McMaster Marauders’ OUA football playoff prospects take a bit of hit ahead of Hamilton home finale

By the Grace of Gord, the McMaster Marauders are still in playoff contention even though they will finish below .500.

Ontario University Athletics’ expansion to a seven-team Yates Cup tournament means the Marauders are a win-and-in position entering their home football finale in Hamilton this weekend. The Marauders (2-5), their remaining opponent, the Toronto Varsity Blues (3-4), and Windsor Lancers (3-4) are jockeying for the final two berths.

The Marauders, under veteran head coach Stefan Ptaszek, whost Toronto at Ron Joyce Stadium on Saturday (1 p.m., OUA.tv). Windsor has a home game at the same time against the also-ran Waterloo Warriors.

McMaster, of course, is trying to rally from an 0-3 start that included forfeiting an early-season win due to using an ineligible player. The Marauders have the second-stingiest defence in OUA, but their playoff chances took a hit due to a 14-10 defeat against the No. 5-ranked Queen’s Gaels in windy Kingston, Ont., last Saturday (Oct. 15).

Characteristically stout defence and the passing of quarterback Andreas Dueck gave Mac a shot to beat Queen’s twice,  as they were inside the Gaels’ 35-yard line on their final two drives. In each instance, Queen’s dialled up well-timed pressure, and defenders Liam Sutherland and Van Wishart sacked Dueck for massive losses of yardage. That left Mac, which was working against the strong wind, with third-and-a-kilometre situations.

Both times, Queen’s tackled receiver Nick Adair short of the line to gain to force a turnover on downs.

Mac and Windsor did not play. The Lancers’ bye teams also included the Gaels, who were OUA runner-up in 2021.

Defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Western (7-0), Queen’s (6-1), No. 7 Ottawa Gee-Gees (6-1) and No. 9 Laurier Golden Hawks (5-2) have emerged as the top tier of the conference. The Carleton Ravens (4-3), coached by Stoney Creek native and Hamilton Tiger-Cats alumnus Corey Grant, also have an inside track to the postseason.

That leaves two available slots for McMaster, which won the Yates Cup four times between 2011 and ’19, Windsor and Toronto. Every seeding in the league will be in play on Saturday.

The head office of OUA said it will announce all playoff tiebreaker scenarios on Tuesday.

Saturday, Dueck (25-of-41, 256 yards, one rushing touchdown), Queen’s quarterbacking counterpart Alex Vreeken and their respective receiver groups were challenged by 35 km/h winds as much the defences. It took over 35 minutes for the game to see its first touchdown.

McMaster had the edge in first downs (22-13) and total offence (252-195). Queen’s, however, parlayed a long interception return into a go-ahead touchdown run from Vreeken, their backup QB, on a third-and-goal gamble early in the fourth quarter. That gave the Gaels just enough cushion to rely on their defense and the wind for the final 13 minutes.

Josh Cumber kept McMaster extant when he made his team-leading third interception of the season at the Marauders’ 22-yard line with 5:17 left. But McMaster’s offense moved backwards when Queen’s linebacker Wells Karabin sacked Dueck two plays later. The Marauders traded a two-point safety for better field position, even though that meant they would need a touchdown to win instead of a field goal.

Adair had six receptions for a game-most 73 yards.

McMaster won the Yates Cup in 2019, prior to COVID-19 pandemic health protections leading to all OUA play being cancelled in 2020-21. Last fall, OUA resumed football competition with a shortened schedule and a two-division format. The Marauders ended up as the odd team out of the playoffs after a 3-3 showing in the temporary OUA West division.

A total of eight teams made the playoffs last season, with separate divisional brackets. The conference, which is helmed by president and CEO Gord Grace, then decided to add one more berth.