WINNIPEG – The fourth-ranked University of Calgary Dinos ran roughshod over the Manitoba Bisons but managed to squeak out just a 26-25 victory Saturday afternoon amid abysmal field conditions at Winnipeg's University Stadium.

BOX SCORE

After building up a big 20-3 lead at the half thanks to a 268-9 advantage in rushing yards over the first 30 minutes, the Dinos seemed poised to finally run away with a game after needing big plays late to capture wins in their previous two outings.

As it turns out, Calgary needed a big offensive drive to put the game out of reach with a late field goal, then withstood a late Bison charge to eke out the victory.

The Dinos improved to 3-1 on the season and share top spot in the conference with the Regina Rams, while Manitoba fell to 1-3 with the loss at the Bisons' annual homecoming game.

“I really don't know what to say, it was like two totally different games out there today,” said Calgary head coach Blake Nill. “We were very good in the first half. The offence executed, we stopped the run on defence, and (quarterback Eric) Dzwilewski played a very controlled game.

“I can't explain the second half, especially after what happened to us last year,” Nill went on, speaking of his team's 18-point halftime lead in the 2009 Vanier Cup. “We gave up a few big plays and that got them back into it, and then we continued to take too many penalties.”

Already the most penalized team in the conference by a wide margin, Calgary was charged with 91 penalty yards in the second half alone and finished the afternoon with 18 infractions for a total of 158 yards.

The near-comeback by the Bisons overshadowed a dominant Dinos performance in the opening half. Calgary ran the ball virtually at will, with freshman Dzwilewski attempting just five passes in the half. All-Canadian tailback Matt Walter finally had the breakout game he has sought all season, scampering for 137 yards on 16 carries in the first half before becoming the next in a long list of Dinos who have been sidelined by injuries. Walter tweaked his right ankle late in the second quarter and did not return – a precautionary move, according to Nill.

Walter was responsible for one of the two Calgary touchdowns on the day, a one-yard backwards flip into the end zone over the assembled bru ha ha below him.

His 137 yards give him 3,055 for his career, just the 30th player in CIS history to crack the 3,000-yard barrier along the ground.

Steven Lumbala had the other Calgary touchdown just one minute into the second quarter on a 19-yard pass from Dzwilewski. Replacing Walter as the feature tailback through most of the second half, Lumbala finished the night with 105 rushing yards on 16 carries to go with 62 yards on four catches to lead the Dinos in the receiving department.

The Bisons responded with a pair of majors less than four minutes apart early in the third quarter with Brendon Bowman collecting a five-yard pass from Khaleal Williams, while Williams himself scored on a one-yard plunge to bring the Bisons within three at 20-17.

Calgary scored the next six points, however – a conceded safety followed by a 43-yard punt single and a 22-yard field goal, both by Aaron Ifield. The field goal came with just 90 seconds left on the clock, but Williams led the Bisons on a five-play, 75-yard drive that lasted just 1:05. He capped it off with a 16-yard TD pass to Matt Henry, followed by a successful two-point convert attempt.

With 25 seconds left on the clock and the Bisons trailing by just one point, Manitoba inexplicably lined up for an onside kick but kicked the ball well downfield. The Dinos grabbed possession, and Calgary was able to run out the clock to preserve the win.

Dzwilewski, making his third straight start in relief of the injured Erik Glavic, earned his third straight win in style. He completed 11 of 18 passes for 147 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but he also averaged better than 10 yards on his 11 carries on the afternoon to finish with 114 rushing yards.

For Manitoba, Williams completed 25 of 40 passes for 308 yards, with two touchdowns to match a pair of interceptions. Quincy Hurst was the leading Bison receiver with six catches for 65 yards, while Williams' 28 was the top rushing total for Manitoba.

Manitoba heads to Saskatchewan to take on the 2-2 Huskies next week. The Dinos, meanwhile, return home Saturday night to begin preparations for the UBC Thunderbirds (1-3), who visit McMahon Stadium next Saturday, Oct. 2 for a 1 p.m. kickoff before enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend bye.

RECORDS WATCH: With three field goals on the day, Ifield now has 62 in his career and is just eight away from the all-time CIS record of 70, currently held by Western Ontario's Frank Jagas … already Calgary's all-time field goal leader, Ifield is just six away from Jamie Boreham's Canada West record of 68 … Ifield's 12 points on the day give him 293 in his career and put him in a three-way tie for 11th on the all-time CIS scoring list. His next point will move him into the Top 10 … Walter became just the second Dinos player to crack 3,000 rushing yards. He now trails Elio Geremia (1983-97) by 729 yards for the all-time school record …

SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
CGY – Ifield 22-yard FG, 4:43, 3-0 CGY

2nd Quarter
CGY – Lumbala 19-yard TD pass from Dzwilewski (Ifield convert), 1:00, 10-0 CGY
CGY – Walter 1-yard TD run (Ifield convert), 6:03, 17-0 CGY
MAN – Naylor 28-yard FG, 11:01, 17-3 CGY
CGY – Ifield 21-yard FG, 14:39, 20-3 CGY

3rd Quarter
MAN – Bowman 5-yard TD pass from Williams (Naylor convert), 2:47, 20-10 CGY
MAN – Williams 1-yard TD run (Naylor convert), 6:26, 20-17 CGY
CGY – TEAM Safety, 11:06, 22-17 CGY

4th Quarter
CGY – Ifield 43-yard punt single, 10:31, 23-17 CGY
CGY – Ifield 22-yard FG, 13:30, 26-17 CGY
MAN – Henry 16-yard TD pass from Williams (Bowman pass from Williams), 26-25 CGY

-UC-