CANADA WEST FOOTBALL IS FINALLY BACK
Football is finally back for universities across Canada.
This weekend, regular season games begin after 672 days since the Vanier Cup was played on November 23, 2019.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies will be facing the defending Vanier Cup winners: The Calgary Dinos.
The Huskies finished 6-4 in 2019, and made their way to the Hardy Cup against the Dinos where they were blown out 4-29.
Heading into a fresh season, Darren Dupont expects the Huskies to perform very well this year.
“The Huskies are going to be, if not already, one of the top teams in the country,” said Dupont. “Their defence is really good and they also get their running back back, who is one of the best if not the best back in the country. They are looking pretty good in Saskatoon”
The Huskies were able to play an exhibition match against the Manitoba Bisons this past Saturday, winning 31-15 but the U of S will be looking to get revenge this weekend and start the season with a win in Calgary.
“It’s going to be great,” said Head Coach of the Huskies, Scott Flory. “We had that opportunity on the weekend to get some of those kinks out, but the Dinos are an awesome football team. They are a great club and organization. I have a ton of respect for Wayne Harris and what he does, and we have our hands full this Saturday.”
The game won’t be easy for Saskatoon, but if they can attack the Dinos new defensive players, they have a good chance at walking away with a win.
“Offensively they are pretty much intact from the Vanier Cup,” said Flory. “Defensively is where you will see some changes. But if history is any indicator they are going to have newer, bigger, better guys that are ready to play. We are not anticipating any changes or drop off there from a talent perspective.”
Another challenge for the Huskies this weekend will be playing on the road. In 2019, the Huskies struggled in away games, only winning one game and all four of their losses coming on the road. At home however, the team is a much better ball club finishing 5-0 in front of their own crowd. The U of S will need to bring that home energy this weekend when they travel to Calgary to face the Dinos.
Part of the challenge for University programs is the constant change in roster. One year you might be developing a future quarterback for your club, and the next thing you know they are being taken in the CFL draft. For coach Flory, he said part of being a good football team is always having a next man up mentality.
“Part of the process in trying to build a deep football club [is] that we are resilient enough to withstand the impact of losing guys and the impact of injuries that are going to happen which are inevitable in football,” said Flory.
One player everyone will have their eyes on is quarterback Mason Nyhus, the fourth year product from Regina, Saskatchewan. After winning the Huskies offensive player of the year in 2019, the coaching staff re worked some of the offence heading into this season, but say Nyhus is looking as good as ever.
”Mason is looking good,” said Nyhus. “He’s got complete control and command of our offense. He’s just such a smart guy and he’s getting the ball out of his hands which is great. We changed a whole bunch offensively just to try and clean some things up from a quarterback perspective and he’s been looking really good,”
It’s a brand-new season for the Huskies who hope to make it back to the Hardy Cup and Vanier Cup this year. Kickoff against the defending champs takes place at 4:00pm this Saturday.
