Box Score After hitting another field goal in the final seconds to end their team’s season, Lirim Hajrullahu may be public enemy number one to Ottawa Gee-Gees fans.
Reminiscent of the 2010 Yates Cup final, the fourth-year senior hit a 32-yard field goal with only 4.9 seconds remaining to give the Western Mustangs a 32-29 victory to close out the OUA regular season. The Mustangs now clinch fourth place and will host the fifth-place Windsor Lancers in the OUA Quarter Final on Saturday, October 27.
“Good game, good win. Credit to Ottawa, they played really hard,” said Western head coach Greg Marshall. “They didn’t give up, and took us right down to the wire. Good game all around. Offensively we did some good things, there were moments on defence when we were good but we have to play better than that if we’re going to beat the best teams in the country.”
Typical of a late-season OUA contest, the wind was fierce making the kicking game and special teams especially difficult. Despite the less than favourable conditions both kickers excelled, with Hajrullahu going 5-7 on field goals, 2-2 on converts and added a single for 18 total points on the day.
Hajrullahu was pleased with his performance saying: “I was upset with that long field goal, I really wanted that 48 [yarder], but there’s nothing better than finishing on a game winner, especially for the second time in Ottawa.”
Ottawa’s Matt Falvo was equally impressive hitting 100 percent of his field goal attempts, which included breaking former Mustangs kicker Frank Jagas’ OUA career record of 70 field goals, eventually finishing with 75 for his career.
“It was tough [kicking with the windy conditions], especially to go up against the OUA leader, he had a great career, and he had an exceptional day. He played a really good game, I was just trying to step up my game and not get out kicked, but today he ended his career on a very high note.”
Despite the absence of CIS leading rusher Garret Sanvido, who didn’t dress in Saturday’s game, the Mustangs had their biggest rushing total of the season, generating 410 yards on the ground.
Freshman Yannick Harou ran for 181 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown while receiver Matt Uren added another 90 yards on six carries. First-year quarterback Will Finch also got involved in the ground game, running 17 times for 136 yards to compliment his 168 yards through the air.
Defensively the Mustangs linebacking corps finished out their strong 2012 regular season in style, ith Pavel Kruba and Sean Blake leading the team in tackles. Kruba recorded eight tackles, all solo, while Blake racked up 7.5.
Although both teams finished the day combining for over 1,000 yards of offence, neither team was able to find much of a rhythm early in the game. The two teams traded field goals before Western forced the Gee-Gees into their own end zone to record a safety and finish the opening quarter with a 5-3 lead.
The Mustangs wouldn’t hesitate before putting more points on the board, with Hajrullahu hitting a 27-yard field goal to widen the Western lead to five points. The two kickers would then trade field goals before Ottawa’s Brandon Gillanders was able to break through on a 19-yard run for the game’s first touchdown, putting the Gee-Gees ahead 13-11.
Western didn’t wait long to return fire, with Finch capping a seven play, 87-yard drive with 26-yard touchdown run that put the Mustangs back in the lead 18-13 with just over two minutes left to go in the first half. Unfortunately for the Mustangs the lead would be short-lived as Falvo would hit a pair of field goals, including one with only five seconds remaining, to send the Gee-Gees to the locker room with a one-point lead.
Again in the second half the kicking game was key despite the windy conditions and with both offences putting up big numbers before being unable to find the end zone. Western would get the scoring started, first on a missed field goal that resulted in a single point, then Hajrullahu made his third successful kick of the day this time from 22 yards. The four points put the Mustangs back in the lead 22-19 midway through the third quarter.
Ottawa would retake the lead on a 25-yard pass from Aaron Colborn to Simon Le Marquand putting the Gee-Gees in front 26-22 entering the fourth quarter.
Early in the final 15 minute frame Falvo decided breaking one OUA record on the day wasn’t enough and unleashed a booming punt that traveled 98-yards. The kick broke the previous OUA record of 94-yards but fwll two yards short of the longest punt in CIS history.
Unfortunately for Ottawa the record-breaking punt wouldn’t deter the Mustangs, as the purple and white proceeded to spend the next four minutes marching 79 yards down the field and deep into Gee-Gees territory. Harou got the call on two consecutive plays first running for four yards before scoring from two yards out to put Western up by three.
A few moments later Falvo would hit what would end up being the last kick of his CIS career, finishing things off with a 13-yard field goal to tie the game at 29.
Neither team was able to generate much offence in the game’s late stages before Western took the ball on their own 29-yard line with under two minutes remaining. The Mustangs then began an impressive drive, anchored by Harou who rushed for 55 yards on the final drive to put Hajrullahu in field goal position.
Hajrullahu lined up at the 32-yard line and despite kicking against the wind, made the field goal to end the Gee-Gees season for the second time in three seasons.
With the win the Mustangs will now play host to the Windsor Lancers in a rematch of last year’s OUA Semi-Final next Saturday at TD Waterhouse Stadium.
For Hajrullahu and other seniors with a wealth of playoff experience, they are preparing not only for another post-season push, but for their last games in a Western uniform.
“We have to grind down and get ready for whoever is up next,” said Hajrullahu. “I’m excited we get a home game, we just have to work and get ready for the playoffs. This is do or die, but as long as my last game here is a win I’ll be happy.”
