The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team is looking to take the next step. The Huskies convocated 11 players from last year’s squad and there will be plenty of fresh faces on both sides of the ball.

In 2013, the Dogs finished with a 5–3 record, which was good enough for third spot in the Canada West conference. The team took on the University of Manitoba Bisons in the Canada West semi-final, but was defeated by a score of 37–36. The loss marks the sixth time in the past seven seasons that the Huskies have lost in the Canada West semifinal.

Looking to right the ship will be third year quarterback Drew Burko. In his first two seasons he racked up 3,568 yards and 20 touchdown passes. In last year’s disappointing playoff loss, Burko threw for 502 yards and four scores, but he just wants this season to start.

“I’m just looking forward to playing again. It’s been a long offseason and we kind of ended on a bitter note so everyone just wants to get out there and play and do the best we can,” Burko said.

The Dogs lost five starters from the 2013 offence, including receivers Garrett Burgess and Jeff Moore as well as offensive lineman Lane Bryksa and Michael Fuller.

Although they lost some key players, the team did add plenty of new talent. Former Saskatoon Hilltops receivers John Trumpy and Graham Unruh will add some depth to the receiving corp.

Also joining the Huskies is the highly touted running back prospect Tyler Chow. Chow won the Alberta provincial championship last year and was the starting running back for team Canada at the U18 International Bowl. Joining him at running back is former Hilltop and Canadian Junior Player of the year Andre LaLonde.

Aside from the new recruits the squad will bring back lots of veteran presence.

Offensive lineman Matt Leung will anchor an otherwise young group of linemen. Brothers Kit and Mitch Hillis will be the main targets for Burko. The duo combined for 765 receiving yards last season. Shane Buchanan will return as the starting running back after a strong 2013.

Traditionally a strength for the U of S, the defence was hit hard by losing five starters. Last season the Dogs allowed just 25 points per game, which was good enough for second in Canada West. They also ranked first in the conference with 13 interceptions and 24 sacks as a team.

Defensive lineman Joel Seutter, linebacker Braxton Lawrence and former captain Zach Hart all will be missed this season. Returning All-Canadian safety Mark Ingram will be counted on to lead the defence.

The linebacker group should be very solid, as the Dogs will welcome back Geoff Hughes and Richard Zacharias. Zacharias recorded 30 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble last year. Hughes was also impressive in his three games last season before suffering a season-ending injury. In his limited action, Hughes had 10 tackles and three sacks. Veteran leadership will also be expected from Dylan Kemp and Dane Bishop.

Brayden Twarynski will look to fill one of the three holes on the defensive line. The Academic All-Canadian tallied 12 tackles in his limited playing time last year. New recruits Evan Machibroda, Tristan Koronkiewicz and Adam Morrison will all look to contribute on the line as well.

On his last year of Canadian Interuniversity Sport eligibility, kicker Denton Kolodzinski will be looked to for some stability on the special teams. Last season he was one of the top kickers in Canada West with an average of 40.5 yards per punt and 18–25 on field goal attempts.

Head coach Brian Towriss will return for his 31st season as the bench boss. The recent lack of playoff success hasn’t deterred his expectations for the team in 2014.

“We have great potential. With a veteran presence, lots of playmakers on offence and solid lines, we should be a contender in the Canada West,” Towriss said. “We will strive to finish as one of the top two teams in the conference and battle for the Hardy Cup. Our goal is to return to national prominence.”

On Sept. 2, the CIS released its first football rankings of the season. The Huskies were ranked 10th in country receiving 56 of a possible 300 voting points. The other Canada West teams ranked were the University of Calgary Dinos at second and the Manitoba Bisons at sixth.

Catch the Dogs’ season opener on Sept. 5 when they host the Manitoba Bisons. The annual Homecoming game will take place at 7 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.