Still the heart of the Huskies

Klassen’s catches power U of S to 28-17 win over Rams

Colton Klassen (#7) celebrates his second TD on Saturday.

Colton Klassen proved he is still the heart of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

On Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, the star fifth year utility player was difference maker hauling in eight passes for 135 yards and scoring two key touchdowns. His efforts helped power the Huskies past their archrivals the University of Regina Rams 28-17 in a U Sports regular season contest played before 2,543 spectators in extremely windy conditions.

On the season, Klassen has caught 20 passes for 357 yards and scored six touchdowns in helping the Huskies win three straight to post a 3-1 record to sit in a tie with the University of Manitoba Bisons for first place in the Canada West Conference.

While the regular season is four games old, Klassen is still grateful to just be playing.

Colton Klassen, works toward his first touchdown on Saturday.

Back on October 26, 2019, Klassen went down with a gruesome dislocated right ankle near the end of the first quarter in a 22-9 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

The graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team hit the comeback trail, and he was ready to go to CFL scouting combines at the start of March 2020.

The world then came under the grip of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and shutdowns started happening in North American on March 11, 2020. Still on April 30, 2020, Klassen, who is also a graduate of the CJFL’s Regina Thunder, was selected in the eighth round and 69^th overall in the CFL Draft by the Montreal Alouettes.

Colton Klassen (#7) scores his first touchdown on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 football campaigns on both the U Sports and CFL fronts.

This year, Klassen attended training camp with the Alouettes before he returned to the Huskies to play his final season of U Sports eligibility.

“The injury was terrible, and then COVID obviously we’ve all been through it,” said Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds. “I didn’t have that routine.

“I find it is nice to have that back again. The idea of sitting around and doing nothing is really nice until you do it for two weeks. Then, you are like OK, this isn’t what I want to do with my life.

Colton Klassen muscles his way to his second major score.

“I am really happy to be out here to just play again.”

With the Huskies and Rams locked in a 3-3 tie, Klassen made a key play right before halftime. Taking a short pass from Huskies star quarterback Mason Nyhus, Klassen willed and romped his way to a touchdown on a 27-yard scoring with 32.3 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Klassen’s major sent the Huskies into the halftime break holding a 10-3 lead.

The Rams got the momentum back early in the third quarter, when linebacker Chopper Hippe blocked a punt from Huskies kicker David Solie. Rams defensive back Jackson Sombach picked up the ball at the Huskies 10 yard line and ran it into the end zone for a major to even the score at 10-10.

Colton Klassen caught eight passes for 135 yards on Saturday.

On the ensuing Huskies possession, the host side put together a massive 10-play drive that covered 95 yards culminating in a six-yard touchdown reception from Klassen to go back in front 17-10.

Klassen came up big on that series catching three passes for 53 yards including his touchdown catch, where he had his helmet ripped off on a tackle attempt by Rams defensive back Brandon Gandrie.

“It is just good to be involved again,” said Klassen, whose mom, Candice, held the team flag the Huskies players ran to at centrefield during pre-game introductions. “After the injury, a lot of people didn’t know if I would be the same or be able to contribute, especially in those big times.

Mason Nyhus passed for 301 yards in tough windy conditions.

“It means a lot. That was a big touchdown going into the half on a high note. I think it definitely helped leading into the second half.”

The veteran playmaker’s efforts don’t unnoticed by his teammates. Nyhus has enjoyed getting the ball to Klassen on the field again and the settling influence the sure handed pass catcher has off the field.

“I love CK just as a leader in the locker room alone,” said Nyhus. “Obviously on the football field when you get him the ball, he makes plays.

“He is a running back in space for us at receiver. It has been awesome to have both him and (Sam) Baker rocking at receiver right now.”

The Huskie celebrate a sack from Nathan Cherry.

Huskies head coach Scott Flory just grinned at the fact Klassen had a big game again.

“He (Klassen) is that steady tried and true man,” said Flory. “He is a pulse guy for sure.”

The Rams scored opened the scoring in Saturday’s encounter going up 3-0 when veteran kicker Aldo Galvan hit a 43-yard field goal with the wind in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Rams conceded a safety electing not to punt into the wind deep in their own end reducing their edge to 3-2.

With 4:29 remaining in the second quarter, the Huskies evened the score at 3-3 on a long punt single from Solie.

That set the stage for Klassen’s two scores and the Rams major off their punt block.

The Rams block a punt from Huskies kicker David Solie, right.

With the Huskies holding a 17-10 advantage, the Rams started the fourth quarter at the Huskies 10 yard line. On a third and goal gamble from the Huskies four yard line, Rams backup quarterback Bryden O’Flaherty hit rookie receiver D’Sean Mimbs with a touchdown toss to even the score at 17-17.

The Huskies had the wind for the fourth quarter and finished the frame scoring the final 11 points of the game to pull out the 28-17 victory.

The final scoring surge started with Nyhus hitting Baker with a 16-yard touchdown pass. Solie hit a field goal from 42 yards out and closed the surge with a single from a 44-yard missed field goal.

Rams DB Jackson Sombach scores a major off a punt block.

Due to the fact the regular season schedule for the Canada West Conference started on Sept. 25, Flory was anticipating his team would play in games with adverse conditions like the windy outing on Saturday. He addressed that with his players in off-season meetings leading to the current campaign noting his squad would have to adjust to weather conditions.

“There are a lot of ways to win a football game,” said Flory, whose Huskies were rated sixth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. “Just look at when we start and the possibility of when we finish.

“We know what the historical temperatures are in Saskatchewan from the middle of October on. We understand that. We just have to eliminate our own mistakes to be honest with you.

The Rams defence gangs up on Huskies RB Adam Machart.

“That is the part that frustrates me the most. If we eliminate those things, we have a chance. We have a chance to continue to win football games and put ourselves in better positions than we did today.”

Nyhus completed 22-of-32 passes for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for the Huskies.

Huskies star running back Adam Machart ran the ball 19 times for 98 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards in the win.

Sawyer Buetter started the contest at quarterback for the Rams completing 8-of-18 passes for 54 yards. He was pulled early in the third quarter in favour of O’Flaherty.

Sam Baker secures a touchdown catch for the Huskies.

O’Flaherty completed 7-of-13 passes for 55 yards and the one touchdown toss in the relief effort.

Defensive back Charlie Ringland and defensive ends Riley Pickett and Nathan Cherry had single sacks for the Huskies.

The Huskies defence held the Rams to 109 yards passing and 58 yards rushing.

Defensive end Anthony Bennett and linebacker Josh White had single sacks for the Rams.

Flory was pleased with Nyhus’s play on Saturday.

“He (Nyhus) has been dialed in,” said Flory. “For sure these last couple of games, I think himself with everybody is just getting  better and better and just getting more command of the offence and what we are doing.

The Huskies defence gangs up on Rams FB Christian Katende.

“That is what you want to see out of a quarterback is him just seeing things and seeing the whole field and not just lock in on guys. That is really encouraging to see.”

With the loss, the Rams, who were rated 10^th in the U Sports Top 10 rankings fell to 1-3. They return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel to Edmonton, Alta., to face the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

The Huskies return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel Winnipeg, Man., to face the Bisons. The winner of that match will sit alone in first place in the Canada West Conference and officially lock up a playoff berth in the shortened six-game regular season.

The Huskies do a cheer after their win on Saturday.

Klassen is expecting that contest to be an intense encounter.

“They are a talented team,” said Klassen. “They always are.

“They are going to play hard too. Every regular season game this year is a playoff game, because there are only six of them. We just have to be prepared and get our bodies right and get ready.”

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