Box Score London, ON – The Mustangs played host to Laval Saturday afternoon in the Mitchell Bowl, with Laval taking this one over Western 27-20 to book their ticket to the Vanier Cup next Saturday.
Western finished top of the OUA and National standings with an 8-0 regular season record, before topping Laurier in their first playoff game and Queen's 44-16 last week in the Yates Cup to book a ticket to Saturday's Mitchell Bowl. Laval managed to win the RESQ championship over the Montreal Carabins last Saturday 25-24 courtesy of a last-minute rouge.
The Rouge et Or and the Mustangs last faced off in the 2018 Vanier Cup, which saw the Quebec side take home the win to prevent Western from capturing back-to-back championships.
Laval came out with the win yet again in this matchup, as despite some help from turnovers giving Western a 17-4 lead at the half, the Rouge et Or managed to come out firing on both offense and defense for a 23-point second half.
Quarterback Evan Hillock was 17 for 31 for 189 yards and 1 touchdown. Keon Edwards had 127 yards on 26 carries, while receiver Justin Nickson had 4 receptions for 49 yards. Savaughn Magnaye-Jones had 3 receptions for 45 yards and 1 touchdown. Brendan Murphy registered 2 sacks.
"They had a good game plan. They threw the ball short and got it out quick and that was it," said Daniel Valente Jr. "They're a good opponent. We knew they'd be good and a tough task, and they came out on top."
"They were going down swinging," said head coach Greg Marshall on his team's loss. "I think initially in the game we were a little soft and intimidated by the receivers and giving them too much cushion because they were too afraid they were going to get run by. We tightened it down a bit, we had a chance at the end, but hats off to them. Great football team."
The first quarter was marked by Laval errors that Western was able to take advantage of, as they earned 17 points in the quarter alone. The presence of wind was also felt from the opening quarter and stayed consistent through all four.
The echoes of Western cheers and rumbling of stomps on the stands set the stage for the first quarter. While Western were unable to make use of their opening drive, Laval utilized their quick passing on theirs to march down the field.
However, a bad snap bounced off the head of a gold helmet and into the welcoming arms of Western's Bruce Maas.
The purple and white took advantage, as Hillock found Savaughn Magnaye-Jones in the end-zone for a 36-yard touchdown.
The Mustangs extended their lead with just over three minutes left in the opening quarter, as a 45-yard Brian Garrity field goal put Western up 10-0 early on.
On the ensuing snap from Laval, their third bad snap of the game led to a recovery by Lourenz Bowers-Kane who then scored his first touchdown for another six points for the 'Stangs.
The offense didn't come as easy for the 'Stangs in the second.
The Rouge et Or got on the board early in the second quarter with a field goal, looking to climb back into this one.
Largely led by Edwards on the ground, the Mustangs were able to get down to the Laval 2-yard line. Unsuccessful attempts and a time-clock violation led the purple and white to settle for the field goal, but it was blocked by the visitors from Montreal to prevent Western from adding to their lead while keeping this a two-score game.
"We were misaligned," said Marshall on the missed field goal. "We didn't get adjusted to their overload. We got to be better at that."
On the visitors next drive, Brendan Murphy sacked the Laval quarterback for a loss of five yards, forcing them to attempt a field goal. The 34-yard attempt flew wide, but an ensuing single extended their score to 4.
With 20 seconds remaining in the half, Western took a shot at the end-zone but it would be incomplete for Magnaye-Jones, as Garrity then attempted a field goal from 33-yards out that was blocked yet again. The score stood 17-4 at the half.
"No, [we never felt like we had them]," said Valente Jr. "We were in the locker room at half-time angry up 17-4. That's the way we are and that's who we are. We are never satisfied."
Western's defence came out strong to start the second half, with Murphy registering his second sack and the purple and white putting on pressure to make things difficult for the visitors. Some trickery from Laval however was enough for the Rouge et Or to secure their first touchdown of the game, reducing their deficit to six at 17-11.
The Rouge et Or took the lead with just under four minutes in the quarter with another touchdown, marking their 18
th unanswered point.
Playing from behind for the first time in the game, the Mustangs were unable to convert on their next drive. However with Laval back on offense, Max Von Muehldorfer batted the ball down and caught it for an interception at the Laval 27-yard line, giving possession back to the 'Stangs.
Hillock followed with a 16-yard pass to Justin NIckson on the sideline, but the purple and white were unable to convert the touchdown.
A Garrity field goal put the Mustangs back on top to start the fourth quarter at 20-18.
The lead wouldn't last for long, as the Quebec team added another three points to their name with a field goal of their own moments later.
Both defences came out strong on the ensuing possessions, as this one remained a one-point game with just under three minutes to play.
Laval went on to score two more field goals, with Western being unable to mount a comeback and losing this one 27-20 bringing their season to a close.
"The wind gave us some problems and didn't seem to give them as many," said Marshall. "It didn't die down and it came in gusts. Some of Evan's balls just kind of died. That's playing in November. Give them credit they did a good job, stacked the box and committed to the run game, played us man, left some guys open, and you got to complete it more efficiently than we did in order to beat them."
Despite Western being known for their running game, it didn't come as easily today as in the past.
"There's some good things we did, but we needed to run the ball more consistently," said Marshall. "I think the biggest thing is at times we didn't have the football a lot. We are used to getting it back and getting two and outs and they didn't punt a lot. Their offense was very efficient today and we struggled."
Even with the loss, Marshall emphasizes how proud he is of his team that battled until the very end against a respectable top-tier opponent.
"[Laval] is an athletic team and well coached," said Marshall. "But I'm proud of the way the kids kept battling. We had a good run and that was a really good football team we played today."
After losing some guys last year on defence, the purple and white came into this season under question and uncertainty with some new faces.
"We got better every week," said Valente Jr. on the team's defence. "That's all you can ask for from guys who are stepping up. We preached 12 strong the whole year and we had injuries today and it's the next man up. That was the whole mentality the whole year and we showed it today and just didn't get the job done."
"We knew we were light on the defensive line and juggling it. We got through the year okay, but for the most part our defensive line is as good as Laval's," said Marshall. "The teams we played in Ontario either ran the ball well or threw the ball well, and so a team as complete as Laval we hadn't really played. They exposed us. We knew going into the season defensively we were not as strong as the past, but it's a credit to our players because they played at a high level this year. They struggled a bit today, but for most of the season they played really well."
With the season officially coming to an end for the Mustangs minus a few trophies, the bond and brotherhood gained throughout the season is something that they value and will carry for the rest of their lives.
"I love these guys. They played their hearts out today," concluded Valente Jr. "I'm proud of the guys. I'm proud of every single one of them. These guys are my brothers. They are my family forever."
Laval will take on Saskatchewan who topped St. Fx 36-19 in the UTeck Bowl earlier today in the Vanier Cup next Saturday here at Western Alumni Stadium. Kick-off is set for 1pm.
