Preview: Western Mustangs eye win over rival McMaster Marauders

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Keagan Hall leads Ontario university football in passing yards, completions and attempts.

But the McMaster quarterback has been sacked 15 times through five games. By comparison, Western’s Evan Hillock and Laurier’s Taylor Elgersma are only at seven apiece.

So there’s an opportunity for the Mustangs defence heading into the rivalry tilt Saturday, 1 p.m. at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton. They couldn’t contain Elgersma in their lone loss to the Golden Hawks, but stumping Hall would be another confidence boost heading into the regular-season home stretch.

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“McMaster’s quarterback has been having a great year,” Western defensive lineman Max von Muehldorfer said. “He’s a threat downfield. He can throw a good ball and their offensive line is pretty veteran.”

Mustangs defensive co-ordinator Paul Gleason started the season featuring three down linemen – a “30” front in pigskin parlance. Malcolm Fraser’s return from injury has given the pass-rushers more options and the chance to confuse the Marauders with different looks.

“Majority of the time (with the ‘30’ front), you’re going to get a double team and the (five) offensive linemen will work up to the linebackers,” von Muehldorfer said. “That gives more freedom for our defence to cover the pass and the flats and the sticks, which is something we really wanted to focus on (in the 39-14 win over Queen’s last week).

“Rotating that front with the ‘40’ with Malcolm Fraser coming definitely helps give us a different look and different systems we can run.”

That comes, of course, at the expense of personal stats. The Western defenders are fine with it.

“I’ve been here four years and that’s one thing I’ve learned,” the 6-foot-2, 285-pound von Muehldorfer said. “You have to do your job and we’re a gap-sound defence. You have to make sure you stay in your gap and let the linebackers fill and stop the run. That’s how it is around here.

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“You just have to do your job.”

Western’s defence is ranked second in points-per-game allowed (18.4) behind Windsor (11.8). Nearly half of those points were given up to Elgersma and the Hawks in one road game.

The Mustangs face two more on the road – at Mac Saturday and at Toronto next Friday – before finishing up at home against the Lancers.

“We can’t take McMaster or Toronto lightly,” von Muehldorfer said. “Anything can happen. We have to keep our heads high and keep going forward.”

You’ll know it’s working if the Mustangs D front gets a good push and keeps the 6-foot-5 Hall well below his impressive passing numbers.

SPREAD IT OUT: Everyone in U Sports knows Western wants to run the football. So as much as the Mustangs are committed to it, this is the time of the fall to throw the opposing defence off-balance.

“We scheme up quite a bit of screens,” said running back Keanu Yazbeck, who caught two passes and racked up 109 all-purpose yards against Queen’s. “I always try to tell our offensive coaches to throw me the ball. I think I can be utilized in the pass game. Whether or not you’re getting the ball and the defence has to account for you to catch it, well, that’s an extra assignment for them.

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“Screens are always fun.”

In the Laurier loss, Western had eight playmakers with two or more carries and receptions. Against the Gaels, it was 12. The Mustangs are trying to spread out the ball more.

“It’s not everyone is just out there keying on Seth (Robertson),” Western head coach Greg Marshall said. “The key is don’t pre-determine where you’re going with the football. See where they align. Move the ball and force (the defence) to rally down to allow you to take shots downfield.”

Marshall wanted to get Ethan Dolby more touches against Laurier and lamented that it didn’t happen. He worked in the Parkside grad much more last week.

“We’re conscious of getting him in the game because you see what he does,” the coach said. “On one big pass play, (Queen’s) brought a linebacker off the edge. He’s coming off the play-fake, just slides out and picks up the blitz. No one sees that. but Ethan Dolby makes a play. A screen pass, he breaks two tackles to get us a crucial first down.

“Evan (Hillock) trusts him in the screen game and the coaches do. He has a burst to him, but he can also lower the pads and go through.”

It’s part of an offence’s growth. Now, it’s figuring out how to make it consistent and playoff ready.

rpyette@postmedia.com

OUA FOOTBALL

Western (4-1) vs. McMaster (2-3)

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. in Hamilton.

The matchup: The Mustangs have won five straight on Mac campus dating back to 2013.

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