The Manitoba Bisons edged out the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 31-28 in a game dominated by 60 km/hr wind gusts that made it tough for both squads to hold field position at University Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba Sep. 8.

Manitoba responded quickly after Huskies’ kicker Cole Samson kicked a field goal through the uprights to give his team a one point lead with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Against the howling wind, Bisons quarterback Cam Clark directed the Bisons on a six-play, 75-yard drive that led to the game winning touchdown.

Huskies receiver Mitch Stevens is forced out of bounds by a Manitoba Bisons defender.

The drive started with a 45-yard pass completion to receiver Xavier Johnson, who led all Manitoba receivers with five catches and 87 yards on the night. The Dogs defence then held the Bisons on the next two plays, forcing Manitoba to gamble on a long third down attempt.

Clark lobbed the ball to fifth-year receiver Brendon Bowman who pulled it in to bring the Bisons to the seven-yard line. Two plays later Clark sealed Manitoba’s victory with a short pass to Nic Demski to go up 31-26 and eventually win the game.

The game started much different than it ended. Saskatchewan elected to start with the wind, a decision that helped the Dogs defence force Manitoba to give up three safeties by pinning the Bisons offence deep in their own zone. Huskies quarterback Drew Burko added to the score after scrambling for an 18-yard touchdown run. By the end of the first quarter the Huskies were up 14-0.

The Huskies lost the advantage of the wind in the second and third quarters, and with it went the momentum. The Bisons outscored Saskatchewan 25-1 in the middle frames. Touchdowns from running backs Bryan Giesbrecht and Kienan LaFrance knotted the game at 14.

Following LaFrance’s touchdown it took the Bisons only two plays, on their next offensive drive, to score again. After an incomplete pass on first down, Clark hooked up with 2011 CIS first team All-Canadian Anthony Coombs for an 85 yard catch-and-run touchdown pass, the fourth longest passing play in Manitoba’s history.

The Huskies added a one point rouge and Bisons’ fourth-year kicker Nick Boyd booted a field goal to put Manitoba ahead 25-15 after three quarters of action.
Saskatchewan went with the wind again for the final frame and scored an 11-yard touchdown run by tailback Andrew Jeremy midway through the quarter. Samson picked up a single on the ensuing kickoff, and later added a field goal after Demski fumbled a punt return. Demski, though, redeemed himself with his touchdown catch that would put the game out of reach for the Huskies.

On paper it appears the Huskies should not have lost the game, boasting better numbers in many team statistics columns. The Dogs tallied more rushing yards, first downs, and total offence than their counterparts. The Huskies offence didn’t give up a single turnover, while the Bisons gave up the ball three times, and the Dogs had control of the football for almost eight minutes longer than Manitoba.

Despite these statistics, Manitoba pulled together as a unit to win the game. Bisons head coach, Brian Dobie, attributed the victory to the experience his players have this season.

“Last year, we would have lost this game but this year we made the plays and executed down the stretch when we had to,” said Dobie in a press release following the game. “There was no panic on our team, but it was a battle out there against a tough Saskatchewan team.”

Clark finished the game with three touchdown passes to go along with his 317 total passing yards, the first time the fifth-year pivot has reached the 300-yard mark in his Canadian Interuniversity Sport career. For the Huskies, Burko racked up 290 passing yards but could only find the end zone with his legs, he was also sacked three times.

Manitoba shared rushing attempts between LaFrance and Coombs, who tallied 37 and 33 yards respectively. Jeremy Andrew played another big game for the Huskies after being forced into action in week one when both the first and second-string running backs sustained injuries. Andrew ran 23 times for 118 rushing yards and one touchdown in a losing effort.

The Bisons entered the week two match-up ranked No.10 in the country, two spots back of the No. 8 ranked Huskies. The win puts Manitoba in a tie, with the Calgary Dinos, for first place in the Canada West standings, both teams boast perfect 2-0 records.

Saskatchewan’s record drops to 1-1 and the team currently sits tied for third in the conference.

The Huskies are on the road again for their next game when they travel to the University of British Columbia to battle the Thunderbirds Sep. 15.

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Photo: Beibei Lu