Can Mac’s defence corral Mustangs?

You’re not going to find this in any of the promotional material for Saturday’s home opener, but early-season matchups against Western haven’t exactly been blissful experiences for the McMaster Marauders in recent years.

Which is a nice way of saying games played against the Mustangs in the first half of the schedule have generally been about as much fun as a bad case of food poisoning in the midst of a nasty bout of malaria.

In 2010, the teams played in Week 3. Mac lost 50-19.

In 2011, they played in Week 2. Mac was crushed 48-21. And that, you’ll recall, was the year they won the Vanier Cup so they were pretty good.

In 2013, they faced off in Week 3 and Mac was obliterated 58-15.

So lining up to play the fourthranked team in the country in the second week of the schedule — Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ron Joyce Stadium — may not be ideal for a young Mac team.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” says Marauders defensive back Robbie Yochim.

His answer should probably come as no surprise. First, because no self-respecting player is going to admit it publicly if it did. But second, his defence is bubbling with confidence after a dominant performance in Week 1 against Carleton, led by the thirdyear star’s eight tackles along with an interception returned for a touchdown.

Except what’s next is Ontario’s top offence. No surprise there, it’s always Ontario’s top offence. But after two games — both wins — the numbers are daunting.

The purple team is first in points scored (53.5 per game), first in passing yards (375), second in rushing yards (239.5) and first in first downs gained (31.5). The 614.5 yards per game Western has gained isn’t just first in the province, it’s in front by an absurd amount. You could add Mac, York and Toronto’s averages together and the total would just barely eclipse the Mustangs’ number alone.

When things are that silly, does Mac even bother checking out the statistics or just ignore them?

“Of course we look at all those numbers,” Yochim says. “For sure.”

Even knowing what they’re up against, he’s allowed to feel upbeat. Great as the visitors’ offence appears to be, there were oodles of compliments for Mac’s D after the first game of the year.

It showed the potential to be really terrific.

Still, this will be a much, much bigger test. With lots on the line.

Win, and Mac’s seventh-place ranking in the national poll will certainly rise. Win and the chance for a home game in the playoffs gets very good. Win and you’re in position to possibly even get a bye in the postseason, which matters since all six teams that earned that perk over the past three years have won their next game and advanced to the Yates Cup final.

Yochim says facing Western this early in the season isn’t a disadvantage at all. Every starter on the defence is healthy, everyone is feeling good and this group has plenty of experience, so it doesn’t need as long to jell as a unit with tons of new players injected.

He says they’ll be following head coach Greg Knox’s advice to be gritty, hard-nosed and determined to make things miserable for anyone in purple. Life will be made hard for the other side, he insists. “People don’t like being hard these days.”

Despite all that, Mac will go into this as the underdog. Its defence appears ready but its offence simply hasn’t yet shown it can put up the points needed to knock off a team like Western.

No question, a loss like some of those blowouts from previous years would be a tough blow to this squad.

That said, a strong performance even in a loss would be a confidence booster. A close defeat accompanied by some significant signs of life from the offence would be somewhat palatable. A win would be absolutely enormous.

Yochim’s only thinking about the final option.

“They’d better be practising hard,” he says. “Because I know we are.”

sradley@thespec.com 905-526-2440 | @radleyatthespec Spectator columnist Scott Radley hosts The Scott Radley Show weeknights 7-9 on 900CHML.