CIS football Saturday roundup: No. 1 Mustangs clinch top spot in OUA with 21-9 win over Blues

WOLFVILLE, NS - Twenty nine unanswered points in the second half gave the Axemen a convincing 40-10 win over winless Mount Allison Mounties in front of 2746 Homecoming fans at Acadia's Raymond Field.

The Mounties showed spirit in the first half, holding the Axemen to an 11-2 lead, but the dam burst open in the third quarter on a running game led by second year running back Zack Skibin who punched in for one major while compiling 170 net yards on 21 carries with a longest of the day run for 33 yards.

Acadia took a 11-0 first quarter lead on a team safety and two Ryan Begin Rouges, plus a Taylor Renaud 58 yard pass reception for the first of five Acadia touchdowns.

The Mounties tightened the lead to one with a second quarter team safety, Alec Curtis rouge and a one yard run by Nick Kukkonen that ended a 10 play, 63 yard drive in the third quarter to narrow the margin to 11-10.

As the Mounties gained momentum, Acadia put the offense into overdrive, responding with a 77 yard drive fueled by the running of Zach Skibin. Kyle Graves sprinted for the 6 yard major to start the 29 point scoring spree.

Holden Morales added a one yard dive for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, while teammates AJ Durling and Zack Skibin topped the glass with two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter along with Ryan Begin's third rouge of the afternoon.

Taylor Renaud led the Axemen with 2 receptions for 61 yards and Mike Squires added 44 yards receiving on four catches. Axeman pivot Kyle Graves was 11 for 21 passes, adding 176 yards of passing to Acadia's 410 net offensive yards.

Mountie Mark Fullerton grabbed the Mt. Allison player of the game honours with five solo tackles, three assisted tackles and a tackle for a loss of two yards. Mount Allison pulled together only 162 net yards, with a season low of 46 yards in the air with quarterback Jake Hotchkiss landing 10 of 18 attempts and was sacked twice.

The Mounties will hope to regroup this coming weekend as they host the 1-5 StFX X-Men next Friday night at 7pm - the first night game hosted by the Mounties. The Axemen will hope revenge 8-3 loss to the Saint Mary's in week four as they host the Huskies next Saturday afternoon.

Source: Acadia Sports Info

ANTIGONISH, N.S. - The StFX X-Men lost their fifth game of the regular season Saturday afternoon, falling to the visiting Saint Mary’s Huskies 37-18 in AUS football action at Oland Stadium in Antigonish, NS. 

Fourth year quarterback Jack Creighton paced the visitors going 16-24 for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Saint Mary’s broke the game open in the second quarter, scoring 26 unanswered points to put the game out of reach.

The X-Men opened the scoring early in the first quarter on team safety to go ahead 2-0. Receiver Andrew Hickey then scored the first touchdown of the game on a 1 yard run at the 9:31 mark of the first quarter.  Anthony Alix rounded out the scoring in the first quarter on a rouge as the X-Men led 10-0 after the opening 15 minutes of play.

The Huskies then took control of the game in the second quarter, scoring 26 unanswered points.  The scoring started with a 37 yard reception on a pass from Jack Creighton to wide receiver Matthew Simich, followed by a rouge from kicker Brett Lauther.

Huskies running back Melvin Abankwah and wide receiver Kevin Wuthrich each had a touchdown, and Brett Lauther nailed a 50 yard field goal. 

The back and forth game continued in the third quarter as StFX defensive end Devon Marshall recovered an errant fumble from Saint Mary’s quarter back Jack Creighton and ran it into the end zone to make the score 26-17.

The league-leading Huskies had the last laugh in the fourth quarter however, scoring the final eleven points of the game to make the final score 37-18. Saint Mary’s running back Michael Dawes had the lone touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 2 yard run at the 6:03 mark. Kicker Brett Lauther rounded out the scoring on a 31 yard field goal and a rouge.

StFX quarterback Cory Wensley went 9-27 for 139 yards. Wensley was also sacked on 4 occasions.

SMU receiver Kevin Wuthrich was the Subway Player of the Game with 6 receptions for 74 yards and 1 touchdown.

The X-Men (1-5) visit Sackville, NB to take on the Mount Allison Mounties (0-6) next Friday, October 21st at 7:00pm. Meanwhile, the Huskies (5-1) take on Acadia (5-1) Saturday, October 22nd at 2:00pm in what could turn into a battle for first place overall in the AUS conference.

Source:  StFX Sports Info

TORONTO - The Varsity Blues football team dropped a 21-9 decision to the No. 1 Western Mustangs on Saturday, October 15, 2011.
 
Fifth-year veteran Andrew Gillis of Toronto became only the sixth Varsity Blues quarterback in history to throw for over 4,000 career passing yards.  Gillis came into the game 173 yards short of the mark and surpassed it at the beginning of the third quarter, connecting a seven-yard pass to veteran receiver Michael Prempeh.
 
Gillis was 16-of-36 for 260 yards on the day.  Sophomore receiver Alex Pierzchalski of London, Ont., led all receivers with four catches for 63 yards, while Paul de Pass had two receptions for 60 yards.
 
Fourth-year defensive back Dorian Munroe of Miami, Fla., was named the Varsity Blues player of the game after recording six tackles, one forced fumble and one sack.  Fifth-year linebacker Scott Smith had eight tackles and one sack, while Kevin Asare added seven tackles in the loss.
 
Western running back Nathan Riva took advantage of the wet and windy conditions and had a great day on the ground.  The Lasalle, Ont., native accounted for 218 of Western’s 304 rushing yards and added one touchdown in the win.
 
Tyler Varga had the only score of the first quarter, capping off a nine-play, 59-yard opening drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown, his 15th of the season.
 
Andrew Lomasney got the Blues on the board early in the second with a 27-yard field goal.  Toronto marched down the field on their next possession, thanks in large part to a 37-yard pitch and catch to Pierzchalski; however, the Mustangs defence came up with two big stops, leaving the Blues kicker with an easy 10-yard field goal to cut the lead to one (7-6).
 
On Toronto’s last series of the second quarter, Gillis connected a 43-yard pass with de Pass to set up Lomasney’s third field goal of the first half, this time from 20-yards out, giving Toronto a narrow 9-7 advantage at halftime.
 
The Mustangs came out ready to go in the second half and, despite an interception on their first drive, they took control of the game.  Riva scored a three-yard rushing TD at the midway point of the third to give Western the lead for good.
 
On the last drive of the third quarter, rookie defensive lineman Ricky Osei-Kusi tackled the Blues Willie Sharpe short of the first down, after a fake punt to give the Mustangs great field position deep in Toronto territory.  Western kicker Lirim Hajrullahu would however miss a 19-yard field goal attempt, settling for a single and  a 15-9 lead heading into the final frame.
 
Western quarterback Ben Rossong connected a 20-yard strike with second-year Mustangs receiver Andrew Thibaudeau with five minutes remaining to stretch the score to 21-9 for the visitors.
 
The Varsity Blues return to action next Saturday, October 22 when they host the Waterloo Warriors in their final home game of the regular season at Varsity Centre. Kick off is set for 1 p.m.

Source: Toronto Sports Info

WATERLOO, Ont. (October 15, 2011) - The No. 6 McMaster Marauders (6-1) handed the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (3-4) their third home loss of the season as they posted a 25-6 victory on a windy afternoon at University Stadium.

Playing in winds of 50km/h, both teams looked to the running game to set up field position. McMaster struck first when Tyler Crapigna of Nepean, Ont., hit a 24 yard field goal to give the Marauders an early 3-0 lead.

The Hawks would respond later in the first quarter with the wind at their backs. Two field goals from Ronnie Pfeffer of Kitchener, Ont., from 30 and 35 yards, gave Laurier the slim 6-3 lead after one quarter of play.

McMaster would gain the wind in the second quarter and took advantage as Crapigna hit a pair of field goals in the quarter from 20 and 46 yards to stake the Marauders to a 9-6 halftime lead.

Still with the wind to start the third, the Marauders opened up a 10 points advantage early as on their opening possession of the half, quarterback Kyle Quinlan of South Woodslee, Ont., drove his team downfield and finished the drive with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Michael Dicroce of Hamilton, Ont.

The Hawks would struggle going into the wind and could not find a way to sustain their drives resulting in the team conceding a safety late in the quarter.

Regaining the wind for the fourth, Laurier had their chance to cut into the lead midway through the frame but quarterback Shane Kelly of Basking Ridge, N.J., was intercepted in the endzone by Michael Daly of Kitchener, Ont., to seal the victory.

Quinlan finished the day 14 of 26 for 230 yards and a touchdown to lead the Marauders. Dicroce led McMaster with five recpetions for 89 yards and a touchdown while Christopher Pezzetta of Burlington, Ont., had a game-high 79 rushing yards and a touchdown.

As for the Hawks, Kelly finished the day 15 of 34 for 151 yards and two interceptions. Anton Bennett of Toronto, was the teams leading rusher with 57 yards and six attempts.

Defensively, Laurier got strong performances from Samuel Aird of Ancaster, Ont., and Ben Ivany of Schomberg, Ont., who each had seven total tackles on the afternoon.

McMasters top defensive performer was Nicholas Shorthill of Nobleton, Ont., who had five total tackles.

Laurier will wrap up their regular season next Saturday when they travel to Guelph to battle the Gryphons. The Golden Hawks will need a victory to guarantee themselves an eighth consecutive trip to the postseason.

NOTES: Attendance at the game was 1,006...Ivany's 10 assisted tackles were a season high for the Hawks...Kelly remains 242 yards and three touchdowns behind Bill Kubas for the single-season records in those two categories.

Source: Laurier Sports Info

OTTAWA - On a cold, windy October afternoon, the Gee-Gees men’s football team played its final home game of the regular season against the Windsor Lancers. After falling behind 14-0 early in the game, the resilient Gee-Gees ultimately prevailed by a score of 32-30, on a last-second game-winning field goal by fourth-year kicker Matt Falvo (Welland, Ont.).
 
“We’re going to be in close games at the end of the game, and for young players to experience what we experienced at the end of the fourth quarter is key. You try to recreate those things in practice, but you can’t—you have to live it, and that’s what we did today,” said Gee-Gees head coach Jean-Philippe Asselin.
 
The Gee-Gees started the game on the wrong foot as a miscue on the opening kickoff meant the offence had to start their drive at their own one yard line. Two plays later, a poor snap into the endzone led to a Windsor touchdown as the Lancers pounced on the loose ball. By the end of the first quarter, Windsor managed to increase their lead to 14-0.
 
uOttawa’s offence woke up on the final play of the first quarter as fourth-year quarterback Aaron Colbon (Orleans, Ont.) completed a 26-yard shovel pass to third-year running back Brendan Gillanders (Orleans, Ont.). The Gee-Gees would eventually score on the drive, thanks to a 38-yard field goal by Falvo. Falvo had another field goal on the following drive, to cut the lead to 14-6. Colbon completed 21 of 34 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
 
“I’m really settling in a little bit, as a starter. Before this [season], I hadn’t started a football game in a few years, being behind Brad [Sinopoli],” said Colbon. “The game is slowing down for me, for sure.”
 
Two touchdowns by Gillanders (1 receiving, 1 rushing) late in the half gave uOttawa a 20-17 lead at the intermission. Windsor scored seven points in the third quarter, while uOttawa countered with nine, thanks to another receiving score by Gillanders. Gillanders ran for 117 yards, and caught six catches for 123 yards. Ottawa led 29-24 at the end of the quarter.
 
With the Gee-Gees trailing 30-29, Colbon led uOttawa on a 62-yard drive in the final minute, which culminated in a game-winning 11-yard Falvo field goal as the clock expired. Falvo tied the all-time Gee-Gees record for field goals made in a career with 54. He is tied with former uOttawa kicker Ara Tchobanian.
 
“It’s pretty cool,” said Falvo of his Gee-Gees record. “Ara Tchobanian is one of my best friends and he was like a mentor to me when he was here. He had a really great career, so it’s cool to be standing there with him now.”
 
The Gee-Gees will now travel to McMaster (6-1) next weekend. The game is set for Saturday, October 22 at 1:00 p.m. Ottawa will clinch second place in the OUA with a win against the Marauders.

Source: Ottawa Sports Info

KINGSTON, Ont. – Ryan Granberg of Sherwood Park, Alta. led the Gaels (5-2) with four touchdowns and 245 rushing yards which paced Queen’s to a 53-0 win over the Waterloo Warriors (0-7).

Both teams battled through rain, wind, and mud as they faced off on Saturday afternoon. The ceremonial kick-off was taken by Base Commander Colonel Stephen Cadden as the Queen’s Gaels showed their support for the families of troops at CFB Kingston Family Appreciation Day.

In the first quarter the Warriors were forced back into their own end by the Gaels defense. A high snap went over punter and Napanee, Ont. native  Alex Cowle and  out of the endzone to give the Gaels a 2-0 lead off the safety.

The Gaels started to drive down the field when Billy McPhee of Burlington, Ont. found Justin Chapdelaine of Abbotsford, B.C. who made a spectacular diving grab on the one yard line. The play set up a one yard touchdown run from Granberg, putting the Gaels in front 9-0.

A botched kick return catch from the Warriors gave the Gaels another safety, making it 10-0.

In the second quarter, McPhee threw a dart into the wind and Chris Patrician of Toronto, Ont. made an over-the-shoulder catch as he was streaking to the far corner of the endzone. With the touchdown the Gaels took a 17-0 lead.

Granberg punched in his second touchdown of the game shortly afterwards, bringing the Gaels lead to 24-0. Granberg had brought the Gaels into striking distance, running the ball with relative ease as he was dominant with carrying the ball.

Just before halftime Granberg ran another ball right through the middle of Waterloo`s defence into the endzone, extending the Gaels lead to 31-0.

On the first play of the third quarter, Giovanni Aprile of Toronto ran the kick-off 108 yards back across the field for a touchdown, giving the Gaels a convincing 38-0 lead.

The Gaels made it 45-0 shortly after, as Granberg ran in his fourth touchdown, as the Warriors could not find a solution for his rushing attack.

In the fourth, Dan Village of Abbotsford, B.C. missed a field goal attempt but still put up a single point for the Gaels as he kicked it through the endzone, making it 46-0.

First year quarterback Ryan Mitchell of Toronto completed another long pass to Aprile, who had no problem finishing the play and running the ball into the endzone to put the Gaels up 53-0. The pass was Mitchell’s first career touchdown throw.

This was the final score of the game as the Queen's Gaels weathered the storm to beat the Waterloo Warriors in a lopsided win at Richardson.

The Gaels return to action next Saturday when they take on the Western Mustangs at Richardson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 pm.

Source: Queen's Sports Info

MONTREAL – The No.5-ranked Université de Montreal Carabins took advantage of eight McGill turnovers to defeat McGill 33-18 before a Homecoming crowd of 1,256 at Percival Molson Stadium, Saturday.

The third-place Carabins, who improved to 4-3 with two games remaining before playoffs, led 15-5 at halftime, primarily on the strength of two blocked punt returns by senior linebacker William Fontaine. The native of Ste. Hyacinthe, Que., scooped up a loose ball and scampered 11 yards to give the Carabins at 7-0 lead at 9:07 of the first quarter and after a rouge, put U de M ahead 15-0 after returning a second blocked punt 19 yrs for a major.

It was the first loss for Redmen interim head coach Clint Uttley, who was handed the reins earlier in the week when Sonny Wolfe stepped down. McGill, which dropped 0-7, actually had a 28-21 edge in first downs. They registered 349 net yards, compared to 447 by the Carabins.

Montreal quarterback Alex Nadeau-Piuz, a senior from Repentigny, Que., completed 11 of 15 passes for 171 yards, including a nine-yard TD strike to Alexandre Fortier-Labonte of Gatineau, Que., which made it 27-5 to put the game out of reach.

Place-kicker Pierre-Paul Gelinas rounded out the scoring for the Carabins with 11 points, going 2-for-5 on field-goals. Montreal also tallied twice on safety touches.

McGill quarterback Ryne Bondy, a senior from Richmond Hill, Ont., completed 26 of 43 passing attempts for 353 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He hooked up with fifth-year veteran Bobby Mikelberg for a 20-yard TD toss on the last play of the game. Mikelberg led all receivers with 145 yards on 12 receptions. Bondy rushed for McGill’s other major, on a one-yard plunge some three minutes into the final quarter to narrow the score 30-12.

Kicker Austin Anderson added a 40-yard field for the Redmen, who also had one safety.

McGill (0-7) plays at Bishop’s (2-4) next Saturday, while Montreal (4-3) travels to Concordia (3-3) in a battle for third place.

Source: McGill Sports Info

GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphon football team overwhelmed the York Lions 51-2 this afternoon at Alumni Stadium under wet and windy conditions. With the win the Gryphon’s improve to 2-5 on the season, while York drops to 1-6.

The Gryphon’s defence kept the Lions in check throughout the contest, holding the Lions to just over 100 yards of total offence on a windy and rain-soaked field.

Leading the Gryphon’s offence was rookie quarterback Jazz Lindsey (Markham, Ont.) who completed 13-of-26 attempts for 207 yards and three touchdowns. After being intercepted on his first attempt of the game, he quickly recovered and led the Gryphon’s on three first-quarter scoring drives.

Jedd Gardner (Niagara Falls, Ont.) continued his late season resurgence with eight catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. Saxon Lindsey, brother of Jazz Lindsey, hauled in five catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

Leading the Gryphon’s rushing game was Rob Farquharson (Niagara Falls, Ont.), who rushed 15 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. His steady play at running back allowed the Gryphon offence to dictate the pace of the game and keep the Lions defence guessing throughout the contest.

Guelph opened the game with a strong showing by their defence, forcing a quick three and out. After throwing his only interception in the game, Lindsey’s next series saw him complete a quick screen play to Gardner for an 81 touchdown completion to give the Gryphon’s a 7-0 lead just four minutes into the game.

After a short punt from York, the Gryphon’s took over in York territory with excellent field position, and Lindsey scored on an eight yard QB keeper to give Guelph a 14-0 advantage. The Gryphon’s finished the opening quarter scoring on a two yard pass from QB Chris Rossetti (Mississauga, Ont.) to linebacker Jake Reinhart (Guelph, Ont.), extending the Gryphon’s lead to 20-0 after a missed extra point attempt.

The second quarter saw both offences struggle as weather conditions continued to get worse. After Guelph conceded a safety on a punt attempt, the Gryphon’s were able to close the half with back-to-back touchdowns from Jazz to his brother Saxon. At the half, the Gryphon’s led 24-2 and had accumulated 241 yards of offence compared to just 17 by the Lions.

After both teams traded possessions to open the third quarter, Guelph was able to extend their lead on a 49-yard run by Farquharson to give Guelph a 41-2 lead. The fourth quarter saw a number of Gryphon’s suit up in order to gain some valuable playing time with the outcome almost a certainty.

The Gryphon’s closed the game with a 16 yard field goal by Daniel Ferraro (Mississauga, Ont.), and a 44 yard touchdown completion from Rossetti to Michael Fortino for a 51-2 final score. In total, both teams attempted 30 punts, in large part due to poor weather conditions. Penalties continue to hinder the Gryphon attack, as they gave up 165 yards on 15 penalties.

Guelph will host the visiting Laurier Golden Hawks next Saturday (Oct. 22) in the season finale. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.      

Source: Guelph Sports Info

WINNIPEG - In a game they really had to have to stay in the playoff race, the unranked Manitoba Bisons football team notched a convincing 48-20 win at home on Saturday, October 15 at University Stadium (U of Manitoba campus). In the process, the emerging star of running back Anthony Coombs was in full flight as he rushed for four touchdowns.

With the victory, Manitoba moves to 3-3 in the 2011 season while Alberta stays winless at 0-6.

For a first year running back, Coombs has shown maturity beyond his 19 years old on his birth certificate. He dazzled, dashed, wiggled and scampered to a season-high and CIS career-high 226 yards on 20 carries (11.3 avg.) along with touchdown runs of 69, one, five and 12 in only his fifth game so far in his young university career.

“Anthony Coombs did everything today,” enthused Bison football head coach Brian Dobie after the game. “He did something out of nothing or made great plays with his athletic ability. He was phenomenal and the absolute difference maker today as he made every one on our team better during the game.”

Coombs started his pursuit of a 200 yard running game with an amazing, highlight reel run as he weaved his way through the Bears’ defence and found the end zone after a scintillating 69 yard TD run at the five minute mark. Manitoba took advantage of the 30 km/hr wind at their back in the first as Nick Boyd kicked his longest field goal of the season from 44 yards and Coombs capped a eight play drive with a one yard plunge to make it 17-0 after one quarter.

In the second, the Bisons capitalized on a drive starting at the Bears’ 50 yardline and punched in their third TD of the afternoon when QB Khaleal Williams dived in from one yard. Coombs could have had his third consecutive TD on the previous play but the referees ruled his knee down before crossing the goal line. Manitoba continued to press as Pete Adams intercepted Alberta QB Julian Marchand and Williams then found wide receiver Christian Hansen with a 13 yard TD pass and a 31-0 lead after 24 minutes. 

Alberta did mount a drive to break the shutout as Marchand drove the ball and found receiver Dillon Prince on a six yard TD pass and a successful two point conversion made it 31-8. Before the half, the Bisons drove again on the feet of Coombs as he rushed for 28 yards before finishing the drive on a five yard TD run. At the half, 38-8 for the Bisons and the second most points scored by Manitoba in a half since records recorded in 1968.

“The offensive line had a huge game as they had a great push and opened up big holes in the first half. I felt healthy and it was just one of those games and happy to contribute to a huge win for us, “ commented Coombs.

Coombs had an amazing 180 yards and three TDs at half and the Bisons began to rest starters in the second half with the only other scoring for Alberta was a 41 yard TD pass from Marchand to Porter Brown to begin the third, a safety and 29 yard field goal by Steven McCaffrey and Manitoba countered with Coombs’ fourth TD run and kickoff single plus safety for the 48-20 home win.

“At this time of the year, every win is a big win for the playoff race, “ stated Dobie. “To win in such a productive way is a definite confidence booster for our team and now we look towards the Calgary game next week.”
 
In team stats, Manitoba had 29 to Alberta 25 in first downs; rushing yards were 319 for Manitoba to Alberta at 128; Manitoba had 182 passing yards to Bears 253; total offence was 478 to 377 for Manitoba; turnovers had Alberta with five to Manitoba’s two; Manitoba controlled time of possession with 31:49 to 28:11 and penalties were 17-145 yards for Manitoba and Saskatchewan with 15-129 yards.

Individually, the visitors had Marchand as top passer with 221 yards on 15-35 with 2 TDs and 1 INT along with five rushes for 37 yards. Backup QB Ryan Schwartz went 4-8 and 32 passing yards and led the team with 58 rushing yards on six carries. Porter Brown had five catches for 85 yards and 1 TD while Dillon Prince had four grabs for 50 yards and 1 TD.

For the Bisons, after Coombs brilliant day, Williams went 14-20 for 182 passing yards with 1 TD and also added 30 rushing yards on six attempts with 1 rush TD. Receiver Christian Hansen was top Bison with 44 yards on three catches and 1 TD.

On defence, Jason Hetherington had a game-high seven tackles for Alberta and a forced fumble and Ryan Dean followed with five tackles and 0.5 sack. Connor Ralph added one sack and 3.5 tackles. Manitoba was led by Thomas Hall with 4.5 tackles and a forced fumble along with Adam Hindley with four tackles and one sack. Pete Adams had three break-ups and one interception.

Manitoba (3-3) now travels to play in Calgary against the Calgary Dinos (6-0) on Saturday, October 22 at 1 p.m. local time while Alberta (0-6) host the #9 ranked UBC Thunderbirds (4-2) on Saturday, October 22 at 1 p.m. local time.

Source: Manitoba Sports Info

VANCOUVER  - For the first time in five seasons, the UBC Thunderbirds football team will take part in the Canada West playoffs.

The No. 9 Thunderbirds needed a second-half surge to beat the visiting Regina Rams by a score of 23-16 in Vancouver on Saturday afternoon and clinch a post-season berth.

“That’s a load off our shoulders,” said UBC head coach Shawn Olson.  “I think that will allow our guys to relax a little bit.  I really felt in the first half, especially offensively, we were playing a little scared.  To their credit, they came out in the second half and played a little bit better.”

In a season where its potent offence has garnered the most attention, UBC’s defence forced five second-half turnovers to spark a comeback that gave the Thunderbirds its fourth win of the season.

The winning points came at 10:45 of the fourth quarter when quarterback Billy Greene (4th, Surrey, BC) found Dave Boyd (5th, Duncan, BC) with a 25-yard touchdown pass to put UBC up 20-9.  Greene completed 19 of 37 passes and threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Boyd, who also had a team-high 47 yards rushing, caught both of Greene’s touchdown passes

At 11:46 of the third quarter, the pair connected for a ten-yard touchdown play that gave UBC a 10-7 lead after the ‘Birds had trailed at halftime.

On the ensuing Regina possession, Vivie Bojilov (1st, New Westminster, BC) grabbed the first of his two interceptions when picked off a Zach Oleynik pass at the Rams’ 41-yard line.

That led to a 23-yard Billy Pavlopoulos (3rd, Georgetown, ON) field goal at 9:21 that pushed UBC ahead 13-7.

The Rams got the ball back and Oleynik drove his team into UBC territory only to be intercepted again, this time by Levar Hayden (5th, Calgary, AB), who also ended the game with two picks, at the UBC 23.

The Thunderbirds took a safety to make it 13-9 before responding with Boyd’s second touchdown of the game.

But after Pavlopoulos kicked his third field goal of the game to make it 23-9, the visitors made a desperate push to tie the game.

Oleynik marched his team down the field and found Mark McConkey from five yards out for a touchdown that brought the Rams to within seven points with 1:59 left in the game. 

Regina’s defence stopped UBC and gave its offence a chance to tie the game. 

Oleynik again drove his team deep into Thunderbirds territory.  He found receiver Jared Janotta four times on the final possession of the game.  But on its very last play, from the UBC five-yard line, Oleynik threw to Janotta once more only to the pass knocked away by Devin Kavanagh (5th, Montreal, QC), setting off a celebration by Thunderbirds players and fans.

The win gives UBC a Canada West playoff spot for the first time since 2006.

“The defence did a great job,” said Olson.  “They turned the ball several times, put us in a great position in the second half and I think that was probably their strongest effort in the Canada West from start to finish and I hope we can build off it.”

Regina went ahead 7-3 just before halftime.  With 15 seconds left in the second quarter, Oleynik found receiver Brendan Owens in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown play.  The drive was started by an interception at the UBC 51-yard line by Mike Kerr, who would also end the game with team-leading 7.5 tackles for the Rams.

Pavlopoulos had opened the scoring with a field goal at 13:32 of the second.

Thunderbird Jordan Grieve (4th, Salmon Arm, BC) caught four passes for 87 yards.

In addition to his two interceptions, Hayden led UBC with 7.5 tackles in the game.

“Our defence can be explosive and dominating if we all do our jobs,” said Hayden.  “We’re coming together and it’s the right time to peak, at the end of the year.”

For Regina, quarterback Oleynik was 29 of 53 for 388 yards but his two touchdown passes were offset by his four interceptions.

Owens was the leading receiver for Regina, racking up 120 yards.

UBC’s much maligned run defence held Adrian Charles to just 67 yards rushing, just half of what the nation’s second-leading running back averages on the year.  Charles also lost a fumble.

UBC (4-2) will now travel to Edmonton for its next game, against the Alberta Golden Bears on Saturday, October 22.   The Thunderbirds beat the Bears on September 17 by a score of 40-30.

Regina (2-4) will host provincial rivals, Saskatchewan (3-3) as both teams fight for playoff spots.

Source: UBC Sports Info