CIS football Friday roundup

Source: Saint Mary's Sports Info

HALIFAX, N.S. - The Mount Allison Mounties defeated the Saint Mary's Huskies 27-24 in Atlantic University Sport football action on Friday night at Huskies Stadium.
 
Subway Player of the Game Jacob Leblanc made nine tackles including two sacks to lead the Mounties (3-4) to their second straight win and their first victory at the Stadium since 1997. 
 
The Huskies (4-3) lost to Mount Allison for the second time this season despite outgaining the Mounties 360 yards to 276 on offence. Two interceptions late in the fourth quarter and two big plays by Mount Allison sealed the Huskies' fate.
 
Troy Trentham connected with Josh Blanchard for a 37-yard touchdown off a trick play and later caught a 57-yard touchdown pass from Quarterback Brandon Leyh to propel the Mounties to the critical win in the hunt for the AUS playoffs.
 
Trentham finished with five receptions for 74 yards while AUS-leading rusher Jordan Botel racked up 165 yards on 32 carries. Leyh completed 10 of 16 passes for 147 yards to round out the Mounties attack.
 
On offence, Melvin Abankwah led Saint Mary's with 104 yards on six receptions and Dave Sabourin gained 47 yards on just eight carries. Jon Langa made nine tackles to pace the Huskies defensively.
 
Saint Mary's led 15-11 at halftime in front of 900 fans in what could be the last football game ever played at Huskies Stadium. The historic venue is scheduled for demolition after the fall sports conclude.
 
The Mounties will head back to Sackville to prepare for visiting Acadia while the Huskies will travel to Antigonish to play the X-Men on the season's final weekend.
 
Both games will have huge playoff implications and can be seen via webcast on AUStv.ca.

Source: Ben Matchett, Calgary Assistant Athletic Director, Operations & Communications

CALGARY – Mercer Timmis became Canada West’s new single-season touchdown king as the University of Calgary Dinos eliminated the Regina Rams from the playoffs with a 46-27 win Friday night.

Timmis, who entered the game needing two touchdowns to break Don Blair’s (1995) conference and school single-season touchdown record of 17, got three of them in the second half as the Dinos improved to 7-0 on the season while dropping the Rams to 2-5.

The sophomore tailback from Burlington, Ont. had a rough go of things in the first half but came alive in the second and, despite being held to his first sub-100 yard game of the season, still managed to score three touchdowns from six, five, and 18 yards out.

“Regina’s defence played really well tonight, especially in the first half,” said Timmis, a student in the Haskayne School of Business. “I had completely forgotten about the record, but when it happened my teammates all came up to congratulate me. It feels great to be up there with a name like Don Blair, and it’s an honour for sure.”

“The thing about Mercer is that he’s the kind of guy that’ll keep coming at you,” said Dinos head coach Blake Nill. “He’s a downhill runner, and eventually he’s going to make some plays.”

It was a weird game under a full moon at McMahon Stadium with wacky plays on special teams by both sides, but in the end the Dinos proved too powerful for the Rams, who will miss the playoffs after falling to the same Dinos in last year’s Hardy Cup.

Calgary scored all nine points in the first quarter, thanks mostly to a 32-yard touchdown run on third-and-one by backup quarterback Jimmy Underdahl, in with the team’s short-yardage unit. In the second, the Rams brought it close making the score 12-10 just over nine minutes in when quarterback Cayman Shutter plunged in from a yard out.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Rams decided to squib and Taylor Wandler’s 11-yard kick landed right in the hands of Calgary defensive back Michael Schmidt. Schmidt ran untouched 56 yards into the end zone to restore a nine-point lead for Calgary, and Johnny Mark’s second field goal of the night made it 22-10 for the home side at halftime.

The Dinos pulled out some special teams magic on the first play of the second half. With the team seemingly huddled preparing to kick off, Mark approached the ball as if to take a practice swing and instead kicked it onside, where Brad Friesen pounced on it to give the Dinos possession. Three plays later, Timmis was in the end zone with his first major of the night, seemingly blocking the game open at 29-10.

The Rams came back in the third on the strength of an 82-yard bomb from Shutter to Kolten Solomon, and after the Dinos conceded a late safety it was an eight-point game heading into the fourth quarter. But Timmis’ second and third TDs of the night put it out of reach, and a last-minute score by the Rams’ Richard Sindani made the final 46-27.

Timmis ran the ball 19 times for 92 yards and the three scores, the only time this season he has been held under 100 yards. Andrew Buckley completed 20 of 34 passes for 235 yards, with Jake Harty catching seven of those passes for an even 100 yards on the night.

Shutter tossed it up time after time, picking up 430 passing yards on 31 completions and 56 attempts. He was picked off three times by Adam Laurensse, Thomas Spoletini, and Adam Ballingall, but he threw for a pair of touchdowns: the 82-yarder to Solomon and a late 25-yarder to Sindani. Solomon had 164 receiving yards for the Rams in the loss.

Calgary will try to complete a first in school history – an undefeated regular season – when the Dinos host the UBC Thunderbirds in a likely preview of their first-round playoff match-up next Friday night at McMahon Stadium.

“We played a lot of young kids and sat some veterans and we gutted out a win tonight, so that’s good to see,” said Nill. “We want to go 8-0 – it’s something to motivate the guys this week. UBC is peaking at the right time, and we’re going to have to be ready to play a very good football team.”

“We just have to stay hungry and try to keep getting better each week,” said Timmis. “If we do that we can keep moving and keep excelling.”

Regina wraps up its 2013 season next weekend hosting the Saskatchewan Huskies on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Source: Daniel Herrick, Saskatchewan Sports Information Student Assistant

SASKATOON - A strong offensive showing in the second half lifted the visiting University of Manitoba Bisons to a 33-26 win over the No. 7 ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies Friday night at Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park.

Manitoba quarterback Jordan Yantz threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns in the second half including the game-winning touchdown with 5:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. Yantz found Alex Vitt in the end zone from 28 yards out to secure the win for Manitoba.

With the loss, Saskatchewan drops to 4-3 and sit tied for second in the Canada West with Bisons (4-3). Both the Huskies and Bisons secured a playoff spot thanks to a Regina Rams loss to the Calgary Dinos and both are still in the running for a home playoff date.

It was the first win for Manitoba in Saskatoon since October 7, 2006.

Saskatchewan scored on the game’s opening possession with a Denton Kolodzinski 33-yard field goal. Manitoba was quick to respond with a field goal of their own on their first drive.  After the Bisons showed signs of moving the ball downfield on their second possession, Huskie defensive back Braxton Lawrence dove to intercept Yantz at the Huskies’ 22-yard line.

Manitoba continued their hot start to the game, scoring on their third drive. Yantz connected with receiver Nic Demski on a 22-yard touchdown pass. Huskie safety Mark Ingram laid a big hit on the receiver, but was just too late to separate the ball.

Manitoba led 10-3 after the first quarter and 10-6 at the half.

The Huskies surprised the Bisons by opening the second half with a short kick. Jeremy Andrew recovered the ball on the play after Kenrick Hanna forced a fumble setting the Huskies up deep in Manitoba territory. Two plays later Dexter Janke scampered in from 15 yards out to give the Huskies a 13-10 lead.

With the Bisons up 19-16 to start the fourth quarter, Manitoba failed to get to the first down on a fake punt setting the Huskies up with good field position. Shane Buchanan brought the ball deep into Bison territory with a 49-yard run and would finish the drive off with a 1-yard touchdown plunge and a 23-19 lead.
 
Matt Sawyer would answer for the Bisons hauling in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Yantz after running past an injured Huskie defender on the play. Kolodzinski added a 43-yard field goal to knot the game up at 26 before Vitt scored the game winner.  

Saskatchewan looked like they might score a late touchdown as they moved the ball in the fourth quarter, but Cam Teschuk would intercept a Drew Burko pass attempt ending the Huskies last real scoring threat.

Burko finished the game 21-for-38 for 324 yards with one interception. His counterpart, Yantz went 18-for-32 for 364 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.

Janke and Buchanan shared the load in the Huskie backfield rushing for 59 and 54 yards and a touchdown respectively. Hillis racked up 134 yards on 10 receptions, while Mitch Stevens caught five passes for 98 yards.

Anthony Coombs gained 88 yards on the ground for the Bisons on 16 carries. Andrew Smith’s five catches for 90 yards along with Matt Sawyer’s three catches for 89 yards and a touchdown led the way for the Manitoba receiving corps.

Kolodzinski was perfect on the day for the green and white hitting from 33, 29, 37 and 43 yards.

Saskatchewan will finish the season in Regina against the Rams next Saturday, while Manitoba travels to Edmonton to meet the Alberta Golden Bears.