HAMILTON (October 14, 2017) - The No. 6 McMaster Marauders (6-1) secured a 29-13 win over the winless Windsor Lancers (0-7) on Saturday afternoon at Ron Joyce Stadium.

Jackson White of Cambridge, Ont. tossed two touchdowns and threw for 200 yards, finishing 16-26 through the air. He connected twice with Tyson Middlemost of Dundas, Ont., on the two passing touchdowns.

Middlemost was White's favourite target, making 11 receptions for a game-high 109 yards, both career highs for the second-year receiver. On the ground, Jordan Lyons of Burlington, Ont., registered 21 carries for 130 yards.

Marauders linebacker Jake Heathcote of Abbotsford, B.C., tallied nine tackles, including a sack, on the defensive side of the ball, while Nolan Putt of Caledonia, Ont., and Riley Pilkey of Cambridge, Ont., each had interceptions.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: McMaster's win, combined with the Wilfrid Laurier (5-2) loss against Guelph (4-3) on Saturday, gave the Marauders sole possession of second place in the OUA standings with just a week to play. McMaster will play Laurier on October 21 with second place and a bye through the opening round of the playoffs on the line. A McMaster win, regardless of any other scenario, would see the Marauders take second spot in the OUA standings.
Confusing the situation could be a potential Ottawa win over Western when the two meet in London next week. If that were to happen, there becomes the possibility of a three-way tie for second place in the OUA, were McMaster, Laurier and Ottawa all to finish the regular season 6-2.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED: McMaster put up 20 points in the opening half, tallying 10 points in each of the first two quarters. Both quarters featured a field goal and a passing touchdown from a trio of Marauders. In the first quarter, Adam Preocanin of Burlington, Ont., knocked in a 42-yard field goal to set the score at 3-3, responding to the Lancers field goal by Clark Green of Chatham, Ont., minutes earlier. On the Marauders next drive, White connected with Middlemost on a 29-yard touchdown strike for a 10-3 McMaster advantage.

The second quarter saw a repeat of the first, with Preocanin hitting a 26-yard field goal, followed on the next McMaster drive by a seven-yard touchdown pass from White to Middlemost which made the score 20-3 at the half.

LOOK SMART WITH FRIENDS: Preocanin recorded 17 of the Marauders' 29 points, kicking five field goals and adding two converts in the win. He was perfect in field goal attempts, hitting from 42, 26, 23, 31 and 36 yards. Preocanin also equalled his season-high point total of 17, which he duplicated against York on Sept. 30.

LET'S GO STREAKING: McMaster is now riding a 17-game win streak over the Windsor Lancers dating back to 1996. Since the OUA's founding in 1971, the Marauders hold a head-to-head record of 29-11 including Saturday's result.

UP NEXT: McMaster will travel to Wilfrid Laurier to battle the Golden Hawks at University Stadium in Waterloo, Ont., for their final regular season game. The matchup is one both teams have had circled on their calendar all season, and will most likely determine second place in the OUA. The team that secures second place will also earn a bye through the quarter-final stage of the playoffs. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 21.

The Lancers will host the York Lions and aim for their first win of the season. York (1-6) is coming off a 55-34 loss against the Queen's Gaels.

QUOTABLE:

- McMaster wide receiver Dan Petermann -

On the team's disappointment with their effort in the win
"Our message was to take this game as if it was a playoff game, because every game moving forward is important. We didn't accomplish that today, so it was tough. We've got to pick it up, because we'll be smacked if we play like that next week."

"We were getting better every week, from Week 2 on, but today was a step backward."

On Mac's mentality Saturday
"We played down to our opponent. We played like an 0-5 team today. We knew that we were the better team and that we should win, but we didn't play the way we should have."

On the desire to win the bye through the OUA quarter-finals
"I think we really need to win and show that we can play tough opponents. We could really use that bye week. I know a lot of us are pretty nicked up, so we could really use that time away."

- McMaster Head Coach Greg Knox -
On the inexperience of the Marauders and its effect
"It was a sloppy game. We're a young group, and our inexperience showed today. It's not necessarily a bad thing, because it gives us things to work on and improve on. We learned a lot about ourselves today. We learned that we need to work hard and get better every week."

On motivating the team to play against the struggling teams of the OUA
"It has proven to be a bit of a challenge. We're finding our way and finding out who we are. Instead of being frustrated, I'm going to try to look at the positives and identify what we need to work on. Evidently, our focus and our attention needs to be at the forefront of that work."

On treating Saturday's game as a learning tool
"We used a conservative game plan and tried to make use of the whole 55-man roster, and tried to get as many kids as much experience as possible, and the result is going to be something that's less efficient and less effective than when you're playing your starters and your ears are pinned back."

On meaningful playing time for reserves and young players
"It's always good when those guys get out there to play reps. It's not like it was a blowout. We were in a football game, and giving them meaningful minutes is going to pay dividends for everyone moving forward."