Mac marauders their way to the Vanier Cup
sacked. Laval University Rouge et Or quarterback Bruno Prud'homme, bottom, is sacked by McMaster University Marauders' MacKenzie Dent, right, and Scott Caterine during the first half of play at the Vanier Cup in Vancouver, B.C. Friday.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press Source: The Canadian Press
Drew Edwards
November 28, 2011
VANCOUVER In the moments after his team’s spectacular 41-38 overtime win in Friday night’s Vanier Cup, McMaster coach Stefan Ptaszek stood alone on the B.C. Place field, watching his players celebrate the school’s first football championship from a distance.
“They’re a special group. It’s been a privilege to be a part of this program this year and it’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives,” Ptaszek said. “It’s never been about me — it’s all about them and I’m just enjoying the view.”
The Marauders were led by quarterback Kyle Quinlan, who turned David’s slingshot into a machine gun. Quinlan’s spectacular day — 482 yards on 36 of 55 passing, two touchdowns and another 106 yards rushing — was simply too much for the heavily-favoured Rouge et Or.
”We might not have as much talent as those guys,” Quinlan said. “But you can do some crazy things when you play with everything you’ve got.”
Mac stormed out to an improbable 23-0 halftime lead courtesy of two Tyler Crapigna field goals, a three-yard pass from Quinlan to James Hill and a 13-yard run from Chris Pezzetta.
But Laval came back in the second half. First Guillaume Riouz returned a punt 62 yards to the house, followed by Fred Plesius intercepting a Quinlan pass and taking it in for a score as well.
Less than five minutes had passed in the third and Mac’s lead was cut to 23-14.
“We could feel the momentum turning over and we had one choice, to battle back and we did it every single time,” Quinlan said.
After another Laval field goal cut the lead to six, Quinlan threw a second interception at the Laval goal-line. And the Rouge et Or made them pay, putting together an eight-play, 107-yard drive that finished with a 44-yard Sebastien Levesque touchdown run. Just like that, Laval led 24-23.
Ptaszek said there was no panic on the sideline once the lead was gone, though he did take a couple of his offensive players aside.
“I said to them: ‘If I told you in August that we were going to be down by one in the fourth quarter of the national championship and you’re the best offence in the country, would you have taken it?’” Ptaszek said. “They grinned from ear-to-ear and said ‘absolutely.’”
Back came Mac. Quinlan led his team 69 yards in seven plays, with Matt Peressini fighting his way to the end zone from nine yards out, then hauling in a toss for the two-point covert. With just under six minutes to play Mac led 31-24.
Again, Laval responded, Bruno Prud’homme converting a second-and-15 before finishing with a five-yard strike that tied the game at 31.
Quinlan put together another perfect drive, starting on his own seven with 2:08 to go, and moving McMaster to the Laval 22 with three seconds to go.
But Crapigna missed from 30 yards and Laval ran the ball out of the end zone.
“I just had to get it out my head,” Crapigna said about the miss.
“I had a feeling I was going to be used in the overtime. I wanted another shot.”
Mac had the ball to start the extra session — by rule they started from the Laval 35 — and on just the second play from scrimmage, Quinlan hit Bradley Fochesato for a 26-yard touchdown, forcing the Rouge et Or to score a major or go home.
And so they did. Prud’homme heaved a 33-yard score to Adam Thibault, who juggled but hung on and the game was tied again, this time at 38.
Laval was up next but Steven Vantresca intercepted Laval quarterback Bruno Prud’homme’s pass and set off for the end zone. If he scores, Mac wins. Several laterals ensued but Laval stopped the Marauders short.
Mac ball, Laval 35. Needing only a field goal to win it, McMaster moved the ball to the Laval 15 and gave Crapigna his shot at redemption. This time he made no mistake. McMaster 41 Laval 38.
Quinlan’s passing yardage was the second highest in Vanier Cup history and it capped a roller-coaster year for the 22-year-old who was charged with two counts of assaulting an officer and one count of assault in September.
“The one major thing I learned this year — that I can apply to football — is just to persevere,” Quinlan said.
“I think the entire team did that.”
Ptaszek said the team overcame a number of obstacles both on and off the field to win the title.
“As a coach and as an organization, we strive for these young men to reach their full potential on and off the field,” Ptaszek said. “This is as close as you can get to that unattainable goal.”
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