HAMILTON, Ont. - The 2022 OUA football regular season finale is here. McMaster is still very much in the playoff picture but will need to secure a win against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday to keep the post-season dream alive. Last Saturday's game against the Queen's Gaels should give the Marauders a lot of confidence headed into this week, falling just 14-10 on the road. This weekend, the Marauders will do all they can to extend the season which means locking down a win and defending home turf.
Toronto vs McMaster
Ron Joyce Stadium | Hamilton, Ont.
October 22nd, 2022 @ 1pm
It has been a few years since the Marauders and Varsity Blues last matched-up, facing each other more recently on October 5, 2019. McMaster edged that contest 16-8, not allowing a major from Toronto that day and held the Varsity Blues to under 300 yards passing. Despite the close scoreline in 2019, the maroon and grey have won big against Toronto in recent years. McMaster has won eighteen straight meetings with the Varsity Blues.
In last week's game with the Gaels,
Andreas Dueck (Winnipeg, Man.) completed 25 of 41 attempts for 256 yards, recorded one rush touchdown and two interceptions and was sacked four times.
Daniel Bosett (Brantford, Ont.) and
Jawaun Smith (Hamilton, Ont.) split the running game for a combined 48 yards on the ground.
Nicholas Adair (Kingston, Ont.) led all receivers for the Marauders with 73 yards, including a long of 30 yards.
Toronto (3-4) is coming off the bye after falling to the No. 1 Western Mustangs 56-21. The Varsity Blues have picked up wins against the Carleton Ravens (28-13), York Lions (39-7) and Waterloo Warriors (32-24) this season. Toronto leads the conference in third down conversions, going 16 for 25 for a 64% conversion rate.
Through eight weeks, the Marauders still lead the province in passing with a total of 1852 passing yards this season, averaging 264.6 passing yards per game. The Marauders also lead the OUA in defensive interceptions with 11 and time of possession, averaging 33:20 minutes per game.
Defensively, the Varsity Blues are led by defensive back, Owen Cassie. The sophomore sits third in the conference in tackles per game with 6.6 and second in solo tackles with 39 in seven games played. On the other side of the ball, Nigel LeGood is Toronto's main passing target with a total of 243 yards receiving this season. Adam Williams is the rushing leader for the Varsity Blues with 636 yards on the ground. The Marauders will play in what is no doubt the biggest game of the season and will need to capitalize on every possible scoring opportunity to secure a win and a spot in the post-season.
McMaster's Varsity Leadership Committee is also hosting its 'Kicking for a Cure' campaign this weekend, seeking to raise funds for local cancer research units through Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation. Volunteers will be on hand at Ron Joyce Stadium to assist with donations, as well as direct people to the Hamilton Health Sciences online donation page.
Donate Now: 'Kicking for a Cure'
The OUA playoffs begin next weekend, starting with the quarterfinals, which will see the following match-ups: 7 @ 2, 6 @ 3 and 5 @ 4. The top team will get a bye to the semifinals.
All Time
The first meeting between the Marauders and Varsity Blues took place in 1901. Toronto leads the all-time series 26-25-1. Saturday will mark the 53rd meeting between the two programs.
Last Time Out
Last Saturday in Kingston, defense was on display throughout the entirety of the game. The Gaels and Marauders combined for 88 solo tackles.
Devonte Ballantyne (Strathroy, Ont.),
Dylan Hillier (Cambridge, Ont.) and
Owen Hubert (Hamilton, Ont.) led the Marauders with twelve solo tackles between the trio. Queen's and McMaster recorded a total of just 447 yards of offence throughout the contest thanks to the impressive defensive performances on both sides.
Game Coverage
Watch Live:
https://oua.yaretv.com/
Listen Live:
https://globalnews.ca/radio/900chml/player/#/
Twitter: @McMasterSports
Instagram: @mcmasterfootball & @mcmastersports
For the latest news and updates on the McMaster Marauders, follow @mcmastersports on social media or visit www.marauders.ca.
