WATERLOO, Ont. - Whether it was the sound of 3,099 fans in attendance or the actual thunder and lightning which led to an hour-long weather delay, University Stadium was loud all night for the first game of the Golden Hawks' 2022 season.
Coming off a Week 1 bye and facing the defending Vanier Cup champions, the Golden Hawks had a tough task ahead of them on Saturday and, despite a valiant effort, couldn't pull off the upset over U SPORTS #1 Western. The final score was 34-19 for the Mustangs.
The Golden Hawks looked good out of the gate. Their opening drive netted three first downs, while Western's first offensive outing ended in a two and out.
Mustangs quarterback Evan Hillock started to heat up his second time out, however, completing three passes including a 28-yard touchdown throw to Savaughn Magnaye-Jones. A field goal from Golden Hawks kicker Dawson Hodge early in the second quarter cut the lead to 7-3, but the following Western drive saw Magnaye-Jones find the endzone once again.
Hodge would hit another field goal to make the score 14-6. On Western's next drive, they marched the ball down to the Laurier 40-yard line before lightning above the stadium forced the officials to suspend the game with 1:50 left to play in the second quarter.
After a long break, the Mustangs picked up right where they left off, scoring on the very first play as Magnaye-Jones completed the hat trick. The fourth-year receiver would finish with five receptions for a game-leading 145 yards.
Down 21-6 with 1:12 on the clock, the Golden Hawks wasted no time in answering back, scoring their first touchdown of the season on a beautiful play. Quarterback Taylor Elgermsa found Ben McAlpine over the middle, who then evaded two Western tacklers and ran all the way to the endzone for a 76-yard touchdown.
With both teams well-rested from the weather delay, the second half kicked off immediately following the halftime buzzer. Western's offence shifted from the air to the ground, relying on their run game to pick up yards and wind down the clock. This proved effective.
For the second game in a row, both Keon Edwards and Edouard Wanadi surpassed the century mark, reaching 127 and 101 yards rushing, respectively.
The Golden Hawks kept the Mustangs out of the end zone in the third quarter, but surrendered two field goals and managed only 16 yards gained on offence.
"In the third quarter we just had a few too many two and outs and then they ran long drives, so we weren't actually on the field much as on offense and our defence was getting tired," said Head Coach and Manager of Football Operations
Michael Faulds. "That's where the game kind of shifted. Until then we were right in it."
Heading into the fourth quarter down 27-13, a costly interception at their own 40-yard line essentially put an end to Laurier's comeback hopes. Hillock would complete his fourth touchdown pass of the game on the ensuing possession, this one to Justin Nickson.
Late in the game,
Ethan Jordan showed off his speed as he returned a Western punt for 33 yards, made all the more impressive by the fact the Golden Hawks had only 11 players on the field. The drive ended with
Tanner Nelmes' first touchdown of the season on a one-yard carry.
While a home opener loss is never going to be an easy pill to swallow, Faulds felt optimistic looking ahead to the rest of the season.
"It's upsetting that we lost the football game, but I told the guys it's about growing each and every week, and if this is a measuring stick for week one, I'm proud of how we measured up against a really quality football team."
Elgersma, whose 258 passing yards is his highest single-game total as a Golden Hawk, echoed his coach's feelings. "We saw what we can do when we put drives together," he said. "I think as a whole we've got to execute better."
Top Performers
Laurier Golden Hawks
Ethan Jordan, a second-year receiver making his first in-game appearance, was a standout offensively, recording a game-high seven receptions for 78 yards. He also had 50 punt return yards to bring his offensive total to 128.
"Ethan's a very smooth athlete. He's an effortless runner and he has great hands. Some of those catches were tough, some were contested, some were in traffic," said Faulds. "He's a dynamic player and we're going to find ways to continue to get him the ball."
Western Mustangs
With three receiving touchdowns tonight, Savaughn Magnaye-Jones brought his total so far this season to four. Incredibly, that matches his total from 2021, which was good for second place in the OUA.
Up Next
With their record standing at 0-1, the Golden Hawks will be on the road next week to face the Toronto Varsity Blues. Kickoff is Saturday at 1 p.m. As always, you can watch live at OUA.tv and follow along on Twitter @wluathletics.
