Huskies’ Hardy Cup dreams fall 29-4 in Calgary

Josiah Joseph, left, ran in two touchdowns for the Dinos.

    Chalk this one up as a learning experience for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

    One turning point was likely the moment that did in the Huskies in the Canada West Championship game – the Hardy Cup – on Saturday in Calgary, Alta.

    The Huskies, who came into the game as the defending Hardy Cup champions, found themselves behind the host University of Calgary Dinos 4-1 with one second remaining in the first half. The visitors faced a third and goal from the Dinos two yard line.

    In what had been a haphazard first half that included both sides committing key turnovers, the Huskies could have hit a chip shot field goal and gone in at halftime even up at 4-4 despite all the miscues.

    Instead, the Huskies elected to gamble and go for a touchdown and the lead. Quarterback Mason Nyhus threw a pass into the end zone attended for receiver Sam Baker but the pass fell incomplete as a penalty flag flew.

Mason Nyhus passed for 240 yards on Saturday for the Huskies.

    It appeared the Dinos were going to be called for pass interference. The officials picked up the flag saying Nyhus’s pass wasn’t catchable causing the Huskies to head into the dressing room down 4-1.

    From that point, it felt like the Huskies were trying to chase the contest for the whole second half.

    Thanks to being behind, the Huskies elected to receive the second half kickoff as the spectre of snowy conditions hung over the game. The Dinos elected to get the wind advantage for the fourth quarter, but before that frame came around, the host side’s offence found traction.

    With 9:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, Dinos star quarterback Adam Sinagra hit second-year receiver Tyson Philpot with a 30-yard touchdown pass to complete a 96-yard scoring drive giving the host an 11-1 advantage.

    Sinagra was injured on that scoring play, but it felt like the Huskies were sinking in quick sand.

    Dinos standout kicker Niko DiFonte kicked a single on the ensuing kickoff to put the Dinos up 12-1.

Jesse Kuntz caught six passes for 125 yards for the Huskies.

    From there, the Dinos sailed off to a 29-4 victory before 1,263 spectators at McMahon Stadium. The Dinos were appearing in the Hardy Cup for the 12^th straight year and were claiming the conference title for the ninth time over that span of time.

    U of C will keep pursuing an elusive U Sports title that keeps escaping its grasp gunning to make the Vanier Cup and win it. The Dinos last won the Vanier Cup back in 1995.

    The Dinos, who improved to 8-2 overall, will first host a U Sports semifinal in the Mitchell Bowl on Saturday, November 16, against the Ontario University Athletics champion University of McMaster Marauders (8-2 overall).

    The Marauders captured the OUA title on Saturday traveling to London, Ont., and upsetting the host University of Western Ontario Mustangs 29-15. The Mustangs were undefeated heading into Saturday’s action, but finished the 2019 U Sports campaign with a 9-1 overall mark.

    In Canada West, the Huskies finished with a 6-4 overall record that included posting a 5-3 mark during the regular season.

Adam Machart ran the ball 16 times for 112 yards on Saturday.

    During the Canada West title game, the Huskies found themselves behind the eight ball due to their own errors.

    They exited the first quarter trailing the Dinos 2-0 after conceding a safety, when kicker/punter David Solie had to boot the ball through his own end zone after a bad snap.

    With 10:07 remaining in the second quarter, the Huskies had to concede another safety to fall back 4-0, when Nyhus had to boot the ball through the end zone after an errant shotgun snap on offence.

    The Huskies got on the scoreboard with 5:20 remaining on the second quarter on a missed field goal single from 29-yards out by Solie, who was kicking into the wind. The single cut the Dinos edge to 4-1.

    That set the stage for the dramatics right before halftime. At halftime, the Huskies had outgained the Dinos in gross offence 235 to 192.

    After the Dinos assumed their 12-1 lead, Solie hit a field goal from 28-yards out with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter to cut the U of C edge to 12-4. That was as close as the Huskies would get.

Adam Sinagra, left, threw the Dinos only TD pass on Saturday.

    Dinos backup quarterback Josiah Joseph ran in a touchdown from a yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter to put the hosts up 19-4.

    DiFonte hit a field goal from 37 yards out and Joseph ran in another major from a yard out with seven seconds remaining in the frame to round out the scoring for the Dinos.

    Nyhus completed 18-of-29 passes for 240 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Calgary product Jesse Kuntz led the Huskies in receiving hauling in six passes for 125 yards.

    Star running back Adam Machart carried the ball 16 times for 112 yards to top the Huskies in rushing. He also caught seven passes for 43 yards.

    Sinagra connected on 11-of-17 passes for 197 yards for one touchdown and one interception. He ran the ball six times for 50 yards.

    Joseph hit on 9-of-10 passes for 95 yards and ran the ball eight times for 26 yards to go with his two scores on the ground.

Ben Whiting had nine total tackles for the Huskies.

    Jalen Philpot topped the Dinos in receiving catching six passes for 91 yards. First-year running back Robinson Rodrigues carried the ball 18 times for 92 yards to lead the Dinos in rushing.

    Fifth-year linebacker Ben Whiting led the Huskies with nine total tackles and one sack. Star rookie linebacker Ramsey Derbas was second on the team with seven tackles.

    Defensive end Nicholas Dheilly had a sack and an interception, while defensive end Nathan Cherry had a single sack.

    Linebacker Grant McDonald led the Dinos with 11 total tackles, and he had one sack. Max Baatar and Tyrese Best had single sacks for the Dinos, while Charlie Moore had an interception.

    Saturday’s post-season loss brought an end to the careers of Huskies fifth-year players in Whiting, Payton Hall, Eric Thakurdeen, Evan Machibroda, Andrew Serke and Tanner Secord.

    A year ago, those six helped the Huskies win their first playoff game since 2009 and Canada West title since 2006. The Huskies downed the Dinos 43-18 in last year’s Canada West championship game in Calgary.

Robinson Rodrigues carried the ball 18 times for 92 yards for the Dinos.

    U of S proceeded to fall in the Mitchell Bowl 47-24 to the Mustangs in London, Ont., bringing the Dogs run in 2018 post-season to an end.

    The Huskies had lost eight straight U Sports post-season games heading into the 2018 playoffs. That included missing the playoffs entirely in 2017.

    During the 2018 and 2019 campaigns, the Huskies have won three post-season games.

At the moment, the Dinos are still the team that have a habit of consistently winning conference titles and making long post-season runs.

    The Huskies are a step closer to becoming a squad that could potentially makes those runs on a consistent basis.

The Huskies saw their 2019 campaign end against the Dinos on Saturday.

    While Saturday’s loss in the Hardy Cup is tough to take and provided some learning experiences, the Huskies are still miles ahead of where they were just a short time ago.

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

-------                                     

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Huskies pumped for rare home playoff game

Golden Bears visit Griffiths Saturday in Canada West semi

The Huskies aim to take down the Golden Bears in the playoffs.

    Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the 2019 U Sports campaign.
    The Huskies won all four of their regular season games at home posting a 5-3 record to finish second in the Canada West Conference. Thanks to that placing, the Huskies host the University of Alberta Golden Bears (4-4) in a Canada West semifinal contest on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.

    The other Canada West semifinal on Saturday features the University of Calgary Dinos (6-2) taking on the University of Manitoba Bisons (4-4) in Calgary.

    A year ago, the Huskies won the Canada West championship playing all of their post-season games on the road. That marked the first time U of S claimed the Canada West title since 2006.

    Saturday’s clash with the Golden Bears will mark the second time the Huskies have hosted a post-season game since the start of the 2011 season. 

Adam Machart (#20) will try to make more big game against U of A.

    The Dogs last home playoff game came back on Nov. 7, 2014, when they fell 47-39 to the University of Manitoba Bisons at Griffiths Stadium.

    With having almost five full years pass between home playoff dates, Huskies star running back Adam Machart said his side is looking forward to playing in their regular surroundings.

    “We play good at home, so to have that and not have to travel, I think that is huge for us as a team,” said Machart. “I think we are going to rally around that fact.”

    Huskies fifth-year star defensive tackle Evan Machibroda was on the U of S roster for the squad’s last home playoff game as an injury red shirt. He watched the Huskies fall that day from the sidelines.

    Still, that memory in no way dampens his enthusiasm for his team’s home playoff game on Saturday.

Mason Nyhus had a solid campaign as the Huskies starting QB.

    “It is going to be a lot of fun,” said Machibroda. “I can’t wait for it.”

    Machibroda believes his Huskies haven’t hit their peak and still have room to get better.

    “We definitely have to keep growing as a team,” said Machibroda. “Nothing is finished yet.”

    Machart enters the contest as the Huskies biggest offensive threat. He carried the ball 156 times for 1,334 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season. He also hauled in 20 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

    His total of 1,334 yards rushing and 1,538 all-purpose yards are new Huskies team records for one season.

    Mason Nyhus has a solid campaign in his first season as the team’s starting quarterback. He completed 138-of-228 passes for 1,739 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Evan Machibroda has made lots of big plays.

    At receiver, two of Nyhus’s big weapons are Jesse Kuntz and Sam Baker. Kuntz caught 29 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns in eight regular season games.

    Baker missed the Huskies first five regular season games due to injury. In the squad’s last three regular season games, Baker hauled in 15 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns.

    The Huskies will have play without star utility player Colton Klassen, who is out for the post-season with a severely injured right leg.

    Golden Bears quarterback Brad Launhardt, who is in his second season with the team, had a strong campaign completing 174-of-284 passes for 2,328 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also carried the ball 50 times for 298 yards and one touchdown.

    Running back Jonathan Rosery was the Golden Bears leading rushing carrying the ball 70 times for 328 yards and one touchdown.

    Fifth-year receiver Ben Kopczynski led the Golden Bears in receiving hauling in 53 passes for 799 yards.

    On defence, super rookie outside linebacker Ramsey Derbas led the Huskies with 43 total tackles, while middle linebacker Tom Whiting and outside linebacker Ben Whiting had 40.5 and 39.5 total tackles respectively.

The Golden Bears look to get a big game from LB Jassen Brown (#41)

    Machibroda and defensive end Nicholas Dheilly each had five sacks to top the Huskies in that department, while defensive back Nelson Lokombo led U of S with four interceptions.

    For the Golden Bears, outside linebacker Josiah Schakel topped the team with 51 total defensive tackles. Middle linebacker Jassen Brown had 49 total tackles and a team high four sacks.

Safety Jayden Dalke led U of S with three interceptions.

    The Huskies and Golden Bear met twice during the regular season. The Golden Bears took the first encounter 19-17 on Sept. 21 in Edmonton. The Huskies claimed the last head-to-head contest last Saturday 22-9 at Griffiths Stadium.

Brad Launhardt (#16) had a strong season at QB for the Golden Bears.

    Huskies head coach Scott Flory said you are at the point in the season where you likely won’t be able to fool your conference rivals with something new.

    “That is a good football team,” said Flory. “They are physical.

    “They play hard. They have some big dudes. At this point, you are not going to reinvent the wheel schematically offensively and defensively and on special teams.

    “It is about execution. It is about timing and what you do. There is going to be a wrinkle here and there, but yeah, they are a good football team.”

    The weather appears it will be really good for Saturday’s game, because Environment Canada at the moment is predicting sunny conditions with a 2 C temperature.

    With that said, Environment Canada predictions can go out the window in an instant, but Machart isn’t worried about adverse conditions.

    “When you are out there, the blood is flowing, and it is not too bad,” said Machart.

Golden Bears R Ben Kopczynski (#5) will look to escape Huskies defenders.

    Machart said footing was a non-issue at Griffiths during the Huskies win over the Golden Bears last Saturday in frigid conditions.

    “It (was) actually pretty good,” said Machart. “It wasn’t too slushy.

    “That ice is not fun to fall on, but grip wise it is actually pretty good.”

    Flory said his squad will always be prepared for the weather to be at its worse this time of year.

    “We’re in Saskatchewan,” said Flory. “If you plan on playing in October and November, you better be prepared to deal with this stuff. 

Ben Whiting (#4) and U of S aim to enjoy a big play day.

    “That is what we plan ahead for. That is why we run the offence the way we run the offence. That is why we recruit the guys we recruit.

    “We’ve got to be able to do that. It will be slugfest.”

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

-------

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Watson has the right stuff for football Huskies

Backup QB looked good under live fire

Ethan Watson (#5) calls signals for the Huskies on Friday night.

    If Ethan Watson has to come to the rescue, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team will still be in good hands.
    The 19-year-old Calgary, Alta., product is the Huskies backup quarterback. He was a redshirt last season and is in his first year of eligibility this season.

    If all went according to pre-season plans, he wasn’t expected to see the field much outside of entering games for mop up work. That changed last Friday night during a U Sports regular season game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

    Near the end of the third quarter with the Huskies holding a 26-9 lead on the University of Regina Rams, Huskies starting quarterback Mason Nyhus went down taking a hit on a delayed blitz. He banged his head on the turf, came back for one series and sat out the rest of the game as a precaution.

Nyhus was helping Watson and the Huskies coaches from the sideline, when Watson was at the controls.

    Watson went in for what was in all reality his first live action that counted in the final outcome of a game. At that point in the contest, the Rams could potentially mount a comeback.

    The Huskies utilized a more cautious play calling scheme for Watson, but gave way to allow him to make plays as the rest of the contest went on.

Ethan Watson fires a pass downfield for the Huskies.

    Watson, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds, completed 4-of-6 passes for 46 yards and his first career U Sports touchdown. He ran the ball three times for 20 yards.

    Early in the fourth quarter, Watson guided an eight-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that ate 4:57 off the clock. He ended the march hitting running back Josh Ewanchyna on a six-yard swing pass that went for a touchdown.

    That score gave the Huskies a 33-9 lead. They ultimately claimed the contest 44-9.

    After the game, Huskies head coach Scott Flory was pleased with the production he got from Watson.

    “I am really high on him (Watson),” said Flory. “He can run.

    “He can use his legs. He can push the ball down the field. We obviously were controlling him at that point and all the throws and that kind of stuff.

    “He is doing all the right things, and he has a really bright future.”

    Going forward, Nyhus is still the Huskies unquestioned starter at quarterback. With that said, Watson showed well enough one wonders how good he might play going a full week taking the reps as the starter at practice.

    Huskies starting running back Adam Machart said it was great to see Watson enter the game and do well on Friday.

    “It is good for us,” said Machart. “It was good for Ethan (Watson) to get out there and get some reps.

Ethan Watson is elusive on the ground.

    “He did an awesome job, so I was super proud of him.”
    Huskies defensive back Nelson Lokombo, who return an interception 98 yards for a major after Watson’s touchdown pass, said it perked up the Huskies defence to see the offense was still moving with Watson at the controls.

    “It is awesome knowing that you can count on other guys to come in if somebody goes down and produce,” said Lokombo.

    At the moment, Nyhus is pegged to be the starter when the Huskies return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel to Edmonton, Alta., to face the University of Alberta Golden Bears in a battle of 2-1 teams.

    If Watson has to enter that contest for meaningful minutes or even start, the Huskies will still be able to roll.

Superman pose draws the flag

Jesse Kuntz hauls in a touchdown reception for the Huskies.

    Jesse Kuntz’s attempt at a déjà vu moment celebration didn’t seem appreciated by the officials in Regina.

    Early in the second quarter of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies 44-9 romp over the U of Regina Rams last Friday at Mosaic Stadium, Kuntz hauled in a 14-yard touchdown reception in the west corner of the north end zone to put the Huskies up 16-3 at that point in the contest.

    Back in 2013 at the Grey Cup held at Taylor Field, Saskatchewan Roughriders star receiver Geroy Simon made a diving 15-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter in almost an identical spot at that iconic facility to Kuntz’s grab last Friday. Simon’s touchdown sparked the Roughriders to a 45-23 romp over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

    After Kuntz made his touchdown catch on Friday, he broke out Simon’s old “Superman pose” to celebrate the score. Kuntz did the celebration in a perfect spot for Huskies official team photographer Josh Schaefer to get a picture of that moment.

    Schaefer got a number of gems in last Friday night’s game, and I am sure that was one of them.

    The officials weren’t as impressed. A penalty flag was thrown for unsportsmanlike conduct.

    With the clash between the Huskies and Rams being a rivalry game, the flag was likely the officials message to both teams they were going to crack down on acts like Kuntz’s celebration to prevent tensions from escalating.

    Still, the celebration was something that was fun, and I myself wouldn’t mind seeing it again.

The awkward spy camera

The Mosaic Stadium big screen camera loved Mason Nyhus.

    It seemed like the big screen camera at Mosaic Stadium last Friday seemed to be in love with hometown Regina product Mason Nyhus at an awkward time.

    Nyhus, who is the starting quarterback for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies, went down late in the third quarter of his team’s 44-9 romp over the host U of Regina Rams. He bumped his head on the turf after taking a hit on a delayed blitz.

    After the hit, the camera for the big screen at the stadium stayed on Nyhus as he came off the field and remained on him for a lengthy time when he was being looked at by the Huskies training staff. After the big screen cut to a play that was being run, the camera shot would be back to what was going on between Nyhus and the trainers.

    This happened about two or three times. The Huskies players that didn’t dress decided to act as a screen for the camera.

    Friday’s game was being shown on the television network run by SaskTel. It is likely the football on the big screen was dictated by the television broadcast.

    Still, that whole situation felt really awkward, and it seemed to be trying to discover if the Huskies would do something wrong.

    At game’s end, the Huskies tabbed the awkward camera as a non-issue.

    “We’re focused, we are here to play our game, and that’s it,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “It is every snap.

    “We’re not getting into the extra-curricular and all that other stuff. We’re just playing a clean game and getting back to Huskie football.”

“Baby Shark Dance” burn song fail

The Huskies celebrate a pick-six from Nelson Lokombo.

    Before U Sports football games, it is common to introduce the opposing team with a burn song, but the one used at Mosaic Stadium in Regina last Friday was a fail.

    When the visiting U of Saskatchewan Huskies were introduced for their rivalry clash with the U of Regina Rams, the “Baby Shark Dance” was played over the facility’s stereo system when the Huskies came on to the field.

    The Huskies romped to a 44-9 victory. The biggest highlight came late in the fourth quarter when third-year defensive back Nelson Lokombo returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown to put the visitors up 41-9 at that point in the contest.

    The Huskies defensive team celebrated the score running across the end zone making a shark fin motion with their hands on top of their helmets.

    As far as the “Baby Shark Dance” song went, the Huskies defence got the last laugh.

“Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” song fail

The Huskies love, TDs, wins and “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.”

    The game crew at Mosaic Stadium in Regina seemed to be good at song fails last Friday night.

    After the U of Saskatchewan Huskies thumped the U of Regina Rams 44-9 in a U Sports regular season football contest, the game staff decided to play The Guess Who’s “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.”

    That move drew laughs from some of the Huskies players, who follow action in the Western Hockey League especially last season’s WHL playoffs.

    Due to the fact the Saskatoon Blades lost an intense six game series to the eventual WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders, a number of the Huskies players know that “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” is played at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert every time the Raiders beat the Blades.

    That tune is also played at the Art Hauser Centre on the hockey front every time the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos beat either the Saskatoon Blazers or the Saskatoon Contacts and when the female midget AAA Prince Albert Northern Bears beat the Saskatoon Stars.

    After “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” was played at the U Sports contest last Friday at Mosaic Stadium, the Huskies players got a kick out of the move, because it was played after their side won in convincing fashion.

    With all that noted, the crew at U of Regina Athletics will have a couple of chances to get that song burn right in another intense rivalry between the two schools namely the Huskies versus U of Regina Cougars rivalry in women’s hockey.

    It is fairly well known that Cougars head coach Sarah (Howald) Hodges loves the Huskies women’s hockey team about as much as getting a root canal from a dentist without anaesthetic.

    The Cougars host the Huskies on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. and again Friday, Feb. 7, 2019 at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

    You can already see someone on the U of R game staff all set to make that song selection for a game-clinching empty net goal and post-game after a win.

    If they need any help on that front, they could always call in the services of Art Hauser Centre music man Dennis Ogrodnick.

    For those on the university front that are unfamiliar with the story of “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” as it relates to the hockey rivalry between Saskatoon and Prince Albert, I wrote a piece on that last February that can be found right here.

    For those that don’t know the song, it is used in a video put together by Chanda Ulmer that can be seen below.

Huskies gave greatest song burn in 1999

The StarPhoenix sports front from Sept. 13, 1999.

    The best song burn ever in the history of U Sports has to go to the U of Saskatchewan Huskies from way back in 1999.

    It occurred before the first ever U Sports regular season football meeting between the Huskies and the U of Regina Rams. The Rams had just moved to the U Sports ranks after spending 45 years in the Canadian Junior Football League from 1954 to 1998.

    The Rams wrapped up their time in the CJFL ranks winning the league title in five out of six years from 1993 to 1995 and in 1997 and 1998.

    The Huskies entered the 1999 campaign as the defending Vanier Cup champions and had also won the U Sports national title in 1996 and 1990. The two sides met on Sept. 11, 1999 in a highly anticipated encounter at Griffiths Stadium.

    The Huskies entered that contest with a 1-0 record having downed the UBC Thunderbirds 28-20 at Griffiths. The Rams were 0-1 falling 37-28 to the U of Manitoba Bisons at Taylor Field in Regina. Both of those games were held on Sept. 4, 1999.

    Leading up to the clash between the Huskies and the Rams, U of R defensive end Ciaran Gilmore told the incomparable Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post the Rams needed to play new music in their dressing room.

    “We need to be tougher,” said Gilmore. “We listen to the Backstreet Boys in the locker room and everyone knows the words.

    “I hate that! We need to work on our mental toughness.”

    At the time, teams were introduced by individual player introductions either with the starting offence or defence. The Rams defence was announced with Gilmore leading the way.

    When he entered the field, the game staff at Griffiths played “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys.

    The Huskies spotted the Rams an early 11-0 lead. The Dogs then got going and rolled off 42 straight points and ultimately posted a 56-12 curb stomping.

    How dominate were the Huskies in that first encounter?

    They piled up 440 yards rushing as a team on 43 carries. The Rams had 244 yards of total offence in that game.

    Due to how that contest played out, a song burn likely never worked out any better.

When “Barney from the bowling alley” stirred the pot

Darrell Utley liked to take shots at the Regina Rams.

    Back when the U of Saskatchewan Huskies and U of Regina Rams met for the first time in a U Sports regular season game in 1999, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix ran regular stir the pot type columns from a freelance writer named Darrell Utley, who was known as “Barney from the bowling alley.”

    In those days, the sports department of the StarPhoenix and the Regina Leader-Post had a lot more of their own distinct voices that were influenced and mirrored the views of their respective communities. Those voices weren’t streamlined similar ones often produced in the current day with both outlets being owned by Postmedia in Canada’s budget cut media era.

    Utley indulged in stirring the pot in the rivalry between Saskatoon and Regina, and a couple of his favourite targets were the Rams and their legendary head coach Frank McCrystal.

    When the Rams played the Huskies in their first regular season encounter on September 11, 1999, Utley wrote quite the humourous and biting column taking shots at the Rams.

    In one paragraph, Utley wrote, “For the next few years the rivalry will likely play out this way: The Huskies will host the Rams once at Griffiths Stadium, the Rams will return the favour at Taylor Field and the Huskies will enjoy post-season playoff action in November and the season for the Rams will end and the defensive line will have lots of free time to study for their underwater soap-carving final.”

    Another paragraph from Utley went, “McCrystal and his Rams have nothing to lose today (except the game) as his historic squad of Christians face a hungry pack of howling lions who are running out of pinkies for championship rings.”

    Utley of course was making reference to a long standing perception that the Rams were a Catholic football coming from the fact McCrystal had a long career as a teacher in the Regina Catholic school system.

    After the Huskies destroyed the Rams 56-12 in that first contest, the StarPhoenix sports staffers did take some shots at the Rams in their post-game stories that appeared in the Monday, September 13, 1999 edition of that paper.

    One common refrain was it would take the Rams three to five years to do anything of substance at the university level.

    The Rams proved that wrong by winning the Hardy Cup as Canada West champions and making the Vanier Cup in 2000 falling 42-39 to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

    Looking back, columns like the ones Utley wrote are a lost art, and it did create lots of interest in games. In today’s world, people are so thin skinned you would be hard pressed to find that type of writing anywhere.

    It does give you a grin to look back and see what once was.

Flory pumps up his offensive line

The Huskies starting offensive line has been great this season.

    The last word of this post goes to U of Saskatchewan Huskies head coach Scott Flory, because Flory is that cool.

    Going into this season, Flory was asked how many yards would his current talented and tough running backs Adam Machart and Josh Ewanchyna pile up if he, Kevin Lefsrud and Kelly Bates were leading the way on the offensive line.

    Flory, Lefsrud and Bates all had lengthy CFL careers and Flory made it to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a player. The trio helped lead the way in the Huskies Vanier Cup championship in 1998 and Flory and Lefsrud keys on the Huskies Vanier Cup winner in 1996 as U Sports national champions.

    That trio allowed running back Doug Rozon to become the Huskies all-time leading rusher piling up 4,086 yards in five seasons from 1995 to 1999.

    With all of that said, Flory said he likes his current offensive line that includes standout starters in left tackle Noah Zerr, left guard Mattland Riley, centre Connor Berglof, right guard Tanner Secord and right tackle Nick Summach.

    “Our O-line is better now than us old guys back then, I’ll tell you,” said Flory. “You look at our offensive line and the size and the speed and how these guys move, it makes our quarterbacks and running backs happy.”

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

-------

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Huskies finish in “Prime Time” style, thump Rams 44-9

Nelson Lokombo, right, returns a pick 98 yards for a Huskies touchdown.

    REGINA, Sask. – Nelson Lokombo was not going to go “Prime Time” with his celebration, but he provided a “Prime Time” finish for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

    With 5:50 remaining in the fourth quarter of a U Sports rivalry regular season clash with the University of Regina Rams, Lokombo, who is a third-year defensive back for the Huskies, intercepted Rams starting quarterback Josh Donnelly. Following the pick at his own 12 yard line, Lokombo raced 98 yards the other way for a Huskies touchdown.

Nelson Lokombo makes his first of two interceptions on Friday.

    His scored put the Huskies up 41-9 and ultimately provided the exclamation point on a 44-9 victory on Friday night before 3,547 spectators at Mosaic Stadium.

    Lokomko said he was not thinking of doing a high-stepping dance from 10 yards in made famous by former NFL star defensive back Deion “Prime Time” Sanders.

    “I just wanted to finish the run and get there in the end zone and make sure I secure the ball and everything,” said Lokombo smiling and chuckling. “We needed the big play on defence, a turnover.

    “It was nice we delivered.”

Adam Machart (#20) celebrates a nine-yard touchdown pass reception.

    Lokombo was playing with a little extra motivation. His older brother, Boseko Lokombo, was in attendance for Friday’s game.

    Boseko is a linebacker for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. The Alouettes are in Regina to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday in a CFL regular season encounter, which allowed Boseko to check out Friday’s U Sport contest featuring Nelson.

    Nelson was happy the Huskies were able to put together a game, where they didn’t give up a touchdown, which marked a first for the team in the current U Sports campaign.

Adam Machart, left, charges to the end zone on a touchdown run.

    “We were out there and made some plays,” said Nelson Lokombo, who had two interceptions and sack on the night. “We gave up a few plays.

    “It is always fun when we are winning. It just goes to show that our game plan and our preparation truly feels great.”

    The Huskies, who are rated ninth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, improved to 2-1 with the win, while the Rams fell to 1-2.

    The Dogs established themselves in Friday’s clash taking the ball for the first offensive series of the game. They drove 90 yards on 11 plays eating 6:33 on the clock cumulating their march with a nine-yard touchdown reception from running back Adam Machart on a swing pass for a 7-0 lead.

Mason Nyhus threw two touchdown passes for the Huskies.

    U of S’s first drive was kept alive by a contacting the kicker penalty assessed to the Rams.

    “I think we got off to a quicker start, which was huge,” said Machart. “That just kind of set the tone for the rest of the game.”

    Rams kicker Aldo Galvan booted a 28-yard field goal before the first quarter ended to cut the Huskies lead to 7-3.

    The Rams conceded a safety early in the second quarter, and the Huskies followed that up with Nyhus hitting star receiver Jesse Kuntz for a 14-yard touchdown reception to extend the visitor’s edge to 16-3.

    Galvan hit a field goal from 19-yards out to cut the Huskies lead to 16-6, and Huskies kicker David Solie responded with a 23-yard field goal to give the Huskies a 19-9 lead.

    Before the second quarter ended, Galvan hit a 32-yard field goal to trim the Huskies lead to 19-9. That was as close as the host side got on the scoreboard.

    The Huskies rolled off 25 unanswered points in the second half in the blowout win.

    “We had good energy,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “We had good physicality.

Jesse Kuntz hauls in a 14-yard touchdown reception for the Huskies.

    “There were a lot of good things. There is stuff we have to clean up. We had some more stuff that were mental busts that we have to make sure we clean up.

    “I am proud of the guys. They came into a hostile environment and the boys played really, really well. I am really proud of these guys.”

    Machart ran in a major from five yards out for the only score in the third quarter to put the Huskies up 26-9.

    The only major bad thing to hit the Huskies occurred after that score near the end of the third quarter when Nyhus was hurt on a delayed Rams blitz hitting his head on the Mosaic Stadium turf. He came back for one series.

    Flory said the team sat the signal caller as a precaution and expects Nyhus to be good to go for the Huskies next game. 

Rams RB Trey Campbell gets sent airbourne taking a hit on a kick return.

    U of S doesn’t play again until Saturday, Sept. 21, when they travel to Edmonton, Alta., to face the University of Alberta Golden Bears (2-1).

    Huskies first-year backup quarterback Ethan Watson looked good playing the rest of the way in relief.

    Early in the fourth quarter, Watson guided an eight-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that ate 4:57 off the clock. The series was capped when Watson threw his first touchdown pass of his U Sports career on a six-yard swing pass to running back Josh Ewanchyna to give the Huskies a 33-9 lead.

    “I am really high on him (Watson),” said Flory. “He can run.

Huskies LB Ramsey Derbas tackles Rams R Kyler Mosley (#85).

    “He can use his legs. He can push the ball down the field. We obviously were controlling him at that point and all the throws and that kind of stuff.

    “He is doing all the right things, and he has a really bright future.”

    Solie kicked a single on the ensuing kickoff to put the Huskies up 34-9. That set the stage for Lokombo’s pick-six.

    Solie completed the game’s scoring with a 30-yard field goal.

    Nyhus completed 15-of-26 passes for 177 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. 
    Watson connected on 4-of-6 passes for 46 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

    Machart topped the Huskies in rushing carrying the ball 17 times for 134 yards and one touchdown. He had three catches for 50 yards to go with his one major score through the air.

    The Huskies piled up 247 yards rushing as a team.

    Machart gave huge credit to the Huskies offensive line in left tackle Noah Zerr, left guard Mattland Riley, centre Connor Berglof, right guard Tanner Secord, right tackle Nick Summach and substitute Andrew Serke for the success the U of S side had.

Backup QB Ethan Watson threw well in relief work for the Huskies.

    “The O-line played unreal,” said Machart. “Holes like that, it is just so fun to be a running back.

    “When you have that type of blocking, it motivates you, because you want to make those guys proud. They give you that first initial block, so you have to go out and do the rest and make them proud.”

    Donnelly completed 16-of-30 passes for 315 yard, no touchdown and two interceptions for the Rams. The Rams were held to 55 yards rushing as a team.

    Riley Pickett, Evan Machibroda and Clovis Lumeka each had a sack for the Huskies

    Josh White and Eric Wicijowski had sacks for the Rams.

    The Rams return to action on Friday, September 20, when they travel to Calgary, Alta., to take on the University of Calgary Dinos.

    With the Huskies having won two straight, Machart is already pumped for his team’s next outing against the Golden Bears.

The Huskies meet their fans after Friday’s road victory.

    “It is going to be exciting,” said Machart. “I think we just have to carry this momentum and just keep building off of it and keep improving.”

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

-------

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

“Mac” on the attack as Huskies rock Thunderbirds 40-7

Adam Machart, right, celebrates his second of two touchdown runs on Friday.

    Adam Machart was running as sleek as a Porsche 911.

    The star running back for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team hit high gear on Friday night at Griffiths Stadium striking the first shock and awe blow in a U Sports regular season game with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

    With 4:58 remaining in the first quarter, Machart, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 185 pounds, broke off a 63-yard touchdown run to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead.

Adam Machart piled up 134 yards rushing for the Huskies.

    He rolled from there piling up 134 yards rushing on 15 carries and adding a second touchdown on a one-yard run early in the fourth quarter, and he caught five passes for 39 yards.

    Machart’s efforts ultimately allowed the Huskies to hammer the Thunderbirds 40-7 in front of 6,278 spectators in what was the homecoming game for the U of S side.

    For Machart, Friday’s win, which allowed the Huskies to improve to 1-1, eased the sting from a 43-19 defeat at the hands of the University of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg on Aug. 30, which was the regular season opener for both squads. The drubbing in the Manitoba capital had a lot of self-inflicted elements as the Huskies turned the ball over seven times in that contest, while the Bisons didn’t have a single giveaway.

    “We had a lot to prove tonight, and I think we came out hard, and hit hard and ran hard,” said Machart. “I think we did just that.

Adam Machart (#20) jets home on a 63-yard touchdown run.

    “I think once you start getting success you just start maybe running a little harder and blocking a little harder. It just starts to come.”

    Machart is in his second year with the Huskies and using his third year of U Sports eligibility. He came to the Huskies after playing three seasons with the Saskatoon Hilltops from 2015 to 2017 helping them win the Canadian Junior Football League titles in each of those campaigns.

    With the Huskies, Machart became the team’s starting running back this season taking over from Tyler Chow, who exhausted his U Sports eligibility last season when the Huskies won the Canada West Conference title.

Adam Machart, right, follows his blocking towards the goal-line.

    Coming into this season, Machart believed he had something extra in his game.

    “It is probably the healthiest I have been in a long time,” said Machart. “Being able to put in a full off-season really helps.

    “We have one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country in Joel Lipinski, so having that guy around getting us on the right programs and stuff like that really helps as well.”

    While Machart’s long touchdown run to open Friday’s game gave the Huskies some early momentum, they weren’t able to shake the Thunderbirds during the first three quarters of the contest.

    Early in the second quarter, Thunderbirds rookie starting quarterback Tommy Yanchuk hit second-year receiver Jacob Patten with a 12-yard touchdown toss to even the score at 7-7.

Adam Machart (#20) tears out of the hands of a UBC tacklr.

    With 9:32 remaining in the second quarter, Huskies kicker David Solie nailed a 42-yard field goal to put the hosts up 10-7.

    On a third and goal gamble with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter, Huskies quarterback Mason Nyhus hit sure-handed receiver Jesse Kuntz with a two-yard touchdown toss to extend the U of S edge to 17-7.

    That score held up until the 3:56 mark of the fourth quarter, when Machart scored his second touchdown for the Huskies on a one-yard run to increase their advantage to 24-7. Machart’s run came on a third-and-goal gamble and capped a 10-play drive that covered 85 yards.

    Huskies head coach Scott Flory is pleased with how Machart has performed in the early going of the current campaign. 

Huskie LB Ben Whiting, right, nails a Thunderbirds running back.

    The sideline boss said his skilled runner is feeling better physically compared to a year ago.
    “I know he had some lingering kind of knee pain,” said Flory. “He took some time away, and then he has been training so hard.

    “He has found another gear. To compliment that, you put in Chewy (Josh Ewanchyna). They are both really special running backs.”

    Machart’s second scoring run sparked a 23-point surge by the Huskies in the fourth quarter that included a couple of big plays.

    Receiver Daniel Perry ran a punt back 75 yards for a touchdown on a spectacular return down the left sideline to put the Huskies up 31-7. 
    Solie booted a 34-yard field goal to push the Huskies lead out to 34-7.

Colton Klassen had 135 yards receiving for the Huskies.

    With 39.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Huskies third-year defensive back Nelson Lokombo intercepted Thunderbird backup quarterback Gabe Olivares and raced 95 yards for the final U of S major. Solie hit the post on the extra point attempt making the final score sit at 40-7 in favour of the Huskies.

    Flory was pleased to see his team rebound with a victory after dropping their opener to the Bisons, but he said his squad still needs to get better.

    “It was clearly a better effort,” said Flory. “We were physical.

    “There are still some mistakes. We have to clean up penalties. There is always stuff to correct.

    “That was more like us than last week was and that is good. It is good to be back at home in front of a great crowd here. It was a good football game.”

    Nyhus completed 26-of-37 passes for 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception in picking up his first U Sports victory as a starting quarterback. The Regina, Sask., product spent the last two campaigns backing up Kyle Siemens, who exhausted his U Sports eligibility last season.

Daniel Perry, left, returns a punt 75 yards for a touchdown for the Huskies.

    During the 2016 campaign, Nyhus redshirted with the Huskies.

    “It is awesome to come out here and get a win,” said Nyhus. “The crowd was amazing out here.

    “It wasn’t a surprise by any means. We have a great atmosphere every time we come play at home. It is a great feeling for sure.”

    Huskies star offensive utility player Colton Klassen led the team in receiving hauling in eight passes for 135 yards.

    Defensive linemen Evan Machibroda and Nicholas Dheilly each had a sack for the Huskies. First year defensive back Logan Bitz topped U of S with eight total tackles, while second-year defensive back Nixen Voll had an interception for the Huskies.

Nelson Lokombo (#25) is congratulated for his major score off a pick.

    Yanchuk completed 16-of-31 passes for 151 yards, one touchdown and one interception as the Thunderbirds fell to 0-2. 
    Linebacker Nick Cross topped the Thunderbirds with 12 total tackles.

    Linebacker Lake Korte-Moore had a sack and an interception for the Thunderbirds, while defensive back Chris Thelasco had a sack for UBC.

    With the win over the Thunderbirds in the books, the Huskies return to action this coming Friday, when they travel to Regina to take on the University of Regina Rams (1-1) at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium. 
   Machart said his squad has to keep improving in practice leading up to that contest.

Yol Piok (#81) lets out a cheer after the Huskies win on Friday.

    “I think we are in a good place, but we definitely have a lot to work on,” said Machart. “We’re going to hit that this week at practice.

    “We know what we have to do.”

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

-------

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.