The Alberta Golden Bears open their 2025 season on Friday, August 29, at Foote Field in Edmonton with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MDT against the Saskatchewan Huskies.
The opener marks the debut of head coach Stevenson Bone, who inherits a program that finished with a 2-6 record last year and missed the playoffs after blowing back-to-back double-digit leads in the final two games of the season.
Alberta brings back several veterans with eyes on the CFL, including running back Ope Oshinubi, who returns for a final season after a standout combine performance.
Wideouts Kolby Hurford, Carter Kettyle, Erik Torhjelm, and senior quarterback Eli Hetlinger give the Bears stability on offense.
Sources around the team say that Alberta fans should be on the lookout for new faces in Week 1. Rookie running back Seth Poelzer seems to be one of those new faces.
The 5'11" Okotoks native may potentially get some reps behind Oshinubi this season. The main concern for the Bears is the secondary — a unit that faltered last season and remains thin heading into Week 1.
In other good news, the Bears' defensive unit welcomes back senior defensive back EJ Oyama, who was noticeably absent from the 2024 Golden Bears roster.
The Huskies, led by head coach Scott Flory, are a model of subtle consistency. Expect a physical run game and a disciplined defense from this roster. The Huskies are coming off of a 6-4 record last season and a 19-14 defeat against Regina during last year's Canada West Hardy Cup final.
Saskatchewan will most likely be leaning on veteran receiver Daniel Wiebe and newcomer Daniel Kubongo, who transferred from Western University to run their routes during the season opener, as well as senior running back Ryker Frank.
Saskatchewan also sports a slightly bigger offensive lineman unit than Alberta. That O-line unit will be responsible for protecting the Huskies starting quarterback Anton Amundrud.
The star quarterback is coming off a stellar season where he recorded 2984 passing yards and 140 rushing yards from the previous season. He also made an appearance in the 2025 U SPORTS East-West Bowl in Waterloo, and helped lead Team West to victory over Team East.
Amundrud was the sole quarterback to clock over 100 yards during the game, throwing for 301 yards while completing 19 of 29 pass attempts. This exceptional passer, his well stacked offensive linemen unit and their potential size advantage over Alberta something spectators should watch out for.
While the Huskies had their exhibition game against the UBC Thunderbirds cancelled at half time due to weather conditions, the final score was capped at 24-0 — giving the Huskies an unofficial victory for their preseason.
Alberta, however, suffered a preseason defeat against the Calgary Dinos in Red Deer last Monday. Finishing the game 45-13, the Bears now have some big adjustments to make in order to be victorious against Saskatchewan this Friday night.
Players to Watch:
Alberta:
- David Okoye — REC
- Seth Poelzer — RB
- Carson Hartmann — DL
- Trey Reider — QB
- Jesse Groot — LB
- EJ Oyama — DB
- Eric Schwartz — K/P
Saskatchewan:
- Anton Amundrud — QB
- Daniel Kubongo – REC
- Jake Farrell — QB
- Lukas Scott – K/P
- Lucas Scheck — DB
- Javin Boynton — RB
- Rhett Vavra — REC
Overall Matchup Prediction:
Saskatchewan’s pedigree, as close contenders for the Hardy Cup last year, makes them a force to be reckoned with. Their depth, size, discipline give them the edge, but Alberta’s veterans could make things interesting if the run game finds traction.
Final Score prediction: Saskatchewan wins, 40-20