HAMILTON, Ont. - After a Week 5 bye, the McMaster Marauders (1-3) will face their toughest test this season in the defending Vanier Cup Champions, the Western Mustangs (4-0). Game time is set for 1pm at Ron Joyce Stadium.
Western vs McMaster
Ron Joyce Stadium | Hamilton, Ont.
October 1st, 2022 @ 1pm
The Marauders and Mustangs last matched-up in the 2021 OUA season opener in London, Ontario. The home team secured the victory that day, defeating the Marauders by a 41-13 scoreline. Historically, Western has controlled this series, with an all-time record of 48-15-1 against McMaster. The maroon and grey have had their moments, including a 2019 Yates Cup victory over the #1 Mustangs - 29-15.
Four games into the season, the Marauders' record may be 1-3 but, statistically, the maroon and grey are one of the top teams in the conference in both offence and defence. McMaster has the top-ranked passing offence in the province, averaging 301.8 yards per game. Quarterback,
Andreas Dueck (Winnipeg, Man.), has thrown for 1082 yards at the midway point of the 2022 OUA season. The Marauders also have one of the best defences in the province, allowing just 11.3 points per game (2nd OUA), 90.5 rush yards per game (1st in the OUA) and 157 passing yards per contest (2nd in OUA).
Western (4-0) is undefeated so far in 2022 and has been #1 week-in, week-out in the national rankings. The Mustangs are coming off of a convincing 66-3 victory over the Waterloo Warriors. The team from London recorded an impressive 684 total offensive yards and seven touchdowns on path to the win.
In the Marauders' last game, the team moved the sticks 31 times to have an edge in time of possession. In search of the second win and what would be the upset of the season, McMaster will need to set and control the tempo of the game while continuing to be a scoring threat on all sides of the ball in order to improve to 2-3.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Marauders will need to shut down the Mustangs' dual threat offense. Western's top receiver, Savaughn Magnaye-Jones, averages 72.8 yards per game and has a league-leading six touchdowns this season. On the ground, Keon Edwards ranks second in the OUA in yards per rush (8.5), yards per game (121.8) and touchdowns (4). Defensively, the Mustangs lead the conference in both sacks (13) and interceptions (7) so the Marauders will need to be aware of the purple and white.
The Marauders will hit the road on Friday October 7 to face the Guelph Gryphons in an early Thanksgiving showdown. Game time is set for 6pm.
All Time
The Marauders and Mustangs first met in 1929 and Saturday's game will mark the 65th meeting between the two. Western leads the all-time series 48-15-1.
Last Time Out
Two weeks ago, McMaster became the first team to shutout the Waterloo Warriors since 2016. McMaster owned every offensive statistical category in their last contest including first downs (McMaster - 31, Waterloo - 9) and total offence (McMaster - 486 yards, Waterloo - 160 yards) while the defence doubled up on the Warriors in sacks and interceptions. The Marauders had the best offensive performance of the season, recording points on offence, defence and special teams.
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.
