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Western Mustangs Sports

Mitchell Bowl Preview 2013
Samantha Fischer

Football By Serena Quinn

Mitchell Bowl Preview: Mustangs face the Dinos this Saturday in Calgary

After hoisting the 106th Yates Cup last Saturday, the undefeated CIS No. 1 Mustangs now continue their quest to the 2013 Vanier Cup as they head out to Calgary to take on the CIS third-ranked Calgary Dinos on Saturday, November 16 at McMahon Stadium.

The Mustangs advanced to this weekend's Mitchell Bowl after downing the Queen's Gaels 51-22 to win the OUA championship, raising the Yates Cup for the 30th time in program history.

Mustangs receiver Matt Uren was awarded the Dalt White Trophy as the Yates Cup MVP after his impressive performance against the Gaels. Uren took a hit on the opening kick-off and looked like he might be out of the game early but was able to recover, catching two touchdowns and racking up 128 receiving yards in the win.

Sophomore quarterback Will Finch continued his strong season as the OUA MVP threw for 252 yards with three touchdowns while adding 77 yards on the ground. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Pawel Kruba and Preston Huggins led the team with eight tackles each, with Huggins adding one interception on the day.

CIS all-time scoring leader Lirim Hajrullahu continued to put points on the board for the Mustangs as nailed field goals from 23, 31, 41, and 49 yards along with five extra points and four singles for 20 points overall in the win.

The Mustangs season so far has reflected a powerhouse of athletic talent, with Finch and Hajrullahu each racking up OUA and CIS records. The team has proven themselves to be the best in the OUA this season, but Saturday's contest will put the purple and white up against the best in Canada West – the Calgary Dinos.

Despite losing two-thirds of their starting lineup the Dinos have rolled through Canada West this year, completing their first-ever undefeated regular season campaign and capturing their sixth consecutive Hardy Cup with a 43-28 win over the Manitoba Bisons on Saturday.

Sophomore running back, and Burlington, Ontario, native Mercer Timmis has emerged as one of the Dinos key offensive players, taking home the award for the 2013 Canada West football player of the year is the conference's nominee for the Hec Crighton Trophy. In last Saturday's contest, Timmis carried the ball 28 times for 279 yards and two touchdowns to claim a Canada West post-season record and lead the Dinos to their 15th conference championship.

Saturday's contest will be only the fifth time that Calgary and Western have met on the gridiron, and the first time that the two squads will play in Calgary. The Dinos hold a 3-1 edge on the Mustangs over the four previous games, with the contest coming almost 20 years ago in the 1995 Vanier Cup as Calgary walked away with a 54-24 victory at what was then known as the SkyDome in Toronto.

This Saturday's game will be an exciting one as two of the nation's three undefeated squads face off for a spot in the 49th Vanier Cup on November 23 against either the Laval Rouge et Or or the Mount Allison Mounties.

Game time is set for 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, November 16, at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. Fans can watch the action live on Sportsnet 360, online via cis-sic.tv., or listen on CHRW Radio either on 94.9 FM in London or online at chrwradio.ca/stream
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