I'm sitting here on Saturday night, wishing Hockey Night in Canada was on and wondering what to say about today's game. Sometimes the words come easily, tonight they don't. Western won, 29-7.

I think todays game had to be one of the least inspiring games I've seen in a long time, almost to the point of being boring. The offence, while much more varied than we've seen so far this season, continued to be focused on the running game. And maybe this is why the game seemed dull. Head coach Larry Haylor's run play book had only one name in it: Scott Crawley.

Perhaps another reason the game seemed tedious was the frustration of seening Crawley carry the ball again and again and again, each time with very little to show for it. With 86 yards on 20 carries, he averaged only 4.3 yards. This had me, and many others, wondering why Fabian Rayne wasn't being called upon to do anything more than block. Early in the third quarter I asked those I was with if Rayne had carried at all yet this game. "Maybe once," was the answer. Rayne finished the day with only 9 yards on 4 carries.

With the offence doing next to nothing, it's a good thing the passing game stood out. Mustang receiver Marty Robertson was the go to guy with 3 catches for 149 yards including a 75 touchdown. His other two catches went for 66 and 8 yards. James Prescott had five catches for 84 yards. Three of these went for more than 20 yards. Slotback Dave Edwards, a name we hadn't heard yet this season, had 1 catch that went for 32 yards.

Quarterback Mike O'Brien had his usual stellar game with pass after pass right on target. His kicking, as we've come to expect, was also outstanding.

The defence reinforced it's reputation as one of the best in the conference. York was able to put together a few sustained drives but was unable to convert them into major scores. Their seven points came on two field goals and a single. Alexis Sanchagrin and Jamie Ewart had interceptions.

Notes

• After three games the Western defence has given up only one touchdown; that one being early in the first game of the season against Windsor. They almost shut out Guelph, a tough thing to do in Canadian fooball, and gave up only two field goals and a single against York. For this reason, the mustangfootball.com player of the game goes to the entire defensive unit.

• I'm wondering if there is more going on here. Fabian Rayne had only 4 carries for 9 yards against York. In the prior two games he carried an average of 15 times for 121 yards per game. Big difference. London Free Press reporter Steve Coad wrote that Haylor said Rayne is fine, referring to injuries. He was quoted as saying "Other teams are still overplaying our run. They're stacking the middle." This still doesn't explain removing one of the most gifted runners in the CIAU from the game plan.

• When he was born, the Gods reached down and touched Mike O'Briens right leg, turning it into a canon. If he doesn't get a real good looking over by pro scouts on both sides of the border then there isn't much hope for Canadians in pro ball. Then again, the Yanks don't really need kickers; they do all they can to take the foot out of football.

• Next week is homecoming at Western. It also features the only two undefeated teams left in the OUA. Game time vs. Laurier is 2:00.