On a warm day in Waterloo, Ont., the Western Mustangs were beaten 43-28 by the Laurier Golden Hawks in a game that brought together the number one and number four ranked teams in U Sports football.
The Mustangs came in as the top-ranked team in U Sports with a 3-0 record in 2024 but suffered their first regular-season loss since Sept. 25, 2021, when they were edged 23-21 by the Guelph Gryphons.
Western went on from that loss to defeat the Golden Hawks in the Yates Cup and win the Vanier Cup in quarterback Evan Hillock’s first season.
The loss to Laurier on Saturday was largely due to the performance of Golden Hawks quarterback and Londoner Taylor Elgersma, who threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for two more.
Elgersma was near-perfect through the air, going 24-for-29 for 385 yards.
The Golden Hawks defence came up large as well as it held Western to its lowest rushing total of the season.
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No Mustang back went over 100 yards. Fifth-year running back Keon Edwards came the closest with 80 yards on 13 carries.
Hillock had a big day against Laurier as he threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns.
The Hamilton native was intercepted once.
Hillock had not lost a regular season start in his OUA career. The only two losses he had on his U Sports resume came in a pair of national semi-finals.
Receiver Seth Robertson, who was named a Mustang Athlete of the Week, was shaken up with just over five minutes remaining in the game. He left the field under his own power but did not return.
Robertson caught four passes and scored a touchdown.
Western wideout Dasani McIntosh caught three passes in the game for 105 yards and two TDs.
One of those scores came on a 79-yard scamper in the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs now head into their bye week.
They will host the Queen’s Gaels on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m., at Western Alumni Stadium.
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