THE LOW-DOWN
The 116th Yates Cup final is a highly anticipated rematch of last season's championship between the #2-ranked Golden Hawks and the #4 Western Mustangs.
 
The Golden Hawks enter the contest undefeated, while the Mustangs come in at 9-1 after Laurier won their regular season match-up, not having done so in 18 years. The Golden Hawks look to earn their first trophy since 2016 and prevent the Mustangs from capturing their fourth straight title.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Dating back to 2000, this is the 12th playoff meeting between the programs with the Mustangs having the 7-4 edge. Knight-Newbrough Field will host its first title game since 2005 where the Golden Hawks took down Western en route to a national championship.
 
Saturday marks the fourth Laurier-Western final in the past eight championship games. It is the eighth straight Cup final appearance for the 35-time OUA winning Mustangs, while the Golden Hawks make their second consecutive trip to the finals for the first time since 2016-2017.
 
During the regular season, Taylor Elgersma won the quarterback duel over Western's Evan Hillock, where Elgersma's two passing and two rushing touchdowns lifted the Hawks to the 43-28 victory.
 
The 115th Yates Cup was a different story. The Golden Hawks had a commanding 14-3 lead going into halftime, but their three of four scoreless quarters and Western's 21-point second half performance saw the Mustangs win 29-14, completing the championship three-peat.
 
SATURDAY STORYLINES
Laurier Golden Hawks
Elgersma and manager of football operations and head coach Michael Faulds brought home two of the OUA's major awards on Thursday for the second consecutive season, while nine Golden Hawks were named all-stars. But all eyes were set to the Yates Cup, the award the program has been fixated on since their 2016 win.
 
The Golden Hawks have defended their home turf to perfection, literally, all season long, and no doubt there will be heightened protection measures. Laurier's defence sat second in the OUA while the offence led all of U SPORTS, and both units are going to be put to the test against the Mustangs who, perhaps for the first time, wear the underdog title.
 
Reflecting on last year's championship game, the sentiment around the Laurier squad is to play full, complete four quarters in order to hoist the hardware.
 
Western Mustangs
After suffering their first regular season loss to Laurier since Week Two of the 2021 season, they look to right the ship against the Golden Hawks in the game that matters most.
 
Western powered through the McMaster Marauders in the first round, and passed a tougher test in the semifinals against the Guelph Gryphons. Guelph kept Western to a one point lead through three quarters, but the Mustangs shut them out in the final frame while putting up 10 points.
 
The Mustangs have hosted the Yates Cup 30 times going back to 1954, and this marks the second time in nine seasons where the trophy will not see London, Ont., grass. Western is in an unfamiliar setting playing for first place away from their home stadium.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Laurier Golden Hawks
OFFENCE
#13 – Taylor Elgersma and #4 – Ethan Jordan
The dynamic duo is the most dangerous combination in U SPORTS. In the regular season matchup against Western, Elgersma went for 385 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two rushing majors. The two-time MVP was lights-out in the semifinals with 348-yards and three touchdowns. A key to his success in both games: no interceptions.
 
Jordan enters the game off a career regular season, being the first Golden Hawk receiver to hit the 1,000-yard milestone. Earlier in the year against Western, Jordan tallied 133 receiving yards and caught both of Elgersma's touchdown passes.
 
DEFENCE
#52 – Ethan Gregorcic
While the second year linebacker did not have his best game in the regular season meeting with Western, he shone a week ago. He had five tackles, three pass break-ups, and most importantly an interception with 41-yards. Gregorcic's patience and ability to read plays presents a threat to the entire Mustangs offence.
 
Western Mustangs
OFFENCE
#82 – Dasani McIntosh
Against the Golden Hawks, McIntosh only had three receptions but made the most of it with 105-yards and two touchdowns. While he is without a touchdown this postseason, he has 125 receiving yards through two games, gaining valuable ground for the Mustangs.
 
DEFENCE
#54 – Soren Hallschmid
Through two playoff games, Hallschmid has 8.5 tackles and five sacks worth a whopping 51-yards. Getting through the Laurier offensive line will be challenging, but if he can bring down Elgersma, it will put pressure on the Golden Hawk offence.