LONDON, Ont. – One of the OUA's oldest rivalries will be revived this weekend when the Mustangs head to Kingston to take on the Queen's Gaels on Saturday afternoon. The game will be the first in the new Richardson Stadium, and will be broadcast live across the country on City.
 
Western is looking to build upon last week's dominating win over Waterloo in which they posted 749 yards and 75 points.  

Chris Merchant got the start against the Warriors, throwing for 258 yards on 16-18 passing with four touchdowns before giving way to Stevenson Bone. Bone completed four of his nine attempts for 59 yards before being forced to leave the game due to injury. Ben Bergamin also saw playing time, recording 69 yards on 6 of 10 passing.
 
Receiver George Johnson hauled in two touchdown passes and logged 100 yards on the day, leading the Mustangs receiving corps as one of 10 different players that recorded receptions against the Warriors. 
 
Feature tailback Alex Taylor continues to be a player to watch after finishing the game against Waterloo with 141 yards and one touchdown – his fifth of the season. With Taylor's most recent major score he moves to the top of the OUA leaderboard. While Taylor typically garners the majority of the carries, the Gaels will also have to contend with Cedric Joseph and the rest of the deep Mustangs backfield. Through three games this year the purple and white lead the nation in total rushing yards (949) and touchdowns (12), continuing the tradition of a strong Mustangs ground game that dates back decades.
 
While the offence got the headlines with their 75-point performance, the defence also looked to be in fine form against the Warriors, as despite several big plays, the Mustangs limited the Warriors offence to only 249 yards throughout the game.
 
Linebacker Philippe Dion led the Mustangs defensive unit in tackles against Waterloo with 5.5, but also leads the team in season tackles, recording 19.
 
Queen's has recorded an uncharacteristic 0-2 to start this season after losses to Laurier and Guelph. Despite the slow start for the Gaels, don't expect the Mustangs to underestimate their perennial rival before their raucous home crowd.

"We know we're opening up the new stadium, so we're thankful that we don't have to play on the grass and mud, and going down to Kingston and opening up the new stadium we're pretty excited," said Marshall. "It's going to be a big crowd and a great atmosphere, and there's a great rivalry between Queen's and Western. We certainly have a ton of respect for them, but on game day, on Saturday afternoon, we're going to be getting after them."
 
Queen's Quarterback Nate Hobbs has shown throughout the past two seasons that he is able to create offence both with his arm and his legs, and will be one of the main weapons the Mustangs must defend against on Saturday. Hobbs is averaging 228 yards passing and 20.5 yards rushing this season.
 
Hobbs has favoured Chris Osei-Kusi, brother of long-tome Mustang defensive end Ricky Osei-Kusi, as his primary target this season, finding him 14 times for 144 yards. In fact, Hobbs has found Osei-Kusi twice as many times as any of his other receivers. Look for the Mustang secondary to be keyed onto Osei-Kusi's location in every offensive set.
 
Expect two highly motivated teams on Saturday afternoon. Queens will be highly motivated to get in the win column while Western will be looking to spoil the Gaels celebration and continue their winning ways.
 
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the new Richardson Stadium, with the game being broadcast nationally on City and on OUA.tv. Fans can also listen live with CHRW Radio, and Newstalk 1290 CJBK.