McMaster Marauders football

The McMaster Marauders football team represents McMaster University based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The team plays Canadian Interuniversity Sport football in the Ontario University Athletics conference. The Marauders have been playing organized football since 1901 when they played their first exhibition game in the Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union. The team has appeared in two Vanier Cup games, winning one in 2011.

History
The earliest reference of the sport of football at McMaster was during a meeting on November 30, 1898, when the university's athletic association's debated about expanding into the sport of football. The association had reached a consensus two days later that the lateness of the season made it pointless to start the sport for that year. The university would form a football team in the following year.

The McMaster Marauder's football team played their first football game in an exhibition game against the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry in 1901, losing 1-0. The Marauders would win their first game in an exhibition match against Royal Military College of Canada with a score of 17-5. The Marauders would play their first regular season game in 1902, losing their first game to the University of Toronto in a one game season. The Marauders would not win their first game in the regular season the next season, in which they would also make their first playoff appearance. The early football team at McMaster would not have a head coach until the end of World War I, with most of the coaching duties taken up by the team captains.

The Yates Cup, which is awarded annually to the victorious team in the OUA football playoffs, has been awarded to the Marauders football team five times since they began playing. The Marauders have made twelve consecutive OUA post-season appearances, having not missed the playoffs since the 1998 playoffs. Despite this however, the Marauders have only made seven Vanier Cup semi-final appearances (the Mitchell Bowl and Uteck Bowl) since the Marauders football team first began to play.

The Marauders football team has made an appearance at the Mitchell Bowl four times, in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2012. The Marauders won the Mitchell Bowl in 2012 to advance to the Vanier Cup. As for the Uteck Bowl, the Marauders had made an appearance at the Uteck Bowl a total of five times, in 1961, 1964, 1967, 2002 and 2011. Of those five times however, the Marauders had only won twice, in 1967 and 2011, advancing to the Vanier Cup championships. The Marauders would lose to the Alberta Golden Bears 10-9 in the 3rd Vanier Cup game on November 25, 1967. In their second Vanier Cup appearance, on November 25th, 2011, the Marauders pulled off an overtime victory over the top ranked Laval Rouge et Or, winning the game 41-38 and leading McMaster to its first Vanier Cup championship. McMaster would lose a rematch to Laval in the 2012 Vanier Cup at the Rogers Centre.

The Marauders football team had also been awarded a CCIFC championship in 1967, as well as several OIFC championship, in 1957, 1958, 1962, 1963 and 1964.

Season-by-season record
The following is the record of the McMaster Marauders football team in the last ten seasons of play:

Records
The Marauders currently hold a number of Ontario University Athletics records, both in terms of the team, as well as individuals who had played for the Marauders. Current records held by the Marauders are:

Team records

 * Most points for in a season — 2003 season (424 points)
 * Most touchdowns in a season — 2004 season (49 touchdowns)
 * Most yards rushing in a season — 2003 season (2807 yards)
 * Most penalty yardage in a season — 2005 season (1170 yards)
 * Most yards passing in a game — 17 October 1981 vs. Waterloo Warriors (10 interceptions)
 * Most consecutive wins — 2011 season - 2012 season (21 wins)

Individual records

 * Most touchdowns in a season: Jesse Lumsden, 2004 season (21 touchdowns)
 * Most touchdowns in a career: Jesse Lumsden, 2001-04 seasons (47 touchdowns)
 * Most field goals in a season: Michael Ray, 2003 season (22 field goals)
 * Most converts in a season: Michael Ray, 2004 season (48 conversions)
 * Most converts in a career: Michael Ray, 2001-04 seasons (148 conversions)
 * Most yards rushing in a season: Jesse Lumsden, 2004 season (1816 yards)
 * Most rushing touchdowns in a season: Jesse Lumsden, 2004 season (21 touchdowns)
 * Most rushing touchdowns in a career: Jesse Lumsden, 2001-04 seasons (46 touchdowns)
 * Longest rush: Jesse Lumsden, 11 September 2004 vs. Waterloo Warriors (108 yards)
 * Most rushing attempts in a game: Kyle Pyear, 28 September 2002 vs. Laurier Golden Hawks (39 attempted rushes)

McMaster Marauders in the CFL
As of the start of the 2012 CFL season, seven former Marauders players are on CFL teams' rosters:
 * Jason Arakgi, BC Lions
 * Mike Bradwell, Toronto Argonauts
 * Andrew Jones, Toronto Argonauts
 * Kyle Koch, Edmonton Eskimos
 * Jason Medeiros, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * Jason Pottinger, Toronto Argonauts
 * Chris Van Zeyl, Toronto Argonauts