The Western Mustangs opened the 2019 football season with a 32-19 win over the Laurier Golden Hawks at University Stadium in Waterloo on Sunday.
The game statistics fell Laurier’s way in most major categories, but Western used the experience and savvy of some of the veterans, including fifth-year quarterback Chris Merchant along with some excellent plays on defence to extend their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) winning streak to 21 games.
Laurier led the game in total offence, putting up 442 yards to Western’s 288. The Golden Hawks held the Mustangs to under 100 yards rushing. Laurier led in time of possession by nearly 10 minutes and sacked Merchant five times in the game.
But Western won.
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The Mustangs started life after Alex Taylor and Cedric Joseph. Both star running backs have graduated and moved on. Add to that fact that Western has only two returning starters on the offensive line and the ground game that was so potent and dangerous for so long was not able to ignite the offence.
That job fell to Merchant and he delivered. Although he scrambled at times, Merchant stepped up in the pocket when needed and spread the ball to just about every offensive weapon at his disposal.
Merchant completed 15 of 24 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He found Justin Nickson for Western’s first TD of the season on what ended up being a 62-yard reception and run from scrimmage. Nickson was a backup slotback in 2018, but is lining up as a wide receiver in 2019 and he powered his way across the goal line, dragging a defender along the way.
That score early in the second quarter put the Mustangs ahead 8-3.
Western added another touchdown before the end of the first half when Jacob Andrews blocked a Nathan Mesher punt near the goal line and Brett Ellerman recovered the ball and got into the end zone for a 15-6 advantage at the half.
The Mustangs got a key touchdown early in the second half when Merchant connected with Savaughn Magnaye-Jones for 36 yards and a TD.
Laurier began to creep back in the game, but Marc Legghio’s 40-yard field goal was followed by a Jack Middleton interception that gave the ball right back to Western’s offence. Merchant marched down the field, even rushing himself, and then Trey Humes ran the ball in from two yards out.
Laurier added a final TD with 12 seconds to go to close out the scoring.
Western will now have an entire week to prepare for their home opener against former offensive co-ordinator Steve Snyder and the Queen’s Golden Gaels. The Mustangs will host Queen’s on Labor Day night at 7:30 at TD Stadium.
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