Marauders cruise past Queen’s in Homecoming game

[img_inline align=”” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/homecoming05.jpg” caption=”A McMaster Marauder and a Queen’s Golden Gael battle for the ball at McMaster’s Homecoming game on Saturday.”]

In a battle of Burlington quarterbacks, McMaster's Jon Behie showed Queen's rookie pivot Danny Brannagan how valuable a couple years worth of experience in the OUA can be. In McMaster's 43-24 victory on Saturday, Behie threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as he was named MVP in McMaster's annual homecoming game.

Behie and the Marauders used a dominant third quarter run to pull away from Queen's, outscoring the Gaels 26-7 in the third frame. Four different players scored touchdowns for the Marauders in the quarter, as Behie threw touchdown passes to Vaughan Swart and Andrew Ross while Behie and Jordan Kozina also ran in for scores.

For the day, Behie completed 18 of 29 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown as well. Following his impressive performance last weekend against Laurier, Behie is now the first Mac quarterback since 2000 to have back-to-back 300-yard games.

Jordan Kozina ran 20 times for 150 yards and a score and now has 635 yards rushing on the season. Vaughan Swart had his best game of the season, catching seven passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. Other leading receivers included Andrew Ross (3-72, TD), Rob Serviss (3-32), and B.J. Malott (2-15, TD).

On defence, Mac held Queen's to 190 yards total offence, as Jon Chard (6 tackles), Nick Burns (4 tackles, sack), Simon Binder (3.5 tkls, sack) and Byron Dinter (2 tackles, 2 INT) stood out. Dinter made two acrobatic interceptions while also breaking up another long pass in one of his best performances as a Marauder.

McMaster outgained Queen's 461-190 on the day.

McMaster (3-2) travels to Guelph next weekend, and with Waterloo and Toronto coming up after the Gryphons, the Marauders should finish the season at 6-2 and at no worse than third in the OUA.