Undefeated Western Mustangs begin playoff path to Vanier Cup with key injuries

For the seventh time in the last eight seasons, the Western University men’s football team will enter post-season play at the top of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) standings.

The dominant record is nothing new to the Mustangs, earning a semifinal bye for the second straight year with an 8-0 record, but this year Western will have to navigate key injuries on the offence that could threaten to derail its season as soon as Saturday’s clash with Queen’s.

The rematch of last year’s Yates Cup, which Western won 44-16 off the strength of its running game, will have a completely different look in the Mustangs’ backfield in Saturday’s semifinal, which will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem at 1 p.m. ET.

After relying on a two-headed rushing attack featuring the dynamic speed of third-year Keanu Yazbeck and the reigning OUA MVP Keon Edwards this season, the Mustangs lost both for the year with injuries in back-to-back wins over Toronto and Laurier to close out the season.

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Already dealing with a four-year suspension to last season’s No. 2 running back Edouard Wanadi for a violation of an anti-doping rule, Western running backs coach Jake Kirk will need to move even further down the depth chart for Western’s playoff run, turning to third-year back Troy Thompson and first-year Ethan Dolby.

The two have a combined 80 career carries, but Western is confident in its running back depth.

“[Thompson is] a hell of a zone-runner [and] his vision is great,” said Kirk heading into the season. “He’s similar to Edwards in the sense that he’s a bigger back that can run between the tackles with no issues.

While Western often features a multi-back rotation each game, Edwards became accustomed to an increased workload in the playoffs the previous two years, carrying the ball over 20 times in four of his eight playoff games.

That appears to be the strategy on the other side of the ball, where the Western defence will have to combat a heavy dose of the leading rusher in the nation.

The strength of Western’s defence, led by defensive coordinator Paul Gleason, is defending the run, as its 104.8 rushing yards allowed per game ranks fourth in the country, and trails only Queen’s mark of 102.5 in the OUA.

“Our first goal is to stop the run and we take great pride every year in doing this,” said Gleason. “Come playoffs in November you have to be able to stop the run. We graduated three quarters of our defensive line last year, so the play of our linebackers has been critical.”

Uncertainty surrounding starting quarterback Hillock

As important as the running game has been to Western over the years, the standout element of the offence this season has been the passing attack, led by third-year quarterback Evan Hillock.

Having lost just one game across 28 combined regular season and playoff appearances, the 2021 Vanier Cup champion posted a remarkable 2023 season, leading U Sports in passing touchdowns and pass efficiency.

With the key injuries in the backfield, Hillock knows that more will fall onto the plate of the passing game, featuring three of the top eight players in the country for receiving yards in Mohsen Jamal II (700), Savaughn Magnaye-Jones (671) and Seth Robertson (590).

“I think whenever you lose two all-star players it’s on everyone to up their game and do a little more,” said Hillock. “I think it will take all 12 guys doing their job every single play and winning each play in order to be successful.

While Hillock can no doubt speak for his team as a key leader, his own status for Saturday’s game remains uncertain after visiting concussion protocol in the fourth quarter against Laurier.

Hillock’s exit last week set the stage for backup quarterback Jerome Rancourt to throw the go-ahead touchdown pass to top the previously undefeated Laurier 33-30 and secure a bye for Western.

The towering Rancourt has primarily been used in short-yardage situations this season, accumulating four rushing touchdowns.

“[Rancourt and I] have been here together my three years, and he’s gotten better each year,” said Hillock. “He’s done a good job in the short yardage stuff for us this season. He’s a big, strong guy and he stepped up for us when we needed him in that last game when I couldn’t go.

“We tell our team at the beginning of the year it’s going to take each one of us to win a championship in different ways.”

Laurier will be taking on Windsor in Saturday’s other OUA semifinal, with the Yates Cup scheduled for Nov. 11 and the Vanier Cup set for Nov. 25 in Kingston, Ont.

Around the U Sports world:

• The Ottawa Gee-Gees earned the No. 1 seed at the 2023 U Sports women’s rugby championship after defeating defending national champion Laval 27-12 in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final on Saturday. OUA champion Queen’s, Canada West (CW) champ UBC and Atlantic University Sport (AUS) winner StFX received the second through fourth seeds, respectively, at the Quebec City tournament, streamed live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem beginning Wednesday.

• The new-look Victoria Vikes women’s field hockey team will be aiming for its fifth straight national title when they visit the Toronto Varsity Blues for a best-of-three series being streamed live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem from Friday through Sunday. Toronto topped the York Lions 1-0 in a shootout in the OUA championship on Saturday to punch its ticket to the U Sports final.