Quebec City, QC – It's the 15^th time the Western Mustangs will step on to the field with a Vanier Cup national championship on the line on Saturday.

There is a mix of emotions for the student athletes going into this game, the first is excitement as this is the positions the entire group had in mind when they started the season in early September.

For some of the older players on the roster who are set to don the purple and white for the final time, there is a sense of nostalgia and a hope for a positive final chapter to their Mustangs career.

"It's definitely an emotional one for the guys who are finishing up their run here," said LB Devin Comber "We've waited two years to get to this moment, we've worked really hard to get here so it's definitely emotional but it's also very exciting."

The conditions for the game will be interesting to say the least, as a mixture of early week snow followed by late week freezing rain made for extremely icy and hard field conditions.

"In 2010 (Mustangs played Laval in the Uteck Bowl) this field was fairly new so things are a bit different now, as its frozen older turf now and it's really matted," said Mustangs Head Coach Greg Marshall "We were slipping around all over there today, but both teams have to play out their regardless of the conditions so we will be ready,"

The Mustangs are coming into this game with a 7-7 record in Vanier Cup games, having last played in the leagues final contest back in 2018 when they were on this same field in Quebec taking on the Laval Rouge et Or, losing 34-20. There is optimism amongst this group that there is something special at hand this time around.

"I've been looking forward to this moment since 2019 when we lost in that Yates Cup," said RB Trey Humes "For someone like me who considered not coming back, this was the end goal, I said I'm coming back and we have to win a championship, that's the only goal and we're here now."

The opposition in the Saskatchewan Huskies are coming off a late game comeback win over the Montreal Carabin in the Uteck Bowl on a last minute TD. The Huskies come into the game with an 8-1 record for the season and are 3-6 in 9 appearances in the Vanier Cup.

The one noticeable element for the Mustangs this week is the general calm demeanor of the group as a whole which is by design according to the players.

"We've been a fairly loose group all year long and we know when it's time to lock in, I think we are locked in and we're confident with where we are and we feel good," said Comber.

Game Details
Kick-off: 1pm
Location: Telus Stadium – Quebec City, QC
Where to Watch: Live on CBC TV. Online through CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, and the CBC Sports App. 
Listen: Newstalk 1290 CJBK & 94.9 Radio Western
Stats: https://bit.ly/3IgxVPp