Box Score LONDON, Ont. - Despite another outstanding first-half performance, the Varsity Blues 2010 season came to a close as the No. 2 Western Mustangs came back from a 17-point deficit to take the game 35-23 on Saturday afternoon.

The Blues end the season with a record of 3-5 and tied for sixth place with the Queen’s Gaels. In lieu of their head-to-head match-up, they finished one spot shy of the final playoff berth.

Jonathan Wright of Belleville, Ont., recorded a game-high 99 receiving yards for U of T, while Paul de Pass amassed 95 of his own in the loss. Third-year linebacker Wilkerson DeSouza of Mississauga also had a game-high 12.5 tackles and finishes the regular season atop the OUA leader board with 62 solo tackles over eight games.

Blues quarterback Andrew Gillis (Markham, Ont.) was 25-of-43 for 282 passing yards and one touchdown.

Western’s running back tandem of Nathan Riva and Jerimy Hipperson rushed for 144 and 132 yards, respectively. Hipperson also added two touchdowns to lead the home squad in their comeback.

There was a stunned silence early at the TD Waterhouse Stadium as over 6,000 fans witnessed Toronto build a 17-0 lead through the first 20 minutes of action.

With a few tricks up their sleeve, the Blues pulled off their first treat of the day 10 minutes in to the first quarter - a 58-yard touchdown strike from receiver Michael Prempeh to fellow wide out Paul de Pass on a reverse-option passing play. It was Prempeh’s first collegiate touchdown toss and it gave the Blues a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing kick-off, Toronto native Andrew Lomasney lined up for a long drive but instead chipped the ball, hitting defensive back Hugo Lopez (Newmarket, Ont.) in stride on a perfectly executed on-side kick to give the Blues another possession with great field position.

Rookie Alex Pierzchalski of London, Ont., finished the short drive with an eight-yard reception from Gillis to extend the lead to 14-0. In the second, Toronto added a Lomasney field goal to go up 17-0.

The home team then began their rally and showed why they are the second-ranked team in the country, scoring 35 unanswered points. Western cut the Blues lead to 17-9 before halftime and then made some critical adjustments to start the second half, which would ultimately seal the deal for the Mustangs.

Gillis found the end zone a final time on a one-yard run to pull the score to within 12 (35-23) before a failed two-point conversion with 47 seconds remaining in regulation.