LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs are heading to their fourth straight Yates Cup final as they held on to defeat the McMaster Marauders 34-28 Saturday evening at TD Waterhouse Stadium in front of 3,640 fans.
No. 7 McMaster dominated the time of possession battle over the No. 2 nationally ranked Mustangs, but 21 unanswered points by Western gave them a big enough cushion at home to survive their seven turnovers to hold on for the victory.
Western will travel to Ottawa next weekend to face the Gee-Gees in the 103rd Yates Cup at 1 p.m. Ottawa survived a scare from Laurier, winning 32-31 earlier Saturday. Ottawa handed Western its only regular season loss, a 20-19 decision on Sept. 6 at Frank Clair Stadium in the nation's capital, winning on a late fourth-quarter drive.
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Against McMaster, freshman Andrew Thibaudeau was the catalyst for the Mustangs on offence, with four receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown, and another touchdown on a spectacular 104-yard kickoff return which tied a school record and changed the game's momentum.
It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown for a Western Mustangs player in league play since Jay Leroy turned the trick in 2003.
"As a first year, going into this game, the pressure was on," Thibaudeau said. "I'm happy to get a chance to play for the Yates Cup in my first season."
Thibaudeau's kick return tied the school record set by Brendan Lenko (1984 vs. Windsor) and Rob Stewart (1986 vs. Waterloo) at 104 yards. It was the first returned kick or punt for a touchdown since Randy McAuley returned one against Ottawa in 2003.
"For the kick return, just busting it open, I saw it and just went for it," Thibadeau told The Score. "It just surprised me that I could actually get another one because it hadn't been done in seven years (at Western) and the last one I got against Toronto was called back."
"I think it drove me more to want to get another one this week."
Thibaudeau's receiving touchdown including 10 yards after the catch with a Marauders defensive back draped over him.
"I thought I was going to get tackled and turns out I was fighting the guy for 10 yards and some how got in, so I'll take it," Thibaudeau said.
His performance caught the attention of head coach Greg Marshall who commended the rookie receiver from Kitchener, Ont., after the game.
"That kick return, McMaster had the momentum and we got the return and he scored on it. That changed the game," Greg Marshall said. "He's been making great plays, he's and athletic kid who is outstanding for a first-year player. He handles the pressure well."
The two-headed rushing monster of Jerimy Hipperson and Nathan Riva combined for 182 yards. Hipperson, of St. Catharines, Ont., scored his 12th touchdown of the season netting 97 yards on 11 carries, while Riva of LaSalle, Ont., scored as well for the Mustangs getting 17 carries for 85 yards.
Donnie Marshall was 12 of 18 passing for 217 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Defensive captain and middle linebacker John Surla of Niagara Falls, Ont., led the Mustangs defence with eight total tackles including one for a loss.
Two fifth-year linebackers playing in their final home game were also effective. Adrian Kaiser had five total tackles while adding a sack and a forced fumble, while Jason Kosec added seven and a half tackles.
"That's what our defence is about, we made big plays when it counted most," Kosec said. "I swear, (strength and conditioning) coach Jeff Watson, in playoffs and in the fourth quarter, when it's on the line we the best in-shape team because of him."
Kosec, a draft pick of the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos, said he's stoked for another opportunity to play Ottawa.
"I'm excited to go down there and play them in their house and get another shot at playing Sinopoli," Kosec said.
McMaster got off to a quick start on offense marching down the field on their first two possessions getting a 19-yard field goal from Andrew Waugh and a five-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kyle Quinlan who ran for 50 yards on the day.
The Mustangs responded on the ensuing kickoff as Thibaudeau returned the kick 104 yards for a touchdown.
Lirim Hajrullahu tied the game up at 10 just before the end of the first quarter on a 31-yard field goal.
The Marauders took the lead again early in the second quarter as Quinlan hooked up with Londoner Kevin D'Hollander for a one-handed, 21-yard touchdown catch to make it 17-10 for McMaster.
But Donnie Marshall responded, rolling out of the pocket and hitting Thibaudeau for a 52-yard run and catch as he dragged the defender 10 yards to tie it at 17-17.
Western completed their three minute drill before halftime, capping off the drive with a five-yard Hipperson rushing touchdown. The drive was kept alive by a pass interference call against McMaster on a third-down Mustangs' gamble
The Mustangs led 24-17 going into half.
After surviving two Donnie Marshall interceptions in the third quarter, the Mustangs scored on Riva's eight-yard rushing touchdown.
With 21 unanswered points the Mustangs led 31-17 halfway through the third quarter.
But the veteran-laden Marauders responded as they ran the ball directly through the heart of the Mustangs' defence with Jordan Kozina closing the lead to 31-24 on a two-yard touchdown run. Kozina finished with a game-high 106 yards and one major on 16 attempts.
Waugh booted his second field goal of the game, from 17 yards out, to make it a four-point game at 31-27 for Western.
But Hajrullahu kicked a 43-yard field goal of his own into the wind, putting the Mustangs ahead 34-27 with 7:48 remaining.
Quinlan punted the ball through the end zone for single point to cut the Western lead to 34-28 with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs defence took over.
They bent, but did not break on the final drive and kept the Marauders off the board for the remainder of the game.
A first down catch by Nick Trevail and a first down run by Riva sealed the victory.
"We could have played better but this is playoff football and the only thing that counts at the end is what is says on the scoreboard," said Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall, who is now 6-0 in home playoff games with Western.
The Marauders lost their second game of the year in London, Ont., but their head coach Stefan Ptaszek said he was happy with the season as a whole.
"I'm really proud of the guys," said Ptaszek. "(With) all the injuries we endured, it was a great season. They are a championship-calibre team and we played a championship calibre-team."
"We wanted to make less mistakes," he said. "When we aren't killing ourselves, we are very competitive. We gave up some big plays and can't do that against a good football team. We played well in spurts and not all four quarters."
Thibaudeau is excited to get another crack at Ottawa - he thought he had scored the game-winning touchdown in Week 2 but it was called back for a late hit behind the play - which many involved in the game suspected had nothing to do with the scoring play.
"That touchdown scored, you could have said it could have been a game-changer, but it is what it is," he said. "When we faced them, it was early in the season, so obviously we hadn't become the team we had become now."
"I am pretty sure everyone on the team wants it (the Yates Cup)," Thibaudeau said. "It's just such a great experience I think to be able to have, and especially being a first year, and for for those guys in their last year, we just want to take it home."
"We probably didn't play our best today, and we'll fix it next week and we'll go at it even harder."
Greg Marshall said his team will need to refocus this week in practice and prepare for the passing onslaught expected from the Gee-Gees.
"I expect they will throw on us," Greg Marshall said. "We cannot shut down Sinopoli completely, he's as good as they come, but we want to contain him."
"To be a championship team, we will have to play like one next Saturday. It should be a great game."
