Huskies lock up home playoff game, Machart breaks team season rushing record

Adam Machart broke the Huskies record for rushing yards in a season.

    Even in the face of a major individual team record being broken, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team’s focus was on the task at hand.

    On Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, the Huskies overcame an 8-0 first quarter deficit against the visiting University of Alberta Golden Bears, led 9-8 at halftime and cruised to a 22-9 victory in a U Sports regular season game played before 1,105 spectators in frigid conditions.

    The win allowed the Huskies to improve to 5-3 and finish second in the Canada West Conference, while the Golden Bears fell to 4-4 to place third.

    That means the Huskies, who are rated seventh in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, will host a Canada West semifinal playoff game against the Golden Bears expected to be held this coming Saturday at Griffiths at a time to be announced.

    The Huskies pulled out victory in the most recent encounter between to the two sides due to the fact star running back Adam Machart ran the ball 29 times for 226 yards.

Adam Machart ran for 226 yards in the Huskies win on Saturday.

    He had three catches for 46 yards in the receiving game too.

    Machart’s performance was the third best rushing game in the history of the program eclipsing the 219 yards he ran for in a 49-21 victory over the University of Manitoba Bisons on Oct. 4.

    He set a new Huskies record for most yards rushing in one regular season by an individual carrying the ball 156 times for 1,334 yards scoring eight touchdowns in the process.

    The old record was held by Doug Rozon, who ran for 1,267 yards on 151 carries and scored five touchdowns in the 1999 campaign.

    The former number two spot was occupied by David Stevens, who ran for 1,229 yards on 174 carried and scored 12 touchdowns in 2005.

Adam Machart carried the ball 156 times for 1,330 yards this season.

    “It is incredible,” said Machart. “You look at Doug Rozon’s numbers, and they were incredible.

    “A guy like David Stevens is just a powerhouse guy. Dave is a mentor of mine, and he has been really great to me coming up. I’ve known him for a long time, so to pass him is a huge honour.”

    When Machart was 15-years-old, he began working out at Ignite Conditioning, which is now know as Ignite Athletics. Stevens was one of the company’s founders and was still more heavily involved with training athletes there until family obligations and work as a firefighter pulled him in a different direction.

The Huskies starting offensive line helped Adam Machart set his record.

    Machart said working with Stevens was an eye-opening experience with him.

    “He (Stevens) is a guy you look up to,” said Machart, who is now 22-years-old. “He’s got that energy you know that work ethic that a young kid can learn a lot from.

    “I’ve been with him for a long time, and yeah, it is pretty cool.”

    Machart officially broke Rozon’s record on a 43-yard run late in the third quarter, but he didn’t know about what he had done until way later in the game.

    “I think it was the fourth quarter I kind heard some guys whispering,” said Machart. “No one was trying to tell me anything.

    “I didn’t know until actually later in the game. Obviously, I talked to a couple of people after the fourth quarter, and they let me know. It was pretty cool.

Adam Machart ran for eight majors on the ground this season.

    “I think they were trying to like save it for like after the game to celebrate a little bit.”

    Due to focusing on trying to capture a home playoff game, Huskies head coach Scott Flory said where Machart was in relation to the Huskies regular season rushing record slipped his mind until the final outcome in the contest was less in doubt.

    “I actually asked in the fourth quarter,” said Flory. “I asked upstairs right at the end of the game.

    “(Running backs) coach Dan Houle told me it was 229 or something like that. I was like, ‘Woo, OK.’ You know what, that is what he (Machart) has done with us all year.

    “He has made us right. He is just kind of, ‘Oh wow.’ He is phenomenal young man, and he is a phenomenal football player.”

    Flory played on the Huskies offensive line from 1994 to 1998 and blocked for Rozon and another Huskies great at the running back position in Morrie Norsten. The now Huskies sideline boss was pleased to see Machart hit such lofty statistical heights.

    “I’m just so happy and so proud of Adam (Machart),” said Flory. “He is just such an awesome young man.

The Huskies defence limited the Golden Bears to 38 yards rushing.

    “You just want success for guys like that. He works so hard, (and) he does all the right things. I’m just happy for him, and he absolutely deserves it.

    “There are some great running backs that have been through this program. For him (Machart) to do what he did this year is remarkable.”

    Machart’s run at the Huskies rushing record obviously caught the attention of the Huskies who play on the defensive side of the ball. Fifth-year defensive tackle Evan Machibroda was pleased to see Machart get the record.

    “We couldn’t be more happy for the guy,” said Machibroda, who had five total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery on Saturday. “He’s deserved everything he has got.

Mason Nyhus threw for 226 yards for the Huskies.

    “You have to give that credit to the O-line too. They are busting their butt out there too.”

    Machart gave props to his offensive line for allowing him to get the Huskies rushing record for the season. The starters on the offensive line including left tackle Noah Zerr, left guard Mattland Riley, centre Connor Berglof, right guard Tanner Secord, right tackle Nick Summach and frequent substitute Andrew Serke blocked for most of the yardage Machart piled up.

    “Obviously our O-line, you have to thank those guys,” said Machart, who has caught 20 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns this season. “They are warriors, and they make it happen.

    “They are humble guys, and they like to give me credit. You look at the holes I am running through, I’m breaking tackles on linebackers and DBs not on 250-pound D-lineman, so that is huge.”

    As for Saturday’s game itself, it got off to an uncertain start for the Huskies. Kicker David Solie had a 30-yard field goal taken off the scoreboard in the first quarter due to a procedure penalty against his side.

Huskies DT Evan Machibroda pressures Golden Bears QB Brad Launhardt.

    Solie missed a subsequent 35-yard attempt, and Golden Bears defensive back Wesley Bookland returned the missed kick 120 yards the other way for a touchdown to give the visitors a 7-0 edge.

    Golden Bears kicker Jonathan Giustini booted the ensuing kickoff into the end zone for a single point to give his side an 8-0 edge. U of A had the wind advantage in the first and third quarters, while U of S had the wind in its favour in the second and fourth quarters.

    The Huskies, with the wind at their backs, took the lead in the second quarter, took a 9-8 lead, when Solie hit field goals from 17, 38 and 12 yards out. The last made kick came on the final play of the first half.

    The Bears conceded a safety early in the third quarter to give the Huskies an 11-8 advantage.

Sam Baker, with ball, celebrates a TD catch for the Huskies.

    With 4:28 remaining in the third quarter, Huskies quarterback Mason Nyhus hit sure handed receiver Sam Baker with a one-yard touchdown toss on a third and goal gamble from the one yard-line to put the Huskies up 18-8.

    Guistini scored single on a 29-yard missed field goal at the 5:34 mark of the fourth quarter to cut the Huskies lead to 18-9.

    Solie rounded out the Huskies scoring with a 31-yard field goal with 36.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and followed that up with a rouge on a second attempt on the following kickoff. The first kickoff was called back due to an off-side penalty on the Huskies.

    “We wanted a home playoff game, and we got it,” said Machibroda. “I couldn’t be more happy for all the guys out there.

    “The offence played great. Machart had an unreal game. O-line had a great game.

Tanner Secord (#77) locks up on a block for the Huskies.

    “The DBs were flying around. It was just everyone was playing on fire today.”

    Nyhus completed 19-of-32 passes for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Baker topped all Huskies receiver with six catches for 68 yards to go with his one score.

    Fourth-year quarterback Brad Launhardt completed 15-of-27 passes for 115 yards and one interception and ran the ball once for 16 yards. The Golden Bears were held to 38 yards rushing as team.

    Nelson Lokombo and Nathan Cherry each had single sacks for the Huskies, while Riley Pickett and Nicholas Dheilly shared a sack. Charlie Ringland hauled in an interception for the U of S.

Bookland, Anthony Hume and Donovan Burgmaier each had single sacks for the Golden Bears. Jayden Dalke had an interception for U of A.

Colton Klassen (#7) waits to great the Huskies fifth-years in pre-game.

    The Huskies suffered some huge bad news near the end of the first quarter, when star utility player Colton Klassen broke his right leg. The fracture was a gruesome one for those in the stadium to see, and KIassen was carted off and is out for the entire U Sports playoffs.

    Klassen led the Huskies with 456 receiving yards coming on 37 catches and he scored two touchdowns. He topped the Huskies in receiving for two straight seasons.

    “My heart breaks for that young man,” said Flory. “We don’t know the extent of it right now, but it doesn’t look good.

    “Again, it is not fair, and I know he wants it more for this team than anybody else. He is a huge part of it. When he went down, it eliminated a huge chunk of the game plan.”

The frigid Huskies faithful sing “Sweet Caroline.”

    The other Canada West semifinal will set the first place University of Calgary Dinos (6-2) host the fourth place University of Manitoba Bisons (4-4).

    The Golden Bears finished ahead of the Bisons in the standings due to winning the lone head-to-head regular season encounter between the two sides 29-26 on Sept. 13 in Edmonton, Alta.

    The University of Regina Rams (3-5) and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (2-6) finished fifth and sixth respectively in Canada West in missing the post-season.

    Flory was pleased his side will open the playoffs hosting a post-season game.

The Huskies are pumped about hosting a home playoff game.

    “It is important for us,” said Flory. “It is important for the university.

    “It is important for us not to travel and be home to the pre-game meal, the routine. I like wearing green instead of wearing white. It is important for us to be here.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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