(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) - The CIS No. 7-ranked Mount Allison Mounties remaining undefeated with one game remaining as they improve to an impressive 7-0.
More impressive was the Mouties following at Acadia's homecoming. While still out-numbered and out cheered, the fan club watched the Mounties take a slim 10-5 halftime lead and push it to a 33-5 final after 23 unaswered points in the second half.
Leading the way was senior pivot Brandon Leyh who was 14-for-23 pass attempts for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the air. Teammate Chris Reid led the Mounties attached on the ground with 23 carries for 113 net yards and one touchdown.
Mount Allison stuck first with a 48-yard Ryan Lambert field goal at the 11:35 mark of the first quarter. Acadia grabbed two quick points on a safety early in the second frame to trail the Mounties 3-2.
Ryan Begin then nailed a 29-yard field goal (his sixteenth in a row - a perfect 16-for-16 this season) to give Acadia a 5-3 lead. But the Mounties pulled together a six-play 81-yard drive that was capped by an 18-yard rush for the first of four Mounties touchdowns.
But the Mounties pulled the plug in the opening of the second half. Following a Mount Allison rouge, the Mounties added their second major of the day after Michael Bohan returned a Begin punt 61 yards to the Acadia six-yard line. From the second play of scrimmage, Leyh tossed a seven-yard pass to Matt Rose to pull ahead 19-5 after the convert.
Mount Allison would add an additional rouge and then two touchdowns in the final quarter to end the game with a convincing 33-5 win. Emmanuel Musangu had a two-yard run for seven points at 0:42 in the fourth, while teammate Rodreke Joseph scored the final touchdown just over a minute after Musangu's touchdown. Joseph's major was setup by an Acadia fumbled kickoff following the Musangu major.
While the Axemen outgained the Mounties 251-223 in the air, on the ground was a different story. The Mounties defensive front seven stifled the Axemen ground attack holding Acadia to 47 net yards on the ground.
Brian Jones led the Axemen with 119 yards in receiving on eight catches while first-year quarterback Thompson Richards posted an impressive 24 completions on 34 attempts for 251 yards passing.
Mounties head coach, Kelly Jeffrey, was humble with the win over the Axemen. "Acadia has a great defence and their new quarterback was very accurate. I give them a lot of credit for playing well as a team," he said. "We were able to gain some momentum in the second half and capitalize on turnovers."
Following last weekend's win, Mount Allison secured first place in the AUS standings and hosting rights to the championship final game. "We're excited to host the Loney Bowl. It's a great reward for our fans and community who have supported us over the years," said Jeffrey. "Our players are looking forward to playing at home in such a big game."
The Axemen will finish off the regular season on the road next weekend as they play the winless Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax. The Mounties will host StFX at the same time in Sackville, N.B. Both games are scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.
Source: Acadia Sports Information