Shaking off a shock opening to Sunday's game, and their OUA season, the Marauders flexed their offensive muscles to grab a convincing 25-10 win over the Guelph Gryphons on the road.

McMaster allowed a touchdown on the opening kickoff of the game, as Guelph's [Name] returned Adam Preocanin's (Burlington, Ont.) offering 95 yards to the end zone to give the host Gryphons an immediate 7-0 lead.

But that was the only touchdown that the Marauders allowed on the afternoon, with their own offence coming to life in response, en route to 402 combined yards and two touchdowns.

Third-year quarterback Andreas Dueck (Winnipeg, Man.) was efficient from start to finish, completing 28 of 37 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown without an interception.

Putting together a team effort on the ground, the combination of running backs Justice Allin (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Tavian Shand (Kitchener, Ont.), and their quarterback Dueck racked up 120 yards.

Third-year receiver Tyson Middlemost (Dundas, Ont.) caught five passes for 72 yards and a touchdown, while Michael Bazzo (King City, Ont.) following close behind with 70 yards. 

McMaster's defence limited Guelph to just three points in open play, which came when the Gryphons rookie kicker Eric Stranz hit his lone field goal with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Fourth-year linebacker Nate Edwards (Ancaster, Ont.) led his unit with eight tackles, while defensive backs Josh Cumber (Cambridge, Ont.) and Mitch Garland (Hamilton) each pulled down interceptions.

McMaster's offence moved the ball well in the wake of Guelph's game-opening touchdown, but was stymied by penalties and execution in the red zone in the first quarter. Its ability to move the ball did pay dividends, however, when the Marauders pinned the Gryphons deep and promptly forced Stranz to concede a safety with 8:26 remaining, cutting Guelph's lead to 7-2.

Marching downfield again to close the first quarter, the Marauders made no mistake when the second began, as Dueck evaded the blitz and found Middlemost for a 16-yard catch and run that brought Mac its first touchdown of the season and a 9-7 lead at 14:45.

The offence continued its steady assault on the next drive, and looked poised to extend the lead, before kicker Adam Preocanin had to settle for a single point from a 27-yard field goal attempt and pushed Mac ahead 10-7.

With Theo Landers and the Guelph offence failing to gain any traction against the McMaster defence, the Marauders mounted the last sustained drive of the half just before its conclusion, with Preocanin making good on his second attempt of the day, this one from 28 yards, to give his team a 13-7 lead at the halftime break.

Breathing room for the Marauders came on their second drive of the third quarter, when Garland's punt return gave his team the ball at the Gryphons 43-yard line and Dueck proceeded to pick apart the hosts' secondary.

He reeled off completions of 13 and 18 yards to Bazzo, before finding Tommy Nield (Guelph, Ont.) for an 18-yard gain that brought McMaster to the goal line. From there, backup Matt Krason (Brantford, Ont.) led the jumbo package across the line on the sneak to extend the Marauders lead to 20-7.

Preocanin added another rouge to his tally on the ensuing kickoff, when the Gryphons were unable to escape their endzone and were forced to concede the single point.

He scored McMaster's final points of the afternoon with his second made field goal, pinging a 45-yard effort off the uprights and through, with 1:40 to play in the third quarter.

RIVALRY RENEWED: McMaster improved its all-time record against Guelph since the inception of the OUA to 31-19, with the Marauders beating the Gryphons to open the conference season for the second consecutive year. McMaster and Guelph have opened the season against one another on nine occasions, with the Marauders now boasting a 7-1-1 record in those encounters. Coach Stefan Ptaszek now boasts a 10-3 record against the Gryphons, while the Marauders have now won five straight games against the Gryphons, with their last loss coming in 2015.

NEW FACES IN THE BACKFIELDS: Cumber made his first appearance for the Marauders and started on the field corner Sunday, picking up the first interception of his career by picking off Guelph's Theo Landers in the second quarter. On the other side of the ball, running back Shand also made his first start, collecting 31 yards on 11 carries.

DEBUTANTS: In addition to Cumber, two true freshmen dressed on Sunday, with linebacker Zach Ihasz (Burlington, Ont.) and defensive back and returner Devonte Ballantyne (London, Ont.) both suiting up for McMaster. Transfers Devonte Ballantyne (Brampton, Ont.), who spent three seasons with the Mount Allison Mounties, and Krason, who played two for the York Lions, made their first appearances for the Marauders.

GALLOWAY ACROSS THE AISLE: Todd Galloway met his previous team in his first game as a member of the Marauders staff Sunday, having joined McMaster from Guelph in January. Galloway, who now serves as the Marauders recruiting coordinator and offensive quality control, spent eight seasons with the Gryphons, which culminated in his elevation to the head coaching role on an interim basis in 2018. While in that post, he compiled a 5-3 record in the regular season and led Guelph to an appearance in the Yates Cup, falling to the eventual Vanier Cup runners up Western.

NEXT UP: McMaster returns to OUA action on Sunday, September 1, when the Marauders play host to the Ottawa Gee-Gees at Ron Joyce Stadium. The Gee-Gees enjoyed a bye through the opening week of the season, and will be making their first appearance in Hamilton. Ottawa defeated McMaster 18-11 at Gee-Gees Field in their last meeting in 2018.