The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team lost out of playoffs in the conference semifinal round for the third consecutive year. The squad struggled to get any sort of offensive momentum in the road game, and as a result lost 31-9 against Regina Rams in a snowy Mosaic Stadium Nov. 2.

The lack of offence “was certainly a big part of the loss. We fumbled twice, dropped some balls and we just didn’t generate anything,” Huskies head coach Brian Towriss said.

“We were punishing on defence and pretty good on special teams, but we didn’t make enough plays on offence to match them.”

Regina’s defensive core have now gone two consecutive games without giving up a single point. They kept a Huskies offence that had scored 52 points in their last regular season game off the scoreboard.

All nine of the Dogs’ points came in the second quarter as a result of the strong play of the team’s defence. They forced the Rams to concede a team safety early in the quarter, then later added a touchdown after fifth-year Huskies safety Bryce McCall stripped the ball from Regina’s tailback Dillon Dawson. Dogs defensive back Luke Thiel scooped up the loose ball and ran it into the Rams’ end zone for the major. The score put the Huskies in charge of the football game with a 9-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

But it was all Rams from that point on.

Regina managed a touchdown and field goal before the half to go into the break ahead of the Dogs 10-9.

Towriss said his halftime message to the players was to keep playing hard on every down, but they couldn’t catch the Rams.

“We said it was going to be a 60-minute battle and we had to execute on every play,” Towriss said. “They made some plays that allowed them to get the lead and they out-executed us in the second half for sure.”

The Rams ran away with the game, scoring three touchdowns in the span of 11 minutes in the second half.

Rams slotback Landon Buch had an explosive game. The third-year receiver entered the game with only two catches in his entire university career but made six catches for 130 receiving yards and scored two second-half touchdowns pivotal to the Rams’ late offensive surge.

Buch scored his first touchdown on a two-yard plunge into the end zone to give the Rams a 17-9 lead in the third frame. His second touchdown, a long 63-yard catch-and-run play up the right sideline with just over nine minutes remaining in the match, finished Regina’s scoring in style.

Regina’s quarterback Marc Mueller ended the day completing 21 of 32 pass attempts for 393 yards and three touchdowns. Buch led the receiving core, followed by Kolten Solomen, whose five-catch, 97-yard performance was highlighted by his 59-yard touchdown grab on the last play of the third quarter to give the Rams a 24-9 advantage.

For the Huskies, quarterback Drew Burko was 11-for-28 through the air, accumulating 134 yards. His biggest target was Canada West leading receiver Kit Hillis, who only managed four catches for a dismal 49 yards in the game.

“We pride ourselves on being playmakers, especially as receivers, and I don’t think we did that in the game,” admitted Hillis.

“The entire season is based around trying to make it to the Vanier [Cup] eventually, and to fall short in the first round hurts. It’s a tough pill to swallow,” added Hillis, who has two more years of eligibility.

In the other conference semifinal the Calgary Dinos defeated the Manitoba Bisons 57-18 to advance to and now host the Hardy Cup conference title game against Regina. The game will be played Nov. 10 at McMahon Stadium.

As for the Huskies, they will have to watch another Hardy Cup on TV, envious that they can’t be in it and hopeful that they’ll be there next year, says Hillis.

“The only thing we can do now is rebuild,” he said. “Look toward the future and hope we have a better result next year.”

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Photo: Calvin So