RAMS, HUSKIES, GOLDEN BEARS VICTORIOUS IN WEEK 2

The No. 7-ranked University of Regina Rams held off a late charge by the Calgary Dinos and won 32-24 in their home opener on Friday night in a Canada West game at Mosaic Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A five-yard touchdown run by Kyle Borsa and two Aldo Galvan field goals had the Rams up 15-6 at halftime
• The Rams got two highlight-reel touchdowns in the third quarter, first on a 28-yard pick six by Anthony Bennett and then on a 64-yard strike from Noah Pelletier to D’Sean Mimbs
• The Mimbs major put the Rams up 32-9 heading into the final frame, but Calgary got back into the game thanks to a pair of Daniel Sananes touchdown passes to Matt Sibley that brought the Dinos to within eight with 1:14 to play
• Calgary had one last chance for a touchdown with just seconds remaining after recovering a late Rams fumble, but veteran safety Jaxon Ford picked off a heave into the end zone to seal the victory

RAMS HIGHLIGHTS

• Anthony Bennett collected his Canada West-leading fourth sack of the season, registered just the second interception return touchdown by a defensive lineman in school history, and recovered a fumble deep in Calgary territory in the first quarter which led to Borsa’s major
• D’Sean Mimbs had five catches for a career-high 123 yards and a touchdown
• Tanner Schmekel had two tackles for loss including a big sack for an 11-yard setback
• Ryder Varga was the team’s leading tackler with five solo and four assisted, including a half tackle for loss

QUOTABLE
“I’m so proud of our players and staff for finding a way to win another close game. I said this last week, but the scary part is that we’re 2-0 and I don’t feel we’ve come close to playing to our potential just yet. We’ll continue to learn and improve each week.” – Rams head coach Mark McConkey

HISTORY FILE

• The Rams move to 2-0 for the first time since the 2002 season, when they collected season-opening home wins over UBC and Saskatchewan
• Aldo Galvan had three field goals and three PATs and, with 192 career points, moves into third place on the U of R’s all-time scoring list
• With four sacks through his first two games, Bennett is already closing in on the U of R’s single-season sacks record, which stands at 6.5 and is shared by Akiem Hicks and Nicholas Dheilly

NEXT UP
It’ll be a battle of undefeated teams as the Rams play host to the Saskatchewan Huskies on Saturday night in the first U Prairie Challenge event to be played in Regina.

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SASKATOON — The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team took care of business on homecoming night at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park, defeating the visiting UBC Thunderbirds 29-10.

With the win, the Huskies moved to 2-0 and extended their home winning-streak to 13 games — a streak that extends back to Sept. 21, 2018.

“It was a good game. Start to finish. We always want to start fast and finish strong,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory.  “That’s a good football team — let’s make sure we give them a lot of credit. I don’t think there was any doubt in any of our minds that we were going to come out and play. We protect this house pretty well and I’m proud of the guys and the effort that they came out with forsure.”

With the return of a true homecoming game for the first-time since 2019, the Huskies played host to their largest crowd in over three years with an announced attendance of 6,032.

The fans were treated to an offensive display, as Mason Nyhus continued what has been a tremendous start to his final year with the Huskies. After throwing for 408 yards and five touchdowns in Week 1, Nyhus threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns on Friday night.

Up next for Saskatchewan is a Week 3 meeting with their provincial rivals. The Huskies will be off to Queen City next weekend, as they take on the Regina Rams at Mosaic Stadium. Kick off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Saturday night in what will be a part of the new U Prairie Challenge.

Regina and Saskatchewan are the two lone remaining undefeated teams in the Canada West, with both programs entering the matchup with 2-0 records.

Meanwhile, the UBC Thunderbirds will make another trip to the Prairies, as they venture east to Winnipeg for a Friday night meeting with the Manitoba Bisons at IG Field. The Bisons, who opened the season as the number-two ranked team in the Canada West preseason coaches poll, fell to 0-2 on Friday night with a loss to the Alberta Golden Bears. 

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EDMONTON — After trailing 2-0 after the first quarter, the Alberta Golden Bears scored quickly and in big ways in the second, taking a 24-2 lead into the half that they wouldn’t relinquish in an eventual 34-11 win at home over the Manitoba Bisons on Friday. The victory improves their record to 1-1, while the Herd fall to 0-2 and face an important challenge in week three against the 1-1 UBC Thunderbirds at home this Friday. 

(Files from U of R, U of S, U of M Websites/Photo: Piper Sports Photography)