Number 13 turned out to be lucky for the Western Mustangs as they were victorious in their 13th appearance in the Vanier Cup.
The Mustangs defeated the defending champion Laval Rouge et Or 39-17 in the Canadian university football championship Saturday in Hamilton.
The Mustangs capped a perfect season going undefeated.
"It's the best thing in the world," said Mustang quarterback Chris Merchant. "We're just going to really enjoy this moment and share it with each other."
“We've improved every single week and our run in the playoffs has been a continuation of that improvement throughout the season," Mustang coach Greg Marshall said.
The championship game was a homecoming for Marshall, who spent his formative years as a head coach at Hamilton's McMaster University from 1997-2003.
The Mustangs fell to Laval in their last Vanier appearance in 2008.
Marshall's 2017 team has been strong in the air and on the ground. The Mustangs had the top-ranked offence in the country — averaging a whopping 608.5 yards per game in the regular season — and have continued their dominance in the playoffs.
