The #8 Manitoba Bisons (5-2) looks to extend their four game conference winning streak as they play the final regular season game of 2015 against the #9 UBC Thunderbirds (5-2) on Saturday, October 31 at 3 p.m. CT at Griffiths Stadium. The game will be available on SHAW TV.
Manitoba and UBC play twice during the conference regular season in 2015 and met earlier in week three with the Bisons losing 51-48 at home on Sat., Sept. 19.
This is a showdown for second place in the conference. The winner of the week eight contest will capture second in Canada West standings and host one of the two Canada West Semi-Final games on Saturday, November 7 at 2 p.m. local time.
The Bisons started the season by playing CIS Top 10 ranked teams in the first three weeks of the year. They defeated then #8 Saskatchewan on the road to start the 2015 campaign with a 34-28 road victory on Fri., Sept. 4 then lost 46-38 to then #2 Calgary in the home opener on Fri., Sept. 11 and also lost to then #10 UBC at home by a 51-48 result on Sat., Sept. 19. In week four on the road, the Herd won 42-32 at Alberta on Sept. 25 and in a back-to-back, home and away series against Regina, the Herd swept the Rams with scores of 34-19 at home (Oct. 2) and 49-46 win at Regina (Oct. 17). In week seven, Manitoba defeated Alberta again by a 29-7 score at home on Oct. 23.
Manitoba has made the CIS Top 10 in all eight weeks so far and now at number eight while UBC is ranked number nine. The T-Birds have won three in a row and are coming off a 41-36 road win at Saskatchewan on Oct. 23.
Last season, Manitoba played UBC once and won 20-10 at Manitoba in week three, en route to a Uteck Bowl (CIS semi-final) appearance. UBC last won at Manitoba in the 2013 season. In the 2014 season, Manitoba went 4-4 in the regular season (third in Canada West) and was a Canada West champion after two conference playoff road wins while UBC went 2-6 and was sixth and last in conference standings.
Over Brian Dobie‘s tenure with Manitoba (20 seasons), the Bisons have a 17-13 record against UBC and 10-5 mark on the road during the conference regular season. Manitoba last won on the road against the Thunderbirds was in 2013 season.
Bison Notes: Bisons look to host a playoff game at Investors Group Field for the second time (2013 – inaugural season: host Sask. in semi-final and won 37-36).
Source: Chris Zuk, Manitoba Bisons Sports Information
Final tune-up for top-ranked Dinos in Edmonton
CALGARY – The No. 1 University of Calgary Dinos head out on their shortest road trip of the season to wrap up conference play this weekend, embarking on the journey north to Foote Field and a Halloween matinee against the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
For the undefeated Dinos, the game is one last tune-up for the playoffs, which begin next Saturday afternoon at McMahon Stadium against the fourth-place team in the conference. For the Bears, however, Saturday’s game could mean everything in terms of postseason qualification.
Alberta and Saskatchewan enter the final week of play tied at 2-5 in the standings, with Alberta owning the tiebreaker thanks to a 38-26 home win on Sept. 11. The Huskies visit Regina Friday night, where a Rams victory would clinch the final playoff spot for Alberta, regardless of Saturday’s outcome in Edmonton. A Saskatchewan win, however, would force the Bears to beat the Dinos to earn the right to visit McMahon next Saturday.
Kickoff goes at 1 p.m. MT at Foote Field on the University of Alberta’s south campus, live on CanadaWest.tv.
HEADLINES
- With a win, the Dinos can pull off just the second undefeated season in program history after going 8-0 in 2013. (The 2011 season record was 7-1 but improved to 8-0 thanks to a forfeit)
- Calgary has had Alberta’s number for the last several years, recording wins in 11 straight games between the provincial rivals – including an 80-18 win Sept. 17 in Calgary. One of those games was ultimately forfeited, but excluding that the Bears’ last win over Calgary came in Edmonton on the final day of the regular season in 2008
- Calgary’s offence is the best in the conference, averaging more than 675 yards and 58 points per game, facing the fifth-ranked Bears defence that has given up nearly 42 points and 580 yards per game.
- The Dinos have clinched their ninth straight appearance in the playoffs – and their fifth consecutive first-place finish – while the Bears are looking for their first playoff appearance since 2010
- The Hardy Cup playoffs begin next week with Calgary hosting either Alberta or Saskatchewan, while UBC will face Manitoba (venue to be determined)
- The 79th Hardy Cup is set for a national broadcast on Global TV Saturday, Nov. 14.
No. 1 CALGARY DINOS (7-0)
Before bye: defeated Regina 57-7
Next week: host Canada West semi-final
- The Dinos have been ranked No. 1 in the nation for seven consecutive weeks, by far the longest span in the last 25-plus years (full historical rankings are only available to the early 1990s).
- Calgary’s offence has already set a school record for passing yards in a season (3,015) and is on pace to set new single-season marks in points (12 needed to beat the 2014 record of 419), total offence (352 yards to beat 2014 record of 5,082), and field goals (22, tied with 2012)
- With 2,699 passing yards on the season, QB Andrew Buckley needs just 124 more to pass Greg Vavra (1983) for the single-season school and conference record. He’s also within striking distance of the new national record set last week by Ottawa’s Derek Wendel, needing 437 yards to reach 3,136. Buckley has thrown for 400-plus yards four times this season.
- Calgary’s defence has flown under the radar, but has put up impressive numbers: just 17.3 points and 377 yards allowed per game, along with a league-leading 13 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries
ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS (2-5)
Last week: lost 29-7 at Manitoba
Next week: TBD
- Alberta makes the playoffs with a win or a Saskatchewan loss; the only scenario where the Bears miss the postseason is if Saskatchewan beats Regina and Alberta loses to Calgary
- The Bears are mired in a five-game losing streak after opening the year with two straight wins, a span that started with their game against the Dinos on Sept. 17
- Alberta has the fourth-ranked offence in the conference, averaging 476 yards per game, and trails only the Dinos with 1,383 rushing yards on the season
- RB Ed Ilnicki is an impact player for the Bears, sitting with 695 yards – the second-best total in the conference – through seven games.
- Alberta boasts the third-best return game in Canada West, averaging 19.3 yards on KOR and 10.6 on punt returns
- The Bears will recognize fifth-year linebacker Connor Ralph as well as graduating seniors DB Reid Knox, DB Jamie McPherson, R Zach Wilkie, and R Nathan Filipek at the final home game of the regular season.
DINOS RECORDS WATCH
- K Johnny Mark enters the game with 516 career points, the all-time scoring leader in CIS football history
- With 87 career field goals, Mark is the new CIS record holder in the category, beating Tyler Crapigna’s (McMaster, 2010-14) record of 84 set last year
- RB Mercer Timmis has 43 all-purpose career TDs, passing Matt Walter’s (2007-11) previous school record of 35. Timmis also owns the school record for rushing TDs with 42 and enters the game with 2,955 rushing yards, 3rd on the Dinos’ all-time list.
- QB Andrew Buckley has 2,699 passing yards on the season and needs just 4, 124 more through the last two games to set a new school and conference record in that category (2,823, Greg Vavra, 1983). He also needs just 437 more to break the new national single-season record of 3,136
- With a 71.7 completion percentage, Buckley is poised to have the most accurate season in school history. He is also 21 completions behind Vavra’s 1983 record of 178 with 157 heading into Edmonton.
Source: Ben Matchett, Calgary Dinos Sports Information
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.
