The Western Mustangs showed off depth and determination in an 83-0 obliteration of the York Lions to begin the 2023 OUA football season at York University on Saturday.
The Mustangs amassed 700 yards of total offence. 381 of those yards came on the ground.
Eight different Western players scored touchdowns.
Third-year Western quarterback Evan Hillock threw for 305 yards and had five TD passes before sitting down in the third quarter,
Backup Jerome Rancourt tossed a final touchdown to Mohsen Jamal for Jamal’s second major score of the afternoon. Jamal and Savaughn Magnaye-Jones each had more than 100 yards receiving and caught two TD passes apiece. Seth Robertson added two more touchdown catches.
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The Mustangs tore up the Lions on the ground where they averaged 13.1 yards per rush.
Last year’s OUA rushing champion, Keon Edwards, had 128 yards on just eight carries and one TD.
Troy Thompson, Keanu Yazbeck and Ethan Dolby all carried the ball and all scored touchdowns.
Defensively, Western held York to 169 yards and only 10 first downs.
Defensive back Chris Cameron-Kogler led the Mustangs with five solo tackles and a sack.
Middle linebacker Riley MacLeod also recorded a sack.
Richard Aduboffour and Jordan Murphy both intercepted Lions quarterback Owen Webb.
On special teams, Daniel Kubongo of the Mustangs returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes into the third quarter and Western kicker Brian Garrity was two-for-two on field goals and 11-for-11 on extra points.
Even in routs, coaches will always find things to look back at and improve and in Western’s case those points may begin with penalties and ball security.
The Mustangs were penalized 15 times for a total of 174 yards and also committed four fumbles in the game, however they were able to recover three of those.
The 83 points by Western matched an effort against Ottawa in 2013 when the Mustangs defeated the Gee Gees 83-27 on a day that Brian Marshall caught three touchdown passes and Will Finch threw for 297 yards.
Western now comes home to host the McMaster Marauders in Week 2 at 7 p.m. at Western Alumni Stadium.
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