Box Score LONDON, Ont. - Fifth-year running back Alex Taylor tallied 127 rushing yards, 50 receiving yards, and one touchdown to help lead the Mustangs football team to a 39-13 victory over the Carleton Ravens in the OUA semifinals.

With the win, the Mustangs will move on the take on the Guelph Gryphons in the Yates Cup in what will be their first meeting of the season.

The game also marked a landmark achievement for the Mustangs football program, as they earned their 21st straight victory to set a new OUA record for consecutive wins.

"I wasn't even aware of the record coming into today, but it's great to be able to get into the record books with a big win," said fourth-year defensive back Mackenzie Ferguson. "When you look at the Wall of Champions and all the history this program has, it's cool to be able to add to that history."

Ferguson led the way for the Mustangs' defence on the day, playing out of position and earning a pair of interceptions along the way. On the other side of the ball, quarterback Chris Merchant and running back Cedric Joseph each tallied two touchdowns to help Western build up their lead.

"Mackenzie has been solid all season and he really showed up again for us today," said Mustang head coach Greg Marshall. "He was playing out of position today, but he really did a good job of making sure we weren't burnt by their offence. I said last week that we had our best defensive performance against Laurier, but today was probably even better than that. All of our defensive guys just seem to be getting more confident and better with every game. It's a big reason why we have the best defence in the country."

"We knew the game would be a grind and a slugfest at first, but we just figured that if we stuck to the game plan and stayed true to who we are, then our offence would be okay," said Taylor. "But our defence was huge for us, they carried the offence today. We just couldn't do what we do without our defence giving us such good positioning. This year they're clearly the engine for our team and we've seen it from the beginning of the year. It's the best defence in the country led by some of the best players in the country."

In a game boasting two of the best defences in the province, the first quarter did indeed prove to be a low scoring affair, as neither side found a way to break into the end zone through the opening frame. However, Western took hold of the momentum late in the half as Ferguson earned his first interception of the game as the Mustangs went into the second quarter with a slim 5-3 lead.

But despite an unfortunate ending in the first quarter, Carleton quickly redeemed themselves to begin the second, pressuring Merchant and forcing him into an interception to regain possession. But following a handful of scoreless possessions and turnovers from both teams, a fumble recovery by the Mustangs' Mitchell Stadnyk on the Ravens' nine-yard line gave Joseph prime positioning to score the first touchdown of the game and give Western the eventual 12-6 lead heading into halftime.

The Carleton defence remained in dominant form to kick off the second half, bursting through Western's offensive line and sacking Merchant to force the Mustangs into the field goal. But following the three points, Ferguson immediately earned his second interception of the game to give Joseph the opportunity to extend Western's lead to 22-6 early in the third quarter.

Carleton nearly made a potentially game-changing play late in the third, earning what should have been a safety after a poor snap from Western. However, after a roughing penalty in combination with too many men on the field for the Ravens on the play, the safety was revoked and the Mustangs found themselves with incredible field position in a complete momentum-shifting sequence.

Joseph ran through the defensive line on the ensuing drive with ease, ultimately leading Taylor to a receiving touchdown and the Mustangs to a 29-6 advantage heading into the fourth.

The fourth quarter belonged to Taylor, as he dominated the Ravens' defensive line and marched the Mustangs downfield to put the purple and white in position for yet another field goal. Carleton scored their first touchdown of the game off of single coverage late in the fourth, but an incredible reception from Western's Harry McMaster over the Carleton defence for the touchdown allowed the Mustangs to ultimately walk away with the 39-13 victory and punch their ticket to the Yates Cup.

"There are a few teams in this conference that I just don't like and Guelph is one of them, so we're looking forward to seeing them next week," said Taylor. "That's kind of what happens when you have two teams so close together. Guelph has definitely been one of my favourite teams to play against over the years, but we've had some difficult games against them. That's what makes it a rivalry. I didn't get a chance to play in the Yates Cup last year because of an injury, so it'll be a unique opportunity for me and a good chance for the team to win a rivalry game. Guelph has gotten better all season and they're well coached, so it should be a good matchup."

"We haven't played Guelph this year, so it's more difficult to predict than most games," said Marshall. "They can run the football, they have a really good defence, and they're very, very well coached, but it's unique because we haven't had the chance to matchup with them this year. I would expect it's going to be a great game and one the guys are going to be fired up for."

The Mustangs will be back in action next Saturday, November 10, where they will matchup with the Guelph Gryphons in an attempt to retain their title as the Yates Cup Champions. The game is scheduled to kick off at 1:00 P.M. EST in TD Stadium and fans can catch all the action live on OUA.tv.