Cinderella has horns, Rams in Mitchell Bowl

Rouge et Or won’t be phased by sentimental feelings

An unlikely run by the University of Regina Rams is capturing the imagination of football observers in Saskatchewan.

After opening their U Sports regular season schedule with two straight wins, the Rams proceeded to lose five straight. On the cusp of missing the post-season, the Rams closed the regular season downing the visiting U of Alberta Golden Bears 29-22 in their final regular season contest on October 25 at Leibel Field.

That allowed the Rams to finish with a 3-5 regular season record to place fourth in the Canada West Conference and capture the conference’s final post-season berth.

On November 2, the Rams traveled to Winnipeg, Man., and knocked off the U of Manitoba Bisons 28-25 at Princess Auto Stadium. The Bisons had finished first in Canada West with a 7-1 mark. Down 25-21, quarterback Noah Pelletier hit receiver Nicholas Sirleaf with a 16-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Rams their 28-25 victory.

That marked the Rams first post-season win since 2012 and their first post-season victory since legendary head coach Frank McCrystal retired following the 2014 campaign.

The Rams advanced to the Canada West final to face their provincial rivals the U of Saskatchewan Huskies at Griffiths Stadium. Playing in front of 6,355 spectators, the Huskies jumped out to a 14-1 lead early in the second quarter. The Rams rallied back for a 19-14 victory.

Defensive back Carson Somback returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown to account for the winning score. Somback’s major came with 5:13 remaining in the third quarter and gave the Rams an 18-14 edge.

The Rams proceeded to add a rouge on the ensuing kickoff to make their lead 19-14. U of R’s defence held the fort from there to ensure that 19-14 score in their favour was the game’s final outcome.

Defence has been key to the Rams run. During the regular season, the Rams gave up 177 points against, which was the lowest points against total in Canada West. The stout defence was needed as the Rams scored the fewest points in the conference at 157.

Back when the Rams were in the CJFL winning 15 championships on that circuit or advancing to the 2000 Vanier Cup in their second U Sports season falling 42-39 to the U of Ottawa Gee-Gees, they were best known for their high scoring offence. They never gave the image of being Ray Lewis and the Super Bowl championship winning Baltimore Ravens of 2000 in the NFL.

This year’s Rams placed four defensive players on the Canada West all-star team in defensive lineman Tarick Polius and defensive backs Brandon Wong, Dolani Robinson and Jackson Sombach. Defensive tackle Toryn Swystun-Bernes, who is in his second year of eligibility, battles in the interior making plays and absorbing beatings on double teams in order for his teammates to make plays.

Now the Rams face their greatest challenge when they host a U Sports semifinal contest in the Mitchell Bowl at 2 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium. They will take on the ultra-power Universite Laval Rouge et Or. The winner advances to the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup – slated to be held Saturday, November 23 at noon Saskatchewan time at Richardson Memorial Stadium in Windsor, Ont.

The Rouge et Or are 9-1 overall and have won 11 Vanier Cups since their birth in 1996. Current legendary Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin has guided the Laval side to 10 of those Vanier Cup titles as head coach. He is all-time career head coaching wins leader in U Sports history with 218 victories in regular season and post-season play.

On paper, this Mitchell Bowl is the equivalent of the 2011 Denver Broncos with famed born again Christian Tim Tebow at quarterback going into an NFL Divisional Playoff match up against quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. 

Brady, Belichick and the Patriots didn’t have any sentimentalities for “Cinderella runs” and proceeded to steamroll the Broncos 45-10.

Darryl Leason in action in 2000 for the Rams.

If Saskatoon StarPhoenix stir the pot columnist Darrell Utley, who was known as “Barney from the bowling alley,” was writing about this game, he would write the Rams better turn to their Catholic Church roots from the days of legendary head coach Gord Currie, who passed away in 2017, and McCrystal to find a hope of beating the Rouge et Or.

(*Side note – Utley loved taking shots and total runs at the Rams back in the day.*)

Utley would also write the Rams would be best to see if Darryl Leason was available to play quarterback. 

Leason quarterbacked the Rams to three straight CJFL title from 1993 to 1995, went to play three seasons with the U of Calgary Dinos, sat out a season and rejoined the Rams in 2000. With the Rams, Leason expertly executed the offensive system devised by the squad’s legendary genius offensive coordinator in Bernie Schmidt.

Before the 2000 season started, Leason vowed the Rams would be in the Vanier Cup. The Rams finished third in the Canada West regular season standings at 4-4. They went on a post-season run with Leason firing lasers everywhere and piling up big games in three wins and the Vanier Cup, which the Rams lost by three points.

So how good was Leason in the 2000 Vanier Cup? He completed 28-of-44 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions. He also ran the ball 12 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

Still if the defence of the current Rams has a big game, that could seed doubts into the minds of Rouge et Or players making an upset possible.

Also, Rams current head coach Mark McConkey, who was a Rams player from 2007 to 2013, has been able to channel his old head coach in McCrystal and Currie in motivational speeches. While that is an intangible, it has helped the Rams reach another level in their play.

The chance is there the Rams can dial up “1-800-Rams-Win” once again. This generation of the Rams is writing their own story, and they can make the ending a good one win or lose by bringing their best on the field.

They are well into house money now where any extra success from this point is a bonus.

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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