All preseason, we've been talking about who's going to start at quarterback for the UBC Thunderbirds; Drew Viotto or Derek Engel? Well it turns out the trapdoor secret option might just be Derek Engel and Drew Viotto.
UBC defeated the visiting Manitoba Bisons 21-9 on Aug. 28 with both the newcomer Viotto and the program veteran Engels seeing time during the season opener.
Thunderbird Stadium was packed to the gills with the grassy hill opposite the stadium also occupying hordes of fans in blue and yellow.
Viotto, playing his first game in U SPORTS, completed 20-of-29 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns when he was subbed out late in the third quarter with cramps.
In came Engel, who completed three passes on five attempts for 35 yards and a score in the cameo appearance to close out the game.
Viotto sparked the team early with his passing while the Bisons took away the run game, but notably steamrolled a defender on the rush in the first quarter.
He didn't care how many touchdowns he had to throw though, for him it was all about the win.
"It feels great," Viotto told OB.SESSED postgame. "You know, I've been waiting three years to get on the field, and I wanted to kind of set the tone physically myself. If anyone can do it, it'll be me. So why not? So I decided to set the tone myself."
It wasn't a banner night for UBC on either side of the rush. While offensively their run game improved once Engel entered the game, defensively that proved to be their weak spot.
Running back Breydon Stubbs caused problems for the T-Birds, piling up 92 yards on 15 attempts while reigning Canada West Player of the Year Jackson Tachinski converted for the Bisons' only TD of the game on a rushing play of his own in the fourth quarter.
"On the scoring drive things were clicking and those last five minutes we just didn't execute," said Tachinski.
"I think there's lots of positives we can take. We moved the ball well and didn't quit in the second half, we just have to finish some of those drives."
UBC's veteran group of recievers delivered top notch performances. Fifth-year Edgerrin Williams-Hernandez scored two TD's on three catches for 60 yards and rookie Trey Montour rounded out the scoring with a touchdown on four catches for 59 yards in his debut.
On defence, reigning Canada West Rookie of the Year Deacon Sterna was all over Tachinski, sacking him in the first quarter and picking him off for his first career interception in the second.
Meanwhile, graduate transfer Kinsale Phillip, who spent most of his time with U of T as a quarterback, slid nicely in at linebacker for the Thunderbirds, leading all players with nine tackles, 1.5 for loss.
Thunderbirds head coach Blake Nill hinted at the idea of continuing on with the two quarterback system and that it might be something that adds another wrinkle for teams to game-plan for.
Committing to wielding dual quarterbacks would put a tentative end to the QB debate surrounding UBC — but with Viotto's health status for next game still TBD, there's one more week for speculation.
The Bisons visit the Calgary Dinos next week before their home opener Sep. 13 against the Saskatchewan Huskies — the team UBC takes on next on Sep. 5.
"If we'd have lost this game — now you're going into Sask, probably the toughest place to win, 0-1 — then the top potential to go 0-2 — there's no easy games, and all of a sudden everything just starts to weigh you down," said head coach Blake Nill.
"And this gives us three days to get better, I'm excited about going into Sask."