Box Score
Hamilton, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons football team opened its 2012 season with a 50-9 loss to the CIS No. 1 McMaster Marauders on Monday (Sept. 3) at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton.
 
After a very competitive first quarter that finished 7-2 in Guelph's favour, the defending national champion Maruaders rolled over the Gryphons posting 48 straight points including 27 in the second quarter.
 
"We have a young team and I didn't think we would be that nervous to start. But to play against the national champions with a sold-out crowd, the guys were just nervous and were making mistakes they haven't made in the last two weeks," said University of Guelph head coach Stu Lang.
 
McMaster limited Guelph's offence to 244-yards on just 11 receptions The Gryphons tallied only 53 rushing yards and 191 passing yards with their quarterbacks throwing five interceptions.   
 
Second-year Gryphon quarterback Jazz Lindsey of Markham, Ont., tallied 133 yards passing with one touchdown and three interceptions.  With McMaster leading 2-0 on a safety, Guelph posted the first major of the game when Lindsey connected with receiver Michael Fortino of Niagara Falls, Ont,, on a 62-yard strike midway through the first quarter handing Guelph an early 7-2 lead.  That would be the only major the Gryphons would muster as the Marauders dominated that point forward.
 
Defensively the Gryphons were led by second-year John Rush of Niagara Falls, Ont. with nine solo tackles while linebacker Jake Reinhart of Guelph, Ont. picked up six solo tackles.
 
McMaster's Kyle Quinlan of South Woodslee, Ont., tossed three touchdowns completing 17 of 24 passes for 248 yards. He also was the team's top rusher posting 114 yards on the ground helping McMaster to 500-yards total offence. Robert Babic of Oakville, Ont., was Quinlan's main target in the air, connecting eight times with the fourth-year receiver for a total of 165-yards.  Babic converted two of his catches for touchdowns with his longest coming on a 75-yard strike early in the third quarter. Running back Jimmy Hill of Hamilton aided McMaster's rushing attack posting 77-yards and punching in one touchdown.
 
The Marauders offensive onslaught started just 11 seconds into the second quarter when Quinlan hooked up with Brad Fochesato of Windsor, Ont., to give McMaster a 9-7 lead. Minutes later Hill scored his first touchdown of the season on the ground to make the score 16-7.
 
Kicker, Tyler Crapigna of Nepean, Ont. would convert two of his three field goals in the second quarter to give the Marauders a comfortable 29-7 lead at the half.   In all, Crapigna would convert a 20, 31 and 27-yard field goal
 
The Marauders scoring continued in the second half as Babic and Quinlan hooked up again on a long 75-yard strike early in the third quarter.  The Marauders defence also got into the scoring action as defensive-back Joey Cupido of Hamilton intercepted a Lindsey pass with 3:19 remaining in the third and ran it back 42-yards for the game's final touchdown.
 
"I think this is a good lesson for everyone, we realize that if we want to be an elite club that's the type of football we need to play. So hopefully the guys learn from it and move forward," said Lang.  "We don't want to pay too much attention to it with the short week it's best we focus on Windsor than this loss."
 
The Gryphons have a short turn-around, as they travel to Windsor this Saturday (September 8) to take on the Windsor Lancers who defeated the Ottawa Gee Gees in their opener 63-18.  Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m.