should the Marauders make another Vanier Cup run. Star receiver and 2011 OUA most valuable player Michael DiCroce (Hamilton, Ont.) is expected to return on Saturday.
“Barring anything crazy and unexpected, Mr. DiCroce will be in uniform on Saturday. He’s obviously got some rust to shake off, but he knows the playbook inside and out and it’s great to see him smiling and excited again,” said McMaster head coach Stefan Ptaszek.
The Marauders finished the regular season by thumping the Laurier Golden Hawks 34-0 at Ron Joyce Stadium. The win was McMaster’s first shutout victory since September 26, 2008 versus York. Despite their 8-0 season, Ptaszek states that the Marauders are not taking any teams lightly.
“Western is the best 5-3 football team in this country, there’s no doubt about that,” emphasized Ptaszek. “We are definitely not taking them lightly. We haven’t seen that kind of speed or intensity in a few weeks now, and we’ve been working on addressing that in practice. This week there’s been a sense of nervousness and urgency around campus. The Mustangs may not be a team that our guys like, but they are definitely a team that we respect.”
The McMaster Marauders led the league in scoring offence, and will rely on fifth-year quarterback Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.) to direct the veteran group. Quinlan has a multitude of talented receivers at his disposal, with Robert Babic (Burlington, Ont.) leading the way with 51 catches over seven games.
If the Marauders have any question mark offensively, it’s at running back. Third-year back Jimmy Hill (Hamilton, Ont.) was injured against Laurier and the Marauders are now relying on the third back on the depth chart, Kasean Davis-Reynolds (Mississauga, Ont). The second-year communications student only carried the ball 62 times this year, but averaged a CIS-best 8.9 yards per carry.
“It’s been a strange year at the back position for us. Between the injuries to Chris Pezzetta and Jimmy Hill, it’s definitely been less than ideal,” acknowledged Ptaszek. “That being said, Kasean is prepared for this. He got some reps this year, and I look forward to seeing some explosive plays from him on Saturday.”
On the other side of the ball, the Marauders will have to limit Western’s dangerous ground game. Ptaszek identifies the Mustangs as the premiere rushing team in the country. “Our run defence will rely a lot on the four guys up front. We’re never going to be able to shut down Western’s run game; you just hope to contain it.”
Aram Eisho (Hamilton, Ont.) is McMaster’s main answer to that problem. The second-year linebacker racked up 52.5 tackles this season and is the Marauders best pure run defender.
The Marauders haven’t lost a single game since playing the Mustangs at home in week two of the regular season and are looking to secure their 18th consecutive win and the right to host the 105th Yates Cup. The Western Mustangs haven’t lost a Yates Cup semifinal since 2006 and are looking for their sixth consecutive appearance.
OUA football fans should find a comfortable spot, settle in and catch all the action live on theScore beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday as these teams battle for the right to compete for the oldest football trophy in North America.
WESTERN REGULAR SEASON LEADERS
Passing
Donnie Marshall (London, Ont.)
5 games played, 64 completions, 116 attempts., 1,023 yards, 5 touchdowns
Will Finch (Burlington, Ont.)
7 games played, 49 completions, 89 attempts, 5 interceptions, 5 touchdowns
Rushing
Garret Sanvido (Vancouver, B.C.)
155 carries, 1,001 yards, 13 touchdowns
Yannick Harou (Gatineau, Que.)
73 carries, 493 yards, 4 touchdowns
Receiving
Brian Marshall (London, Ont.)
40 catches, 765 yards, 6 touchdowns
Matt Uren (London, Ont.)
24 catches, 334 yards, 2 touchdowns
Justin Sanvido (Vancouver, B.C.)
20 catches, 290 yards, 2 touchdowns
Defence
Pawel Kruba (Tecumseh, Ont.)
32 tackles, 26 solo tackles, 2 interceptions, 2.5 sacks
Darryl Waud (Hamilton, Ont.)
30 tackles, 24 solo tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception
Beau Landry (Kitchener, Ont.)
29 tackles, 23 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
MCMASTER REGULAR SEASON LEADERS
Passing
Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.)
162 completions, 235 attempts, 2,457 yards, 19 touchdowns, 68.9% pass efficiency
Marshall Ferguson (Kingston, Ont.)
38 completions, 54 attempts, 482 yards, 3 touchdowns
Rushing
Kasean Davis Reynolds (Mississauga, Ont.)
62 carries, 553 yards, 3 touchdowns, 8.9 yards per carry
Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.)
550 yards, 7 touchdowns
Receiving
Robert Babic (Burlington, Ont.)
51 catches, 679 yards, 3 touchdowns
Brad Fochesato (Windsor, Ont.)
27 catches, 561 yards, 5 touchdowns
Defence
Aram Eisho (Hamilton, Ont.)
52.5 tackles, 50 solo tackles, 3 sacks,
Nick Shortill (Nobleton, Ont.)
34 tackles, 32 solo tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions
Joey Cupido (Hamilton, Ont.)
28.5 tackles, 26 solo tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions
The Marauders and Mustangs are no strangers in the OUA postseason, as five of the Mustangs’ last dozen playoff games have been against McMaster. Dating back to 1971, the Mustangs and Marauders have split meetings 3-3, including last year’s Yates Cup final when the Marauders defeated Western 41-19 at TD Waterhouse Stadium.
The visiting Western Mustangs are coming off a convincing victory over Windsor in the quarter-finals last weekend. The Mustangs lit up the scoreboard for 56 points, 44 of which came in the first half, and secured a 56-35 win. The win marked Western’s ninth consecutive berth to the Yates Cup semifinal.
The win was an important one for the club, but head coach Greg Marshall knows the challenge is only beginning. “It’s important that we’re still in the running. Windsor is a great team; they came out and played a physical game. But this weekend against McMaster is the biggest road playoff game that this Western team has ever encountered,” said Marshall.
All season, the Mustangs have relied on some young and inexperienced faces, but they all stood up to the challenge against Windsor. Rookie quarterback Will Finch (Burlington, Ont.) completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns. It was Finch’s second four-touchdown game of the year. “Will played well on Saturday. He got a lot of a snaps, he stayed calm and spread the ball around well.”
Second-year receiver Matt Uren held his coming out party against the Lancers. The London, Ont. native racked up 403 total yards and set a new OUA playoff record with four touchdown receptions. “Matt’s extremely talented,” said Marshall. “This is his first year playing the position full-time. He’s got great hands and I wasn’t surprised because he comes up with those kinds of plays every week at practice.”
First-year running back Yannick Harou (Gatineau, Que.) has split time with Garret Sanvido (Vancouver, B.C.) all season, but with the CIS leading rusher out with an injury, it was Harou’s turn to execute Western’s ground game on his own. “Yannick runs the balls tremendously well, and he does a great job filling in for Garret. Garret may be back on Saturday, but either way I have no hesitation and feel completely comfortable with Yannick carrying the football.”
Western’s defence is a more veteran group and will be challenged on Saturday against the pass-happy Marauders. “Our secondary will definitely be tested against Mac. They throw the ball as well as any team in the country, and Kyle Quinlan is outstanding.”
Pawel Kruba (Tecumseh, Ont.), Simon Bahru (London, Ont.) and Clarence Buchanan (Toronto) all registered interceptions against Windsor, though Western only caught four throughout the regular season.
“It’s not going to come down to any one player this weekend. We’re going to need a collective team effort; you win and lose together as a team. Everyone will have a hand in Saturday, and it will take everybody to compete with McMaster this Saturday.”
When McMaster and Western met in week five of the regular season, the Marauders took a 33-27 decision. Though the game was never in doubt, it was by far the closest an OUA team has come to challenging the defending Vanier Cup champions on the scoreboard this season.
The McMaster Marauders enter Saturday’s semifinal after a week of much-needed rest. Plagued by injuries to key players from the beginning of the season, the bye week gave the troops an extra week of recovery, which will come in handy should the Marauders make another Vanier Cup run. Star receiver and 2011 OUA most valuable player Michael DiCroce (Hamilton, Ont.) is expected to return on Saturday.
“Barring anything crazy and unexpected, Mr. DiCroce will be in uniform on Saturday. He’s obviously got some rust to shake off, but he knows the playbook inside and out and it’s great to see him smiling and excited again,” said McMaster head coach Stefan Ptaszek.
The Marauders finished the regular season by thumping the Laurier Golden Hawks 34-0 at Ron Joyce Stadium. The win was McMaster’s first shutout victory since September 26, 2008 versus York. Despite their 8-0 season, Ptaszek states that the Marauders are not taking any teams lightly.
“Western is the best 5-3 football team in this country, there’s no doubt about that,” emphasized Ptaszek. “We are definitely not taking them lightly. We haven’t seen that kind of speed or intensity in a few weeks now, and we’ve been working on addressing that in practice. This week there’s been a sense of nervousness and urgency around campus. The Mustangs may not be a team that our guys like, but they are definitely a team that we respect.”
The McMaster Marauders led the league in scoring offence, and will rely on fifth-year quarterback Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.) to direct the veteran group. Quinlan has a multitude of talented receivers at his disposal, with Robert Babic (Burlington, Ont.) leading the way with 51 catches over seven games.
If the Marauders have any question mark offensively, it’s at running back. Third-year back Jimmy Hill (Hamilton, Ont.) was injured against Laurier and the Marauders are now relying on the third back on the depth chart, Kasean Davis-Reynolds (Mississauga, Ont). The second-year communications student only carried the ball 62 times this year, but averaged a CIS-best 8.9 yards per carry.
“It’s been a strange year at the back position for us. Between the injuries to Chris Pezzetta and Jimmy Hill, it’s definitely been less than ideal,” acknowledged Ptaszek. “That being said, Kasean is prepared for this. He got some reps this year, and I look forward to seeing some explosive plays from him on Saturday.”
On the other side of the ball, the Marauders will have to limit Western’s dangerous ground game. Ptaszek identifies the Mustangs as the premiere rushing team in the country. “Our run defence will rely a lot on the four guys up front. We’re never going to be able to shut down Western’s run game; you just hope to contain it.”
Aram Eisho (Hamilton, Ont.) is McMaster’s main answer to that problem. The second-year linebacker racked up 52.5 tackles this season and is the Marauders best pure run defender.
The Marauders haven’t lost a single game since playing the Mustangs at home in week two of the regular season and are looking to secure their 18th consecutive win and the right to host the 105th Yates Cup. The Western Mustangs haven’t lost a Yates Cup semifinal since 2006 and are looking for their sixth consecutive appearance.
OUA football fans should find a comfortable spot, settle in and catch all the action live on theScore beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday as these teams battle for the right to compete for the oldest football trophy in North America.
WESTERN REGULAR SEASON LEADERS
Passing
Donnie Marshall (London, Ont.)
5 games played, 64 completions, 116 attempts., 1,023 yards, 5 touchdowns
Will Finch (Burlington, Ont.)
7 games played, 49 completions, 89 attempts, 5 interceptions, 5 touchdowns
Rushing
Garret Sanvido (Vancouver, B.C.)
155 carries, 1,001 yards, 13 touchdowns
Yannick Harou (Gatineau, Que.)
73 carries, 493 yards, 4 touchdowns
Receiving
Brian Marshall (London, Ont.)
40 catches, 765 yards, 6 touchdowns
Matt Uren (London, Ont.)
24 catches, 334 yards, 2 touchdowns
Justin Sanvido (Vancouver, B.C.)
20 catches, 290 yards, 2 touchdowns
Defence
Pawel Kruba (Tecumseh, Ont.)
32 tackles, 26 solo tackles, 2 interceptions, 2.5 sacks
Darryl Waud (Hamilton, Ont.)
30 tackles, 24 solo tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception
Beau Landry (Kitchener, Ont.)
29 tackles, 23 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
MCMASTER REGULAR SEASON LEADERS
Passing
Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.)
162 completions, 235 attempts, 2,457 yards, 19 touchdowns, 68.9% pass efficiency
Marshall Ferguson (Kingston, Ont.)
38 completions, 54 attempts, 482 yards, 3 touchdowns
Rushing
Kasean Davis Reynolds (Mississauga, Ont.)
62 carries, 553 yards, 3 touchdowns, 8.9 yards per carry
Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.)
550 yards, 7 touchdowns
Receiving
Robert Babic (Burlington, Ont.)
51 catches, 679 yards, 3 touchdowns
Brad Fochesato (Windsor, Ont.)
27 catches, 561 yards, 5 touchdowns
Defence
Aram Eisho (Hamilton, Ont.)
52.5 tackles, 50 solo tackles, 3 sacks,
Nick Shortill (Nobleton, Ont.)
34 tackles, 32 solo tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions
Joey Cupido (Hamilton, Ont.)
28.5 tackles, 26 solo tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions
