HAMILTON, Ont. – On Saturday evening at Ron Joyce Stadium, the OUA Marquee Matchup featured the McMaster Marauders (0-1) against the visiting Laurier Golden Hawks (1-0). Laurier secured their first win of the season with a hard-fought 31-14 victory.

McMaster started strong defensively, holding Laurier to a three-and-out on their opening drive. Keagan Hall (Burlington, Ont.) sparked the Marauders' offence with a pass to freshman Jackson Taylor (Hamilton, Ont.), to move the chains. Hall and Taylor connected again on a 23-yard completion. On the next play, fourth-year running back Brayden Kelly (Hamilton, Ont.) caught a screen pass from Hall and scored McMaster's first touchdown of the season.

After some back-and-forth play, the Marauders' defence made key stops. A tackle by DeEmetrius Masuka (Hamilton, Ont.) forced a Laurier punt, keeping the Golden Hawks scoreless. On Laurier's next drive, fourth-year defensive back Yohan Tshimbalanga (Hamilton, Ont.) intercepted 2023 OUA All-Canadian Taylor Elgersma (London, Ont.), giving McMaster the ball at their own 47-yard line. Despite their efforts, the Marauders couldn't convert, and a 50-yard punt by Micahel Horvat (Hamilton, Ont.) resulted in a rouge, putting McMaster up 8-0.

A solid drive and an unnecessary roughness penalty against McMaster allowed Laurier to advance to the Marauders' one-yard line. Elgersma then rushed in for a touchdown, bringing the score to 8-7.

Then, it was all Kelly. The 6'1" running back broke numerous tackles and rushed for 48-yards on three carries within the drive. Nicholas Adair (Kingston, Ont.) also added to McMaster's success while securing an overhead catch thrown from Hall. A 39-yard field goal by Horvat put McMaster ahead 11-7. Both teams exchanged field goals, and with 27 seconds left in the half, Laurier's veteran kicker Dawson Hodge (Coquitlam, Ont.) converted two field goals to give Laurier a 13-11 lead. McMaster responded just before halftime with a 31-yard catch by Taylor, setting up Horvat for a 36-yard field goal and a 14-13 lead at the break.

Laurier controlled majority of the possession in the third quarter, adding eight points with a rouge and a 2-yard touchdown rush by Elgersma. The Marauders struggled to regain momentum in the fourth quarter, punting on two drives, and a Hall interception sealed Laurier's 31-14 win.

In the game, McMaster's Kelley averaged 9.2 yards per carry, rushing for 101 yards. Taylor caught eight of Hall's 20 completions for 100 receiving yards. The Marauders look to bounce back next Saturday when they travel to Kingston, Ont., to face the Queen's Gaels. In their last encounter, Queen's defeated McMaster 14-10. Tune in to oua.tv to watch the livestream.