Halfway through the season, and with four weeks under our belt, the OUA Football landscape hasn't looked sparser and more contested for quite some time.
No clear front runner has emerged within the OUA West in particular, and with a division of six teams – five of whom have been ranked nationally at some point this season – only a game separates first to last. As the next few weeks unfold, the match-ups will be critical with only four teams advancing to the playoffs.
This is especially true for the Marauders who play hosts to the Golden Hawks on Saturday afternoon.
The No. 9 nationally ranked Marauders are coming off a narrow and difficult loss to the Windsor Lancers on the road a week ago, falling in overtime 27-24. Penalties plagued the Marauders throughout the game, with 18 flags costing a total of 136 yards of offensive production.
Andreas Dueck, who leads the OUA in average passing yards per game with 294.3, had plenty of Lancers pressure to overcome, threw three picks and was sacked four times on the day.
Justice Allin recorded his first rushing touchdown of the season, but the big scorer was kicker
Adam Preocanin who was five-for-seven on field goals on the day.
Like the Marauders, the Golden Hawks have struggled to find their footing on more than one occasion. After dominating the York Lions in week one, 37-6, they fell to the Waterloo Warriors 36-12 and the Western Mustangs 36-16. Laurier now enters week five coming off a bye, and with fresh legs under them, we'll see if the extra week plays an impact on Saturday's game.
Game Day Details
McMaster Marauders (1-2) vs. Laurier Golden Hawks (1-2)
Time: 1pm
Location: Ron Joyce Stadium
Watch: OUA.tv
Listen: 900 CHML Radio
Last Meeting
The last time these two sides faced off was in September of 2018, and the Marauders were able to get the upper hand over the Golden Hawks with a 21-20 victory after holding Laurier to just four second-half points. Dueck threw 12-for-26 for 135 yards, while Xander Tachinksi led all players with four catches for a total of 55-yards. On the defensive end, Nate Edwards was a force to be reckoned with, leading with a game-high 10 total tackles.
Players to Watch
McMaster
Andreas Dueck QB – Leads the league in passing completion percentage and yards per game, efficiently throwing 76-for-96 and averaging 294.3 yards through the air.
Nolan Putt DB – A defensive stopper, he's recorded 12 solo tackles over three games and currently ranks 11th in the OUA in tackles per game with 5.5.
Laurier
Tanner Nelmes RB – On 42 attempts on the season, he's rushed a total of 218-yards, ranking him seventh in the OUA with 72.7 rushing yards per game.
Christian Hutter-Coppin DB – Tenacious on the defensive end, he leads the OUA in interceptions with two on the season.
