Next fall’s football schedule has been laid out for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, and the Sheaf is here to outline the games fans will want to pay attention to.

The Huskies will be on the road for their season opener as they take on the University of Manitoba Bisons on Sep. 1. While this game is an away game and many fans will be unable to attend in person, the results of this game will be relevant in the long run for the Huskies, as the Bisons were one of the three teams to defeat the Huskies in the 2016-17 season.

The home-opening game will be a week later than last year’s season, as the Huskies take to Griffiths Stadium for the first time on Sep. 8. Every home-opening game is an excellent opportunity to see the U of S campus come together in support of their Huskies, making this game an excellent event for new students to get their first taste of Huskie Athletics and for upper-year students to get back into that Huskies’ spirit.

This home opener will be against the University of Alberta Golden Bears, and looking back to the Huskies’ previous showings against them in 2016, could mean a win early on to get the Huskies’ momentum building. While there is no way to guarantee a win for the Huskies, they have a good chance of beating the Golden Bears, as they did so twice during the previous regular season.

The Huskies will then spend two weeks on the road facing the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Sep. 16 followed by the University of Calgary Dinos on Sep. 23. Last season, the Dinos were definitely a threat to the Huskies, as the teams split the two games they played in the regular season, both of which came down to a matter of less than three points.

The Huskies will then return home to take on their provincial rivals on Sep. 29 to close out the first month of their regular season journey. The University of Regina Rams are traditionally a matchup that brings out fierce competition due to their longstanding rivalry with the Huskies. Additionally, this game should be a source of excellent football, as the Huskies were evenly matched with the Rams in the 2016 season, splitting the two games they played against each other.

Following the game against the Rams, the Huskies will have a bye week for Thanksgiving, after which they will move on to the last three games of their season. Coming right off the break, the Huskies will face the UBC Thunderbirds for the second time in the season, and both teams will have had the time to rest up in preparation for this game, making for a night of action-packed football.

The following week, the Huskies take to the road for their second game against the U of A Golden Bears on Oct. 14, before returning home to close out the season against the U of M Bisons. These last few games will no doubt be crucial for the Huskies’ playoff prospects, and they could be under pressure, depending on how September goes for them.

However, speculation on the playoff games is best saved for when the Huskies football season is more established, as many of these games could go either way. Every season can come with a few upsets against, or for, your team. No matter what happens, each Huskies home game will be an opportunity for students to get out and experience the Huskie spirit.

For the full schedule, visit the Huskies homepage at huskies.usask.ca.

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Jack Thompson / Sports & Health Editor

Graphic: Laura Underwood / Layout Manager