Western Mustangs vs Laurier Golden Hawks with first round bye on the line Saturday afternoon

The Western Mustangs will host the Laurier Golden Hawks Saturday afternoon at 1 pm. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

It’s a clash of the titans Saturday afternoon at Western’s Alumni Stadium.

The Mustangs (7-0) and the Golden Hawks (7-0) are tied for first place, an undefeated record, and a first-round bye all on the line.

“We have playoffs but getting that first round bye is huge,” said Greg Marshall, Mustangs head coach.

“If you look over the last 10 years or so, a lot of times it’s been the team that got that bye that won the Yates Cup. It’s a huge advantage at this time of year. Everyone’s banged up and getting another week healthy and not having to risk injuries is huge.”

The OUA MVP award may also be on the line this weekend with Ethan Dolby of Western and Ethan Jordan of Laurier the two front runners.

Dolby, a St. Thomas, Ont. native has already achieved the Mustangs single season rushing record of 1,220 yards and 14 touchdowns, and there is still one game to play.

Jordan, a Chatham-Kent native, has 972 yards receiving.

Whichever team goes undefeated likely sees their man get the award.

These are the top two ranked teams in Canada, and it sets up to be an epic battle.

“They’re good and they’re balanced,” said Marshall.

“They can run the football with an outstanding running back. They have a good offensive line, and the new quarterback (Cal Wither) can distribute the ball. He can make plays with his feet, and they have three or four dynamic receivers and then defensively sound. There’s no holes in this team. So, we’re going to have to play our best game.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.