Mustangs cap perfect season with victory over Laval at Vanier Cup
The powerful Western Mustangs have been relentless throughout their undefeated season.
Not even the top-ranked defence in the country could come close to slowing them down.
Western quarterback Chris Merchant threw for 276 yards and ran for two touchdowns himself as the Mustangs defeated the Laval Rouge et Or 39-17 on Saturday to win the Vanier Cup.
Running back Cedric Joseph also scored two touchdowns as the 12-0 Mustangs ran the table and ended a 23-year Canadian university football championship drought.
“No one can really stop our offence,” said Western defensive back Alex Salytchev. “Our defence flies around. We’re truly the best team in the country.
“I hope everyone knows that this team will be immortalized as one of the best in history.”
Receiver Cole Majoros had the other touchdown for Western on a breezy, overcast afternoon at Tim Hortons Field. Alex Taylor had 154 rushing yards on 26 carries as the Mustangs put up 578 total offensive yards.
Laval, the 2016 champion, gave up an average of just 9.6 points per game in the regular season.
But Western’s top-ranked offence was brimming with confidence after piling up 222 points over its first three playoff games.
The Mustangs scored on their opening drive and never allowed Laval to gain any real traction.
“It was just too much of a good football team,” said Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin. “We hit a buzzsaw.”
Merchant mixed things up nicely from the start, finding Joseph on a screen for a 17-yard gain and moving into the red zone with a 28-yard pass to Majoros. The game MVP called his own number for a 13-yard TD run at 11:28.
Laval quarterback Hugo Richard was held to just 13 passing yards in the opening quarter. The Rouge et Or finished the game with 277 total offensive yards.
“I think they pure and simply outplayed us,” Richard said.
Western fell to Laval in its last Vanier Cup appearance in 2008. Constantin guided the Rouge et Or to a 44-21 victory that day in Hamilton.
The 2013 Rouge et Or team was the last squad to run the table at 12-0. This was the seventh Vanier Cup win for Western.