"You've haven't got anything to criticize this week." That was from my father who sits beside me at Mustang games. And it's true. Against Waterloo, everything came together - offense, defense, special teams, and coaching. It was one of the better displays of football I've seen in my 18 years as a Mustang season ticket holder.

A homecoming crowd of just under 7900 fans saw the Mustang running game pound the Waterloo defence repeatedly. And successfully as it turns out. The Mustangs ran up 509 yards in total offence. Only 191 of which were on the pass. Quarterback Mike O'Brien attempted a scant 6 passes completing five. Three were to Dan Disley for 143 yards.

But the story of the day was the running game. The Mustangs rushed 60 times for 366 yards. The London Free Press quotes head coach Larry Haylor as saying, "It was our plan to run the ball... We did it because we thought if we couldn't run we couldn't win." It was a sound plan. Especially after watching the passing game flounder over the first three games of the season.

Here are the rushing numbers. Tailback Scott Crawley carried 27 times for 145 yards. Fullback Fabian Rayne carried 18 times, one of them for 59 yards, totalling 155 yards with four touchdowns. Other Western scoring came from QB Mike O'Brien with a 12 yard TD run and Giulio Fricano with 3 field goals and 4 converts.

The Mustang defence was solid while holding both the Warrior passing game and rushing game in check. Waterloo's quarterback Ryan Wilkinson was intercepted three times, one each by Jamie Ewart, Justin Anania and Alan Wilson. Anania also recovered a fumble by Warrior fullback Eddie Kim. The turnovers led to 16 Mustang points.

Notes

• The win was head coach Larry Haylor's 120th breaking the all time Mustang coaching record.

• The mustangfootball.com player of the week is a five way tie. The entire offensive line of Mike Abou-Mechrek, Tim Bakker, Aaron Sussex, Mike Chuk, and Paul Blenkhorn win player of the week honours. Full back Fabian Rayne won the official player of the game by whomever decides at the end of the game.

• Fullback Fabian Rayne is good! NFL scouts - are you watching?

• This game may have been a preview of the 100th anniversary Yates Cup game.

• This win ended Waterloo's three game winning streak against the Mustangs including two wins last year. That was the first time Western had lost twice at home to the same team in the same season.

• In one of mustangfootball.com's pre-season articles I said that if you wanted to get to the Mustangs you will have to get to them early in the season. Early's over!