With all the hype surrounding Ben Chapdelaine and his passing, who knew that McMaster could run the ball? The Western Mustangs sure didn't. McMaster running back Chris Dorrington surprised us all with his outstanding running throughout the game. He rushed 27 times for an outstanding 205 yards. His efforts were wasted, however, as Western managed to hang on by it's fingernails for a 2 point victory.

In the first half it didn't appear that anyone wanted this game. Both teams drove the ball at will to the oppositions red zone. When they got there they everything they could to mess up. The score should have been a lot higher. Two examples: in the second quarter Mustang quarter back Mike O'Brien executed a beautiful fake punt for a long gain. It was all for not when the play was called back because of a holding penalty. Just before half, Mac tried the old funblerooskie play. Quarterback Ben Chapdelaine took the snap and then placed the ball on the ground for the center to pickup and carry down field. No luck. The Mustang defense read the play and the Marauders got no gain.

The game really got going in the second half when the offenses figured out how to finish their drives and put points on the board. But neither team could pull away. Twice in the third quarter Western quickly answered Mac touchdowns with majors of their own aided by great kick-off returns by Jim Meldrum and Marty Robinson. Meldrum's was for 45 yards with Robinson's going 56 yards.

Ben Chapdelaine's much publicized problems with the interception were absent for most of the game. But late in the fourth quarter it showed up at the worst time. Chapdelaine threw a strike right to Mustang DB Adam McLeod. The run back set up another Mustang TD.

Also in the second half both teams got 2-point convert fever. Western tried and failed on two attempts while Mac failed on one. With only 1:55 remaining on the clock McMaster, trailing by 2, was forced to try a second two point convert to tie the game and force overtime after another Dorrington touchdown. It failed and Western came away with the win.

McMaster totalled offence of 532 yards. Ben Chapdelaine complete 21 of 29 pass attempts for 261 yards and 2 touchdowns. Western gained 449 yards. Fabian Rayne carried 13 times for 136 yards and 4 touchdowns. Scott Crawley ran for 189 yards on 24 carries with 1 touchdown. Mike O'Brien completed 3 of 7 attempts for 76 yards. Fifty-three yards were gained in a single pass to Dan Disley.

Notes

• This was McMaster's fist playoff appearance in 12 years.

• Watch out next year. Mac will not lose a single player to graduation next season.

• The mustangfootball.com player of the game is the kick-off return team. The two run backs by Meldrum and Robinson set up key scores and force Mac to start squib kicking the ball to avoid them.

• Help me out here. Is there a rule I don't know about? Why does every coach try to pass on two point converts? There were four attempts this game with three passes and only one run. All failed. If it were a regular play with the ball on the five yard line, Haylor would have gone to Rayne and the run like he has all season. But when it's a two pointer he goes to the pass.

• Coach Haylor seemed to panic early in this game. After two of Western's touchdowns he called for 2 point converts. Both missed. Had they gone for the almost sure thing single convert, the difference would have been four points after Mac's last score and the two point convert would have been meaningless. They would have still required another offensive drive to tie or win the game.