AUSTIN ARVAY

The Huskies had a win over the Canada West top ranked Dinos in their sights, but a strong second-half push by the visiting team took on the challenge.

The Huskies took on the undefeated Univeristy of Calgary Dinos on Oct. 4 but were unable to hand the visiting team their first loss of the year. The Canada West number one team topped the rival number two ranked Dogs 24-12 during the Huskies annual blackout game.

The Dinos rode a strong second half to victory and ran their record to a perfect 6-0. The win guarantees Calgary the number one seed in Canada West playoffs and home field advantage throughout the first round. The Dogs fell to 4-2 on the season and need a win over the Manitoba Bisons to clinch a home playoff game.

It was a relatively sloppy game on a brisk October night as the teams combined for nine turnovers. The Huskies had four lost fumbles as well as an interception tossed by quarterback Drew Burko, but the defence picked up the slack with two picks of their own and two recovered fumbles.

The Huskies played a strong first half and held the lead over the Dinos at halftime. However, the Dinos came out flying in the second half and outscored the Dogs 18-1.

The Huskies gained just 164 yards on offence in the second half, with 71 of those coming on the final drive which ended in a turnover on downs at the Dinos’ 18-yard line. The Dinos on the other hand were unstoppable in the second half, using a balanced attack to gain a hefty 418 yards.

Despite the rather cool finish, the Huskies offence was on fire to start the game. They scored on their opening drive, a 15-yard pass from Burko to receiver Charlie Power, but were unable to find the endzone again. In the second quarter, Dinos kicker Johnny Mark connected on field goals from 19 and 23 yards out and Huskies kicker Denton Kolodzinski hit from 42 yards and missed from 38, giving the Dogs an 11-6 advantage at the half.

Kolodzinski opened the scoring in the second half with a single point off a punt into the endzone, making it a 12-6 game. The Dinos answered with a short six-play, two minute drive that ended in Chris Dobko catching a 19-yard pass from Dinos quarterback Andrew Buckley. Mark would add three more points for Calgary with a 34-yard field goal, and then another single with a 61-yard punt. The Dinos led 17-12 after the third quarter.

The lone points in the fourth quarter came off an 80-yard touchdown run by Dinos running back  Mercer Timmins which extended the visiting team’s lead to 12. Timmins finished the night with an impressive 178 rushing yards.

The Dinos offence used a balanced attack all night to keep the Huskies defence guessing. Calgary ran for 274 yards and threw for another 355. Rashaun Simonise was Buckley’s favourite target as he hauled in six catches for 145 yards. The Dogs defence performed well, recording three sacks and four takeaways — something they can build off in the coming weeks.

Burko completed 17 out of 38 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown on the night. Garrett Burgess led the Huskies receivers with six receptions for 91 yards.

Running back Dexter Janke had a quiet night on the ground with just 10 carries for 57 yards. He did however have a 31-yard run on the Huskies’ first drive, which helped set up the lone touchdown for the Dogs. Andrew Abbs led the defence with a total of 10 tackles.

The Huskies host the University of Manitoba Bisons on Oct. 18 in a make-or-break game at Griffiths Stadium.

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Photo: Jordan Dumba/Photo Editor