After the 2020 OUA season was cancelled due to COVID-19, the 2021 season gets started this Saturday, Sept. 18.
In a rematch of the 2019 Yates Cup, the McMaster Marauders will play the Western Mustangs at TD Stadium in London.
At the end of the 2019 regular season, Western was 8-0, while McMaster finished with a 6-2 record.
The Marauders beat Western 29-15 in the OUA Championship game, then lost 30-17 in the Mitchell Bowl to the Calgary Dinos, who won the Vanier Cup 27-13 over the Montreal Carabins the following week.
Offensively, McMaster’s fortunes will rise and fall with fourth-year quarterback Andreas Dueck.
The Winnipeg native completed 200 of 301 passing attempts for 2431 yards. He threw 15 touchdown passes and had eight passes intercepted.
Leading the ground attack is third-year running back Justis Allin, who in the 2019 season had 48 carries for 348 yards and one major.
On the other side of the field, Jackson White is the starting Western QB.
The six-foot-four, 230-pounder originally agreed to attend McMaster in 2018.
He made the OUA all-rookie team that season after splitting time with Dueck.
He was then forced to sit out the 2019 season after transferring from McMaster to Western.
After the game in London, the Marauders get a bye week, before their home opener, Saturday, Oct. 2, against Waterloo.