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Highlights - The Score

KINGSTON, Ont. (November 14, 2009) - Danny Brannagan of Burlington, Ont., threw for 515 yards and five touchdowns as the No. 4 Queen's Gaels captured their first Yates Cup since 1978 with a 43-39 victory over the No. 5 Western Mustangs.

Brannagan's 515-yards were the fourth highest total in a playoff game in CIS history and for his performance, the fifth year quarterback was named Yates Cup MVP.

With the win, the Gaels will host the Laval Rouge et Or in the Mitchell Bowl, the CIS national semifinal, at Richardson Stadium on November, 21 at 1 p.m. (tape delayed to 3:30 p.m. on TSN and Radio-Canada).

Tickets for the Mitchell Bowl hosted in Kingston are now on sale by calling (613) 533-2500

Saint Mary's will host Calgary in the Uteck Bowl, the other national semifinal, in Halifax at 12 p.m. on Nov. 21.

"You always kind of hope for it — winning the Yates at home and the celebration afterwards," Brannagan, said. "Queen's plays Western, you wouldn't want it any other way.

"I'm very excited. It's kind of a surreal experience. The last five years, you're always imagining the day and now it actually happened."

The conference championship is the Gaels first since 1997 when they earned the Dunsmore Cup in the now defunct Ontario-Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference (OQIFC).

In a see-saw affair that saw the lead change seven times, it was a 16-yard pass from Brannagan to Scott Valberg of Kingston, Ont., with 2 minutes and 49 seconds left in the fourth quarter that gave the Queen's the victory.

From the opening play, it was obvious that both teams were going to play their best game of the season. Western opened the scoring on a 1-yard run from John Leckie of Georgetown, Ont., before Brannagan connected with Devan Sheahan of Kingston, Ont., to even the score.

After a Western field goal gave them a 10-7 led, the Gaels offence exploded for 19 points in the second quarter. Brannagan connected with both Christopher Ioannides of Toronto, and Sheahan to push the Gaels in front 21-17. Sheahan's second score of the game came one play after Frank Pankewich of Thunder Bay, Ont., picked off Western quarterback Michael Faulds of Eden Mills, Ont. on Western's 19 yard-line.

Queen's defence stepped up just 3:30 later when Shomari Williams of Brampton, Ont., sacked Faulds in the end zone for a safety. Dan Village of Abbotsford, B.C., added a 44-yard field goal right at the half to stake the Gaels to a 26-17 lead.

Although they were down on the scoreboard, the Mustangs came out to start the third quarter fired up. Leckie ran in his third touchdown of the game to cut into the Gaels lead before Faulds connected with Jesse Bellamy Guelph, Ont., on a 59-yard touchdown pass to put Western back in front for the first time since early in the second quarter.

As they had done all game, the Gaels offence quickly responded to the Mustang touchdown as Brannagan hit Valberg with a 57 yard catch-and-run touchdown for Valberg's first major of the day.

With the Gaels up by three heading into the third quarter, the Mustangs began to show why they were the two-time defending Yates Cup champions. They prevented the Gaels offence from moving the chains and in turn, their offence did enough to grab the lead as kicker Darryl Wheeler Hamilton, Ont., connected on field goals from 19 and 9 yards.

With the game in their hands, Brannagan put together a drive that resembled the Gaels game-winning drive against the Mustangs in Week 7. The Gaels quarterback hit Ioannides for two first downs to get the Gaels to Western's 16 yard line. That set the stage for Valberg's 16-yard touchdown to put the Gaels in front for good.

Faulds and the Mustangs attempted to put together a game winning drive but the Gaels defence held tough and when Fauld's pass fell short on a 3rd and 20 play with 11 seconds to play, the sidelines erupted in jubilation.

In total, the teams combined for 1,209 total offensive yards on the day with both Brannagan and Faulds throwing for more than 500 yards each. Three Gaels receivers finished with more than 100 yards receiving, including Ioannides, Valberg and Sheahan. Marty Gordon of Kingston, Ont., who picked up a number of key first downs in the game, finished with 81 yards rushing on 11 attempts.

Attendance at Richardson Stadium was a season-high 7,253.