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| Noah Picton gets set to fire a pass downfield for the Rams. |
The action on the turf at new Mosaic Stadium might match the
majestic look of the new state of the art facility itself.
On Saturday at 2 p.m. in Regina, the host University of
Regina Rams will face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the first game
at what will be best known as the new home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan
Roughriders. The clash is expected to be seen by over 16,500 spectators, and it
will be a test event for the facility that cost $278-million to build.
That contests also opens the festivities for “Football Day
in Saskatchewan.” Following the match between the Rams and Huskies, the
venerable Saskatoon Hilltops will face the Regina Thunder for the final time at
old Mosaic Stadium in a clash of powerhouse Canadian Junior Football League
teams at 7 p.m.
While the majority of the people attending the university
game will be out to see what it is like to attend an event at new Mosaic
Stadium, they will also see a very meaningful tilt. The surprising Rams enter
the contest as the fourth ranked squad in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport
top 10 ratings, and they top the very tight Canada West standings with a 3-1
mark. A year ago, U of R suffered through an 0-8 season.
The U of Calgary Dinos also have a 3-1 mark, but the Rams
hold first due to their 32-27 victory over the Dinos on Sept. 23 at old Mosaic
Stadium.
The Huskies sit in fifth place in Canada West with a 2-2
record, and they still have the potential to surge up the standings.
The majority of the crowd will be made up of people from
Regina, but a sizable contingent is heading down from Saskatoon. Since the Rams
joined the CIS ranks in 1999, their rivalry with the Huskies has been more of
an up and down one as far as intensity goes.
U of S has dominated the regular season encounters with a 21-6
record, but the Rams have a 3-2 edge in five post-season meetings. Only one of those playoff encounters came in
the Canada West final back in 2002, when the Huskies came away with a 44-28
victory at old Mosaic Stadium.
The rivalry hasn’t had the bite it should have due to fact
there hasn’t been frequent meetings in the Canada West final. Also, the Dinos
won every Canada West title from 2008 to 2013, and the University of British Columbia
Thunderbirds went all the way and won the Vanier Cup last year.
Since 2007, games between the Rams and Huskies have been
really for bragging rights against each other, while someone else gets all the
championship trophies.
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| Tyler Chow has piled up big yards on the ground for the Huskies. |
The players will likely provide a lot of excitement as well.
Rams quarterback Noah Picton has had insane numbers over his team’s first four
games completing 117-of-170 passes for 1,714 yards, 14 touchdowns and five
interceptions. Picton gets to throw to a wide array of skilled pass catchers
like Mitchell Picton, Khalid Kornegay and Riley Wilson, who are all averaging
over 100 yards receiving a game. The U of R’s reputation of being “Receiver U”
is definitely in good hands.
Tyler Chow has emerged as the Huskies biggest offensive
weapon over the first four weeks. The feature tailback has piled up 572 yards
rushing on 84 carries and scored two touchdowns.
The Huskies passing attack took a big hit in their last outing,
when they dropped a 38-17 decision to the U of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg on
Sept. 24 due to receivers dropping a number of passes. They still have a strong
quarterback in Kyle Siemens, who has completed 81 of 134 passes for 934 yards,
seven touchdowns and two interceptions. U of S also has a talented group of
receivers, who will likely have a bounce back game as a unit.
The crowd noise should get up high too. If you had the
chance to visit the open house showing of new Mosaic Stadium during the Labour
Day weekend, you will have learned the stadium design traps noise like
CenturyLink Field in Seattle, which is home to the NFL’s Seahawks. Cheers echo
and circle through the facility.
There will likely be some bumps on Saturday afternoon, but
the chance to see what should be a great game at new Mosaic Stadium will likely
be an early Christmas gift.
Lots on the line for Hilltops and Thunder
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| Hilltops QB Jared Andreychuk rolls away from pressure. |
Both teams have combined to win the last six CJFL
championships. The Hilltops won the Canadian Bowl in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and
2015, while the Thunder captured the CJFL’s top prize in 2013.
The Hilltops enter the contest sitting second in the Prairie
Football Conference with a 5-1 mark. The Thunder are third with a 3-3 record,
but their three losses have come again either the Hilltops or the PFC leading
Calgary Colts, who are 6-0.
If the Hilltops win, they will guarantee at least a second
place finish in the PFC standings, which means they will host a PFC semifinal
playoff tilt. If the Thunder win by three or more points, they will take the
season series with the Hilltops and place some pressure on Saskatoon to win its
final two regular season games to hold on to second place.
The Hilltops slipped past the Thunder 20-18 at Saskatoon
Minor Football Field back on Sept. 10, which was the only other clash between
these two clubs this season.
Saskatoon also wants to keep the heat on Calgary as far as
the race for first goes. The Colts are in the driver’s seat in that dash due to
the fact they downed the Hilltops 36-21 back on Aug. 28 at SMF Field , which
was the only head-to-head regular season clash between the two sides in the
current campaign. Thanks to holding that standings tiebreaker, the Colts can
lock up first place winning two of their final three games.
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| Sawyer Buettner fires a pass downfield for the Thunder. |
Quarterback Jared Andreychuk led that Toppers comeback, and
he is having a solid campaign completing 83 of 135 passes for 1,256 yards, 13
touchdowns and seven interceptions. Saskatoon has great balance as running
backs Logan Fischer, Joshua Ewanchyna and Adam Machart are all having solid
years.
Fischer tops the team with 521 yards rushing on 90 carries,
while scoring six touchdowns. Ewanchyna has piled up 329 yards rushing on 40
carries and scored three majors, while Machart has 265 yards rushing on 38
carries and has scored one touchdown.
Second-year Thunder quarterback Sawyer Buettner has turned a
lot of heads completing 141 of 209 passes for 1,784 yards, nine touchdowns and
eight interceptions. Receiver Kristiane Desautels has been Buettner’s favourite
target catching 24 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns.
The first battle between these two squads this season had
the intensity of a playoff clash, and Saturday’s encounter will likely have the
same feel. Another classic might be on the way.
It always feels good to give
As “Football Day in Saskatchewan” draws near, it has popped
into my head that I have supported all four of the provinces post-secondary
teams that will take the field on Regina on Saturday.
I have donated to the scholarship funds of the Rams,
Hilltops and Huskies and attended the Thunder’s Dinner of Champions fundraiser.
Besides those four football teams, I have also donated to the scholarship funds
of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams and the U of R
Cougars women’s hockey team.
It makes me feel good when I can give money to any of these
programs, and I would love to keep making similar donations in the future and
add a few more teams to the list too. I want to thank you the readers for
supporting me in my independent media endeavours to make this possible.
I humbly hope I can keep earning and holding your respect as
I continue onwards.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
