Box Score London, ON – The Mustangs travelled to Ottawa to take on the Gee-Gees in their last regular season game, ultimately taking home a 38-18 victory.
With the nation's capital as the backdrop to close out Western's regular season, the Mustangs managed to maintain their undefeated season and clinched the all-important first-place bye as a result. The purple and white also secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs with the win.
Western finishes the regular season 8-0, whereas Ottawa finishes 6-2.
Quarterback Jackson White was 10 for 15 with 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Keon Edwards had 133 yards on 22 carries and 1 touchdown, with Edouard Wanadi following with 105 yards on 15 carries. On the receiving end, Savaughn Magnaye-Jones had 4 receptions for 88 yards and 1 touchdown, while Seth Robertson had 3 receptions for 52 yards and 1 touchdown.
Ottawa proved to be a tough test for Western in a potential Yates Cup preview, especially as injuries continued to pile up.
"Looking at them on film, they got better every single week," said head coach Greg Marshall. "Our defense played lights out today. They got us the ball back, rallied to the football, stopped them on first down, put them in second and long time and time again."
Western's opening drive saw them take an early three points from a Brian Garrity field goal 31-yards out.
Shortly after, quarterback Evan Hillock, last week's OUA player of the week, picked up an injury.
"We lost Evan early in the game and Jackson [White] came in and did a great job. Once he got settled in he made great throws," said Marshall. "Evan wanted to go back in in the second half, but I decided no. But he was ready to go and throwing."
As Jackson White came in to replace Hillock, he handed it off to Keon Edwards for the first touchdown of the day 12 minutes in.
"I felt pretty good off the hop," said White. "Obviously it's tough to come in when you're not sure when you're going in, but from the bat I felt good. I hit the screen pass early which takes some nerves away. I think in the fourth and fifth drive I started to get more of a rhythm and that was a turning point."
A poor snap by Western set up the Gee-Gees at 1
st and goal, which they easily converted for their first touchdown of the game. On the return, a single was awarded for a 10-8 scoreline, keeping things close as the hosts continued to ride momentum.
Under pressure with five minutes left in the half, White found an open lane to connect with Seth Robertson in the endzone with a 19-yard pass, restoring a nine-point lead.
"Seth and I worked together all summer, and we are two good friends," said White. "I roomed with him last night, so it was fun to get him the ball in the endzone. I was looking at Magnaye-Jones and then he got taken down, and so I worked to find Seth."
Another Garrity field goal added to the purple and white's score, with the hosts following up with one of their own for a 20-11 score at the half.
"At halftime in the locker room everyone knew that we had to go, and we fought hard," said Edwards.
The 'Stangs offense was firing to start the third, with Savaughn Magnaye-Jones completing a big reception over his shoulder from White, down to the 5-yard line. The Gee-Gee's however put up a great stand, holding Western from scoring and making them continue to fight.
"Their defense made a good play, obviously I want it back," said White on the play. "That's the one drive that stings a little, but at the end of the day we played really well."
Magnaye-Jones would get his first touchdown of the game minutes later however, as White completed a nice 18-yard pass.
"Magnaye-Jones and Nickson ran a really good route, with Nickson opening up Savaughn and the pocket held up," said White. "Both touchdowns felt good."
And while Western continued their efforts into the fourth quarter, it was a milestone reached by Keon Edwards that stands out.
With a short run, Edwards secured his first 1000-yard season, and the first for Western since Alex Taylor in 2015. The game also marked Edwards' eighth straight game with over 100 yards.
"Alex was here during my first year. It was great, I watched him," said Edwards. "It was proving to myself that I could do that and the guys on the team were there for me today."
And it was his coach who helped to break the news.
"I looked at coach Marshall and he gave me a nice high five, and he doesn't really do that," said Edwards on the moment he knew he hit 1000 yards on the season.
"So proud. He really carried us today," said White on his running back's milestone. "The O-Line played well, but Keon and all our running backs today played tough and were rock stars today."
Looking to put the game away, Garrity converted his third field goal of the afternoon, making the match a three-score game with ten minutes to go.
Another single and touchdown would wrap things up for the Mustangs, as White completed the handoff to Troy Thompson with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter for his first of the season and OUA career.
A late touchdown for the hosts closed out the game, with the 'Stangs returning to London with a 38-18 win against a top opponent and a first-round playoff bye.
"It's huge for us," said Marshall. "I was worried about this game and knowing we were thin on the offensive line, but our guys stepped up and played great."
"We have a lot of guys that can come in at any point and play the same way, and this game showed that," said Edwards.
And most importantly, the team now gets to rest for the first-round of the playoffs and nurse some injuries before their quest to defend the Vanier continues.
"The first-round bye is huge. Everyone needs it for their body, we also get a longer time to prepare," concluded White. "We are going to stay motivated and it's going to be a big week for us."
OUA Semi-Finals will be on November 5
th at Western Alumni Stadium. Stay tuned to westernmustangs.ca for full details.
