Manitoba scores 35 unanswered 2nd half points, clawing back from 26-15 first half deficit against NB

After three New Brunswick special teams touchdowns led to an 11 point halftime advantage, Manitoba scored 35 unanswered second half points to defeat NB 50-26 in the opening game of the final day of the 2012 Football Canada Cup hosted by the Ontario Football Alliance (OFA) at TD Waterhouse Stadium on the campus of Western University in London, Ontario.

The scoring was opened up after New Brunswick forced Manitoba to punt on their opening drive. A 97-yard Jason Johnson punt return opened the scoring as NB jumped out to an early 7-0 lead.

On Manitoba’s next drive a 2-yard Blair Mattes rushing touchdown evened the score at 7.

New Brunswick retook the lead 14-7 when kicker, Alex White recovered his own punt down field and returned it 37-yards to the house.

Manitoba evened the score at 14 on the next series as quarterback, Foster Martens found receiver, Trysten Dyce with an 8-yard pass to convert on third and goal. The ‘toba defense continued to swing momentum in their favour as they came up with a huge third and goal stop, backed up to their own 1 yard line.

After the stop, Manitoba started their drive from their own four yard line. New Brunswick’s defense stood their ground as well, forcing Manitoba to concede the safety on 3^rd and 21 to put NB up 16-14.

On the following kickoff, Johnson came up with his second return of the half, this time a 97-yard kickoff return, pushing the New Brunswick lead 23-14.

On a field goal that went wide, Manitoba settled for a rouge making the score 23-15 while Alex White finished the first half scoring on an 11-yard field goal to end the half 26-15.

Early in the third quarter, a Blair Mattes 16-yard touchdown catch trimmed Manitoba’s deficit to 4 – 26-22 with 8:25 to play in the 2^rd quarter. On New Brunswick’s the next series, Alex White decided to gamble with an unsuccessful fake punt run which gave Manitoba the ball at the NB 25. On the following play, Martens found receiver, Jayden McKoy in the end zone on a 26-yard strike to pull Manitoba ahead 29-26 after the PAT.

After Manitoba linebacker, Brock Lekteman intercepted a Jeremi Lebans pass and a Alex Taylor run set up Manitoba inside the NB 30. Martens found receiver, Riley Harrison on a 26-yard pass to widen the Manitoba lead to 10, 36-26 midway through the fourth quarter.

Manitoba increased their lead 43-26 after a short New Brunswick punt combined with penalties gave Manitoba possession at the New Brunswick one yard line. After a one yard loss on first down, Martens found Trysten Dyce for the score.  Running back, Blair Mattes added a 23-yard rushing touchdown as Manitoba scored 35 unanswered second half points to defeat New Brunswick 50-26.

Both quarterbacks had strong games through the air. Jeremie Lebans threw 9 of 12 for 183 yards while Manitoba’s Foster Martins went 16 of 18 for 221 yards. On 7 carries, Manitoba running back had a game high 146 yards on the ground while NB’s Thomas Rice had a game high 92 receiving yards.

With the win Manitoba finishes the tournament in 7^th place while NB who made their first FCC appearance since 2002 in Ottawa, Ontario finishes in 8^th place.

Players of the game: