Ben Coakwell gets back on his feet the stylish way.

Ben Coakwell’s presence was exactly what the University of Saskatchewan Huskies offence needed to get out of their slump.

The running back rushed for over 200 yards and had two touchdowns in the Huskies’ 36-33 win over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at Griffiths Stadium Sept. 30. It was only his second game of the season as he was sidelined early in the year with a shoulder injury.

“Injuries can get you down, but there’s nothing better [than] being back and getting to run out of the tunnel again” said Coakwell.

The win, which moved the Huskies to 3-2 on the year, not only stopped a two-game losing skid, it also launched head coach Brian Towriss into the CIS record books for the most wins of all-time. He surpassed coaching legend Larry Haylor, whom he was tied with coming into the game with 169 wins, and now stands alone with an impressive 170-95-1 record in his 28 seasons as head coach.

Coincidentally, it was also in a game against the Thunderbirds back in 1984 that Towriss got his very first win.

“I don’t worry about breaking the record. I knew that was going to happen at some point,” said Towriss after the game. “What we were worried about was getting to 3-2.”

The two-points were very important for the Huskies as they are now back on track to fight for a home playoff game.

“It was one of those games where everything was working for us,” said Coakwell. “It’s definitely a positive that we want to keep up.”

“It’s a lot happier dressing room going in 3-2 than it is going in 2-3,” added Towriss.

Quarterback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren played more comfortably than he had in the last few games. He showed off his ability to run by putting up two rushing touchdowns and he tallied 187 passing yards on 24 attempts. All this despite having to watch from the sidelines as Trent Peterson started the game.

“I realized the last two games away from home I wasn’t seeing things, so I think it was good that I got a chance to sit outside the box and watch,” said Gilbert-Knorren about not getting to start for the first time this season. “It motivated me to work harder.”

He was put into the game early in the second quarter after Saskatchewan’s offence got off to a slow start with Peterson throwing two interceptions.

Their only points in the entire first half came off of single-pointers from two missed field goals by kicker Cole Samson.

The Thunderbirds made a 14-yard field goal and added a single point on a punt in the first quarter. UBC quarterback Billy Greene pushed into the end zone on a 1-yard quarterback sneak four minutes into the second quarter. It was a play set up by Thunderbirds defensive back San Carino’s interception off one of Peterson’s 12 passing attempts.

The Huskies were down 11-2 going into the second half, but it was a different football team that came out of the locker room.

On their first drive of the third quarter, Coakwell broke free for a huge 30-yard run to get the ball to the UBC 25-yard line. Three plays later a fake field goal attempt was successful in getting the first down.

The Huskies then moved the ball to the three yard line where Coakwell scored one of his two touchdowns, capping a nine-play, 65-yard drive.

The Dogs took the lead by one point after a fumble recovery by Dogs safety Bryce McCall allowed Samson to complete a 22-yard field goal.

UBC answered back with a long 25-yard passing touchdown but then gave up another field goal and touchdown in the third to make it 22-18 for the U of S.

Both teams’ quarterbacks took over in the last 15 minutes, dazzling the crowd of 6,461 with their combination of big yard passing plays and ability to flee from pocket pressure.

Gilbert-Knorren started with a four-yard touchdown run, set in place by a 20-yard gallop from Coakwell. Greene marched the Thunderbirds offence right back with a huge 48-yard catch-and-run play to get the ball down to the Huskies’ 22-yard line. He then finished the drive when he pulled the ball down and ran it in for the score himself.

A successful two-point conversion attempt put the Thunderbirds within three points of the Dogs with less than three minutes to play.

Thanks to a 52-yard sprint from Coakwell, however, the Huskies were able to move the ball down field in a hurry to set up another Gilbert-Knorren scramble from a broken play.

The quarterback made something out of nothing, as he seemed to easily jog into the end zone from 15 yards out. Saskatchewan was up 10 points, with just over a minute to left on the clock.

Greene managed to run in another touchdown but with only four seconds left on the clock, it wasn’t enough to scare the Huskies away from celebrating the win with Towriss.

The Dogs, along with the rest of the league, get a bye this week. They return to action on Oct. 14 to face the Calgary Dinos for their last home game of the regular season.

—
Photo: Raisa Pezderic/The Sheaf