The highly anticipated home opener for the U Sports No. 7 McMaster Marauders against No. 4 Western Mustangs left Mac fans and players disappointed after a 29-14 loss.

With a total of only 13 first downs for the entire game, the Marauders’ young and inexperienced offence had a hard time against the Mustangs’ more seasoned defence.

All three quarterbacks got a chance to touch the ball throughout the game. Dylan Astrom played briefly in the first quarter, followed by Andres Dueck who played the majority of the first and the entire second quarter, and finishing with Jackson White who played the entire second half. Yet some of the most exciting plays of the game were thanks to the Marauders’ defence.

With nine junior and senior defensive starters, even when losing, the defence was still able to create much needed game changing plays. Mac is currently tied at second in the country with five interceptions, while sophomore cornerback Robbie Yochim is tied for second in individual interceptions.

When asked if the defence was proud of their current national interception statistic, Yochim praised his teammates, but knows they have to work harder if they want to be consistent winners.

“Our defensive backs are really skilled this year. We’ve come along way since last year,” said Yochim. “If we clean up all those edges and dot those Is and cross those Ts, we’re going to be really good on defence. You never want to learn a lesson with a loss but this is definitely a lesson to be learned for us.”

Both Yochim and McMaster’s current defensive leader, senior linebacker Eric Mezzalira, attribute the defence’s success to the seniority, but both know there is still a lot of room to grow for the team as a whole.

“We have a lot of seniors on our team. In our defensive front we have a lot of older guys so were kind of setting the tone for the younger guys coming in and they’re really picking it up. It’s good to see that they’re learning from us,” said Mezzalira.

“We got too many mistakes out there on every side of the ball,” added Yochim. Defence is making too many errors. Special teams had that one block where we didn’t seal the edge and offence had some things they messed up on as well. We just really have to clean up our game and have a solid game all around next time.”

Although there is room for improvement for defence, they were still able to make key plays that would set up offensive scoring opportunities. The Marauders’ offence was able to score two touchdowns due to crucial interceptions forced by the defence.

Leading by example, senior linebacker Jake Heathcote picked the ball off Western’s quarterback Chris Merchant and returned it 34 yards. The return set up Mac’s running back Jordan Lyons to score the Marauders’ first touchdown of the day.

"We just really have to clean up our game and have a solid game all around next time."


Robbie Yochim

Cornerback
McMaster football 

Sophomore cornerback Nolan Putt later followed in the footsteps of Heathcote, intercepting Western’s Stevenson Bone’s pass. This allowed rookie quarterback Jackson White to put a 33-yard rushing touchdown on the board, the first touchdown of his career.

While unable to stop the Mustangs, it is obvious that Mac’s defence is able to make the big plays that they need to.

“The expectation is that we can play good defensive football and be opportunistic, but we’re still making mistakes all over the place,” said head coach Greg Knox. “From a coaching perspective, we got to figure out what needs to happen in our preparation to start limiting those mistakes, and we need to be better next week.”

With the number of upper-year defensive players starting, that expectation is undeniable. Although with much younger key players, such as first-year quarterbacks White and Dueck, there is still room and time for improvement.

Mac’s perseverance was definitely tested against Western. Coming off of a preseason win against the Saskatchewan Huskies and their first regular season win against the Carleton Ravens, it was their first true taste of being down and out this season.

“I think we played gritty football. We’re learning what the definition of grit and determination is at this level. The tale of the game isn’t about how much we wanted it, it’s about if we were able to limit our mistakes. I think that’s the telling tale,” said Knox.

Next steps

Next up the Marauders will play the Ottawa Gee Gees in Hamilton. The last time the two teams met in Ottawa, the Marauders lost 30-8.

“[The loss to Western is] a wake up call. We got Ottawa next week and we got to be ready to go,” said White. “Our defence played well, we just have to be better on offence.”

For next week’s game against the Gee Gees, the Marauders will have the advantage of playing at home, as well as the loss to Western to learn from. This will give Mac ample opportunity to clean up their game and play good football on both sides of the ball.

With leaders like Robbie Yochim, Eric Mezzalira, and Jake Heathcote, and a so far promising future for White, McMaster football should be in good hands.

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From all-stars to up and comers, the McMaster men look to make a statement in a league full of surprises

With four games in the books, football season is in full swing, and what a swing it was. McMaster bounced back from a 30-8 loss against the red-hot Ottawa Gee-Gees to defeat the Waterloo Warriors 35-0 in a league that is becoming increasingly difficult to predict.

But from the numbers, players and storylines have emerged that are sure to keep the rest of the season interesting.

On the offensive side of the ball, rookie kicker Adam Perocanin has continued his unlikely rise to stardom. With a career best 45-yard completion in game one, a perfect six for six conversions in game two, and Ontario University Athletics special teams player of the week, it was hard to imagine how he could get any better. Until he drilled a 49-yard field goal in the third quarter against the Warriors, beating his own record and making his case for another highlight reel appearance.

“He is off to a good start,” said head coach Greg Knox. “So far so good. His focus has been good, his production has been good, and we expect big things from him.”

Mac’s running game has also hit its stride, with veteran running back Chris Pezzetta adding two touchdowns to Mac’s total against Waterloo, silencing critics who questioned his ability to return from another ACL tear last season.

But it was second-year player Jordan Lyons whose game-high 105 rushing yards made a case for his own development, and could provide some new options for Mac on the ground down the stretch.

McMaster’s young defensive secondary made their own statement, keeping Waterloo scoreless after struggling against the Gee-Gees.  Knox seems confident in their development moving forward.

“The secondary is gaining more experience, and that allows us to be more versatile on the defensive side of things” said Knox.

“They are progressing well, they got out of the gate strong in the first couple of games and struggled [against Ottawa], but that’s going to happen when you have a young group.”

Elsewhere in the league, McMaster can look forward to some stiff competition as the season goes on, with familiar faces and a few Cinderella stories looking to challenge their regular season run.

Western is still being touted as an early OUA favorite, despite falling to Carleton in week two. Reeling from last year’s Yates Cup loss at home, the Mustangs haven’t had had much player turnover from last season and will add hard-earned experience to an already big and athletic lineup. Dark horse Carleton proved they have the potential to play spoiler, but big losses to Mac and Laurier leave them with a shaky 2-2 record to start the year.

After week three the only undefeated teams in the OUA are Laurier and Ottawa, both of which were outranked by four other OUA competitors to start the season. Early upsets suggest fans brace themselves for an exciting run in a league enjoying far more parity than previous years.

For now, the Marauders next challenge is a heated homecoming matchup with newfound rival Guelph. The defending Yates Cup champions fell early to an unknown Windsor team but have worked themselves back to a 2-2 record.

Expect an offensive showdown with the Gryphons, who currently outrank McMaster in both points and yards per game, but have been vulnerable on the road, losing both their away games this season.

When asked about how his team copes with the hype surrounding such as unpredictable season, Knox insists the message is clear.

“We need to get better every day and worry about what we can control. We have our hands full with that… but as a group we know we have the potential to be successful this year and everyday our focus is on getting better, one step at a time.”

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