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The Western football team’s road to the Vanier Cup will be a little longer this fall.
The Mustangs pounded Toronto 61-6 Friday night at Varsity Centre, but won’t be able to catch Wilfrid Laurier for first place after the Golden Hawks outlasted the Lancers 33-26 in Windsor.
The unbeaten Hawks (7-0) hold the tie-breaker over Western (6-1) by virtue of their head-to-head win Sept. 14 and have clinched the Ontario university conference’s top playoff seed for the first time since their Vanier Cup-winning season of 2005.
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While Laurier has earned a first-round bye, the Mustangs need to beat Windsor (5-2) in their regular-season finale next Saturday at Western Alumni Stadium to clinch second place and a more favourable first-round matchup.
“The playoffs can be a long journey,” Western head coach Greg Marshall said after hammering the Varsity Blues. “Hopefully, it’s a long run for us and we’re going to treat next week’s game just like it’s a playoff game.”
Quarterback Evan Hillock threw touchdown passes to Seth Robertson, Mohsen Jamal II and Brayden Misseri. The Mustangs also scored three rushing majors and got a 24-yard interception return touchdown from Calgary native Simon King.
Western picked off Toronto’s quarterbacks four times and recorded four sacks while allowing just two third-quarter field goals in the one-sided affair.
The Mustangs racked up 443 total yards, converted 6-of-7 red zone opportunities and were never forced to punt the ball by the Blues.
“We have four really good receivers in our starting unit and even our backups are really good,” Hillock said, “so I was definitely trying to get the ball in their hands as much as I can.”
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Western has scored 161 points in three straight wins since the Laurier loss. First place is gone, but the Mustangs are building momentum at the right time.
rpyette@postmedia.com
OUA FOOTBALL
Mustangs 61, Varsity Blues 6
Western touchdowns: Keanu Yazbeck, Seth Robertson, Mohsen Jamal II, Brayden Misseri, Jerome Rancourt, Simon King, Ethan Dolby
Next: The Mustangs (6-1) finish the regular season against Windsor (5-2) next Saturday, 1 p.m. at Western Alumni Stadium.
Game Summary
Friday at Varsity Centre
Mustangs 61, Blues 6
First quarter
WES – TD Yazbeck run 8 (Garrity kick) 7:36
WES – TD Robertson 8 pass from Hillock (Garrity kick) 12:36
WES – Single 12:36
Second quarter
WES – TD Jamal II 36 pass from Hillock (Garrity kick) 1:26
WES – FG Garrity 20 3:55
WES – TD Misseri 24 pass from Hillock (Garrity kick) 9:46
WES – TD Rancourt run 1 (Garrity kick) 13:20
WES – Safety 14:21
Third quarter
WES – FG Garrity 38 3:48
TOR – FG Henke 35 7:26
TOR – FG Henke 41 13:29
Fourth quarter
WES – TD King 24 interception return (Garrity kick) 2:12
WES – TD Dolby run 9 (Garrity kick) 4:20
WES – FG Garrity 36 13:16
Wes 15 26 3 17–61
Tor 0 0 6 0–6
Individual stats
Rushing: Wes – Dolby 8-72, TD, Rancourt 5-35, TD. Tor – Nyrose 12-60, Colby 2-23. Receiving: Wes – Jamal II 6-79, TD, Misseri 4-58, TD. Tor – Bullock 3-35, Joseph 5-34. Passing: Wes – Hillock 18-26, 243, 3 TD, 0 Int, Rancourt 2-3, 21. Tor – Colby 11-14, 103, 0, 3, O’Donoghue 4-6, 24, 0, 1.
Att – 2,560.
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