2 - of College Football Games

LONDON, Ont. - The Western
Mustangs returned as the Yates Cup
champions for the second consecutive
year with a 31-17 victory over the Ottawa
Gee-Gees on Nov. 8 at TD Waterhouse
Stadium.
Itís the 28th championship the men’s
football team has secured in the Yates
Cup’s 101-year history.
Quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden
Mills, Ont.) earned his second straight
Yates Cup MVP honour, winning the
Dalt White Trophy.
After the win, hundreds of the 5,480
fans in attendance at TD Waterhouse
Stadium swarmed to centre field,
surrounding Western’s
championship team in a sea of
purple and white.
Faulds carried his team to the win
on a very difficult day for Western’s
usually prolific offence. Western only
accumulated 147 rushing yards, 52 of
those earned by Faulds himself, against
a powerful Ottawa defence.
Many of Faulds’ rushing plays were a
result of the large amount of pressure
Ottawa put on the Mustangs’ offensive
line, frequently collapsing the pocket
around the Western pivot.
Despite this, Faulds still completed
15-of-29 attempts for 201 yards and a
touchdown, with no interceptions. While
43
102nd Yates Cup
sacked twice and rushed many times, he
threw the ball with pinpoint accuracy and
showed poise, maturity and leadership.
Western started the scoring in a
fairly uncharacteristic fashion, gaining
two points on an
Ottawa
intentional
s a f e t y
early in
the first quarter. The play was the result
of a fantastic special teams tackle by
Western running back Ryan Tremblay
(London, Ont.), who pinned Ottawa on
its own six-yard line.
The Gee-Geesí
offence attempted
two rushing plays
by Craig Bearss
(Kingston, Ont.)
before surrendering
the safety - Bearss
was replacing the
Gee-Gees’ usual
starting running
back Davie Mason
(Brampton, Ont.)
who was injured.
By Matthew Waddell
Entering his fifth and
final season, quarterback
Michael Faulds has
one more mission to
accomplish as a Mustang:
winning the Vanier Cup.
Bearss led his team with just 23 yards
on five attempts, a tribute to Western’s
stifling run defence.
Western would score again on a oneyard
touchdown run by Nathan Riva
(Lasalle, Ont.) with 7:10 to go in the first
quarter.
Riva’s second touchdown of the day
would put Western up 16-0. Once again,
he scored on a one-yard run.
Western benefitted from poorly timed
Ottawa penalties for pass interference
and an offside call that negated a
turnover on downs after a failed thirddown
gamble by Western.
Discipline was an issue for Ottawa
throughout the game, as the Gee-Gees
were flagged 15 times for 120 yards.
Late in the second quarter Western
gambled on a fake punt - the ball was
direct-snapped to defensive back Matt
Carapella (London, Ont.) who rushed
15 yards for the first down.
Despite these heroics, a sack on the
following play by Prokipchuk would force
a third-down situation that Western could
not convert on, and they settled for three
points after a 24-yard Darryl Wheeler
(Hamilton, Ont.) field goal.
Western now held a commanding 19-0
lead.
Ottawa would finally score 27:03
into the game When Josh Sacobie
(Fredericton, N.B.) threw to Cyril Adjeitey
(Ghana) for a 23-yard score.
Western would convert on another 24yard
Wheeler field goal before the half to
push the tally to 22-7 at the half.
The Mustangs defence took over in
the second half. The western offense
managed one more scoring drive in the
rest of the game, culminating in a 32yard
Faulds pass to receiver Zach Bull
(Port Colborne, Ont.) on a skinny post
route that resulted in Western’s final
touchdown.
An intentional safety gave Western the
31-7 lead, but with 6:42 remaining in the
game, Sacobie connected with receiver
Ron Kelly (Sault Ste Marie, Ont.) for a
touchdown. The two-point conversion
pass to Ivan Burungi was a success to
make the score was 31-15
Needing two touchdowns with a pair of
two-point conversions, though, it was too
late for Ottawa to mount a comeback.
Ottawa’s defenCe forced a late safety,
putting the score to 31-17.
Sacobie would finish the day with
30 completions on 55 attempts,
344 yards, two touchdowns,
and two interceptions.
With the win, Western
advanced to the Mitchell Bowl,
national semifinal, against the
Saint Mary’s Huskies on Sunday,
Nov. 16 at TD Waterhouse
Stadium.