McMaster got the game’s first turnover when linebacker Aram Eisho stripped Laval running back Sebastien Levesque and Ryan Chmielewski jumped on the loose ball. Quinlan then put together an eight-play, 58-yard drive that almost ended with a major but Quinlan overthrew Bradley Fochesato at the goal line. Instead, Tyler Crapigna settled for a 26-yard field goal and with just over seven minutes to play in the first quarter, Mac led 3-0.
The Marauders used a little special teams trickery to set up their next score, a 14-yard pass from punter Marshall Ferguson to Ben O’Connor setting Mac up at the Laval 36 yard line. Three plays later Crapigna booted it through from 37 and extended the lead to six.
Mac got their second turnover of the first frame when Michael Daly intercepted Laval quarterback Bruno Prudhomme and this time the Marauders cashed in. Quinlan orchestrating a six-play, 60 yard drive that included him hurdling a Laval defender on an 11-yard run. He finished it with a three-yard pass to Matt Peressini and gave Mac a 13-0 lead early in the second stanza.
Quinlan was rolling again on the Marauders next drive, hitting a wide open Mike DiCroce for 38 yards — DiCroce would have scored had he not fallen down. Two plays later Chris Pezzetta rumbled in from 13 yards and gave Mac an improbable 20-0 lead, marking only the second time all year that Laval had given up more than 15 in an entire game.
The Rouge et Or finally got their offence rolling, moving the ball to the Mac 14-yard line. But linebacker Ben D’Aguilar hauled down Prudhomme for a sack and Laval kicker Boris Bede banged his 35-yard attempt of the left upright, keeping the shutout intact.
Quinlan completed 12 straight passes at one point in the second quarter, setting up another Crapigna field goal, this one from 24. The Mac pivot, who attended training camp with CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats this spring, finished the half with 258 yards on 20 of 27 passing and another 58 yards rushing, staking his team to a 23-0 lead.
Laval stormed 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 23-14.
Quinlan and DiCroce almost got one of the scores back in a hurry, hooking up on a 101-yard catch and run that would have set a new Vanier Cup record. But the play was negated by an offside. The zebras made a couple more calls against the Mac defence on the next Laval drive — including one that negated a turnover — and Bede hit 18-yard field goal that cut the lead to six.
Mac was threatening on their next drive but Quinlan threw a second interception at the Laval goal line and the Rouge et Or made them pay, putting together a eight-play, 107-yard drive that finished with a 44-yard Levesque touchdown run. Just like that, Lavel led 24-23.
Back came Mac. Quinlan led his team 69-yards in seven plays, with 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 to play, Mac led 31-24.
Again, Laval responded, Prudhomme 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. Overtime.
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 Fochesato for a 26-yard touchdown, forcing the Rouge et Or to score a major or go home. And so they did. Prudhomme 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 Prudhomme’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. He made no mistake. McMaster 41, Laval 38.
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