Four TDs in fourth sink Mustangs in Saskatchewan pre-season showdown

SASKATOON, Sask. – The Western Mustangs led at the half, but fell 40-12 to the Saskatchewan Huskies in CIS exhibition football in front of 4,100 fans at Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park.

The Huskies scored five consecutive touchdowns in the final 18 minutes to come from behind to win.

In the fourth quarter, rookie Huskies quarterback Trent Peterson threw three touchdowns – two to Garrett Bolen and one to Owen Geier – and set up another touchdown with a 25-yard pass to Jade Etienne.

Peterson was 8-for-11 passing for 174 yards and three touchdowns.

Aug. 27: Saskatchewan Huskies 40 Western Mustangs 12 (exhibition)

By Andy Watson

FULL STATS: [URL]http://www.huskies.usask.ca/livestats/Football/201011/xdefense.htm or attachedin html format (Aug27.htm)

Western returns to London, Ont., late on Aug. 28 and will then begin preparations for their regular season opener on Wednesday Sept. 1 when they host Wilfrid Laurier at 7 p.m. at TD Waterhouse Stadium. For tickets for the Mustangs and Golden Hawks 2010 season opener, visit westernmustangs.ca and click on the tickets tab to order online, or call 519 661.3090.

Mustangs quarterbacks Donnie Marshall of London, Ont., Ian Noble of Toronto and Ben Rossong of Sackville, N.S., combined for 12 completions for 148 yards. Marshall was the top rusher for Western with 33 yards on five carries.

Noble was 6-for-12 with one interception and 74 yards passing. Donnie Marshall was 5-for-7 in passing for 52 yards, and Rossong was 1-for-6 in his CIS debut with 22 yards.

Starting Huskies’ pivot Laurence Nixon was 9-for-11 and 111 yards in his one quarter of action. Bolen was the top receiver with five catches for 62 yards and the two touchdown catches.

The teams took their time to develop rhythm.

Western recovered a fumble at the end of Saskatchewan’s first drive, deep in Mustangs territory. However, the Mustangs could not generate anything on offence and surrendered a safety to trail 2-0 just under four minutes into the game.

Saskatchewan led 2-0 after the first quarter.

Thirty seconds into the second quarter, Huskies kicker Stephen McDonald booted a 27-yard field goal to spread the Saskatchewan lead to 5-0.

A career-long, 37-yard field goal from sophomore Mustangs kicker Lirim Hajrullahu of St. Catharines, Ont., cut the lead to two points, and then Western took the lead at 10-5 thanks to a three-yard scoring run from John Leckie of Georgetown, Ont.

The Leckie score was set up with runs from Noble and Londoner Ben Roberts. Noble drew a facemasking penalty on his second rush to take the ball to the three-yard line.

The Mustangs missed a golden opportunity to score in the third quarter when rookie Huskies quarterback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren fumbled the ball on his first possession on the first play of the half, giving Western the ball on the Huskies’ 11-yard line.

But Leckie fumbled the ball after getting past a tackler with good blocking, with the ball knocked loose on a hit from Huskies’ defensive back. The Huskies recovered the ball, but with Saskatchewan pinned deep in their own end, Western forced a safety to extend their lead to 12-5 early in the second half.

A 28-yard rush by Huskies’ running back Devin Spara set up a five-yard scoring run from Gilbert-Knorren to tie the game at 12-12 late in the third quarter.

Then in the fourth, rookie quarterback Peterson completed a screen to Jade Etienne for 25 yards to move the ball to the Western one-yard-line, and fullback Ben Coakwell scored on a one-yard run on the next play to give the Huskies a 19-12 lead.

Just over two minutes later, Bolen scored his first touchdown on a 28-yard Peterson pass. Then Peterson threw his third touchdown pass of the quarter on a 21-yard strike to Owen Geier to make it 33-12 with eight minutes remaining. Peterson connected with Bolen again on an 11-yard scoring play to lengthen the lead to 40-12 with three minutes on the clock.

Scoring Summary
1 2 3 4 T
UWO 0 10 2 0 12
SASK 2 3 7 28 40

Qtr Clock SCORING SUMMARY Drive TOP Score (H-V)
1st 04:01 SASK – TEAM safety 2 – 0
2nd 00:23 SASK – S. McDonald 27 yd field goal 5-35 1:17 5 – 0
2nd 03:23 WESTERN – L Hajrullahu 37 yd field goal 7-45 3:00 5 – 3
2nd 09:17 WESTERN – J Leckie 3 yd run (L Hajrullahu kick) 8-90 2:38 5 – 10
3rd 02:10 WESTERN – Team safety 5 – 12
3rd 12:33 SASK – Gilbert-Knorren 5 yd run (D. Kolodzinski kick) 3-42 1:20 12 – 12
4th 00:30 SASK – Ben Coakwell 1 yd run (S. McDonald kick) 4-42 1:08 19 – 12
4th 03:35 SASK – Garrett Bolen 28 yd pass from Trent Peterson (D. Kolodzinski kick) 3-60 1:27 26 – 12
4th 06:32 SASK – Owen Geier 21 yd pass from Trent Peterson (S. McDonald kick) 4-35 1:15 33 – 12
4th 12:00 SASK – Garrett Bolen 11 yd pass from Trent Peterson (D. Kolodzinski kick) 8-81 3:54 40 – 12