The UBC Thunderbirds (1-0) head to Saskatoon for the Saskatchewan Huskies (1-0) home opener in a battle on the prairies between Canada West's top ranked teams.
The Thunderbirds are fresh off a 21-9 win over the Manitoba Bisons at Thunderbird Stadium; meanwhile, the Huskies arrive back home after rallying to beat the Alberta Golden Bears 29-20 at Foote Field.
The Thunderbirds travelled to Saskatoon two weeks ago for a preseason match that was called at halftime due to weather. Saskatchewan held a healthy lead of 18-2 in the exhibition contest.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the Week 2 clash between two of the favourites for the Hardy Cup.
Saskatchewan Huskies Team Overview
If there was anyone on the Huskies who came away from Week 1 feeling the best, it had to have been running back Ryker Frank.
The fifth-year tailback from Regina tallied two receiving touchdowns to his name and tied for the team lead in receiving yards with 62 while also rushing for 93 yards on 14 attempts.
But it wasn't just the Ryker Frank show in Week 1. It was also a breakout night for rookie wideout Ethan Clazie. The Cochrane, Alta. native caught four passes for 57 yards and fell just short of leading the team in receiving yards. He will be a welcome addition to the Huskies' offence that also boasts 2024 All-Canadian wide receiver Daniel Wiebe.
Wiebe led Canada West in receiving yards and touchdowns last year and showed no signs of slowing down as he tied for the lead in receiving yards with 62 in Edmonton.
Adding another weapon to the Saskatchewan offence seems almost unfair, considering the Huskies also returned third-year receiver Dawson Lennea, who finished fourth in receiving yards in 2024.
It will be interesting to see if Clazie can solidify his spot in the Huskies' rotation even further with another impressive performance in his first game at Griffiths Stadium.
Head coach Scott Flory said after the game in Edmonton to OB.SESSED that he believed his team "made a bunch of mistakes," adding the dogs needed to get their discipline issues "cleaned up."
"We missed some things that were uncharacteristic of our quarterback," Flory said post-game in the 29-20 win over the Golden Bears. "I trust those guys. I know they're going to respond next week."
The bright spot of that night may have come from the Saskatchewan defence. Alberta scored only three points after leading 17-15 at halftime, and it was all Huskies after that.
Saskatchewan's Charlie Parks and Brady Johansen recorded the Huskies' three sacks on the night and proved they will be ones to watch on the dogs defensive line.
Linebacker Seth Hundeby was also named OB.SESSED's defensive player of the week, thanks to his 5.5 tackles and one interception that he took to the house for a touchdown.
Saskatchewan played a solid game on both sides of the ball after a slow first half against Alberta. The Huskies will need to bring their A-game, though, against the Thunderbirds, who also come in with some momentum behind them on defence.
UBC Thunderbirds Team Overview
The Thunderbirds shut down the Manitoba Bisons' offence in the first Canada West game of the season. Holding the conference's best offence last year — the Bisons scored a Canada West-leading 251 points in 2024 — to just nine points was quite a statement from a UBC team that lost several notable faces on and off the field.
The win was in large part due to the school's latest NCAA transfer, Drew Viotto.
The "Canadian Cannon" shined in his U SPORTS debut with 230 passing yards on 20 of 29 passing attempts and two touchdowns to lead the Thunderbirds past the Bisons.
The signal caller from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. looked comfortable in the pocket and found success early with his new teammates. Wideouts Mark Webb, Edgerrin Williams-Hernandez, Trey Montour, and Shemar McBean all surpassed the 50-yard mark, with Williams-Hernandez and Montour collecting the Thunderbirds' three touchdowns on the night.
Will the legend of Viotto continue in the Paris of the Prairies? We will see wait and what Friday brings.
Nill described Griffiths Stadium as "an incredibly tough place to win" to gothunderbirds.ca's Jeff Sargeant. The Huskies lost just a single game last season at home — their Hardy Cup loss to provincial rivals Regina.
One player we know who will show up in a big way is reigning Canada West Rookie of the Year defensive lineman Deacon Sterna. The second-year product started right where he left off in 2024, posting a sack, five tackles and an interception. Sterna was tied for first in sacks in Canada West with four last year as a rookie and will make his presence known once again this week.
Sterna's success was just the tip of the iceberg for the UBC defence, though. The Thunderbirds recorded 10 tackles for a loss as a team and picked off the 2024 Canada West Player of the Year Jackson Tachinski twice.
This UBC team is loaded on defence and will be a test for the Saskatchewan run game to overcome. Watch to see how the Thunderbirds' defence attacks the Huskies and if they can shut down Ryker Frank in the backfield.
Previous Matchups and Players to Watch
It was UBC who came out on top last season in Vancouver, 38-24, the last time these two schools met in the regular season. However, Saskatchewan got the last laugh, winning a tight Hardy Cup semifinal game at Thunderbird Stadium in November.
The winner of this game will undoubtedly place themselves at the top of the conference as the team to beat. There are no easy games in Canada West, and this one promises to be no different.
In important games, you look to your best players to move the needle and lead the charge. Both lineups have plenty of players who could be called upon to carry the torch, but here are some players to keep an eye on Friday night.
UBC Thunderbirds
- QB Drew Viotto
- RB Toluwalope Ayedegbe
- WR Mark Webb
- WR Edgerrin Williams-Hernandez
- LB Kinsale Philip
- DL Deacon Sterna
Saskatchewan Huskies
- QB Anton Amundrud
- RB Ryker Frank
- WR Daniel Wiebe
- WR Ethan Clazie
- DL Charlie Parks
- LB Seth Hundeby
Prediction
The Saskatchewan Huskies' 2024 home opener was an instant classic with the dogs coming out on top 44-40 in a double overtime thriller. Could they be in line to repeat that in 2025? If they do, it will be because their defence brought pressure and overwhelmed Drew Viotto, and the offence established the run game.
But history is on the Thunderbirds' side with their win last season. Can Viotto lead UBC to its second straight win? It will mean they have to pounce on the Huskies' defence early with the passing game and finish strong — similar to what Alberta was able to do last week until the second half.
If there is one game you have to watch in Canada West this week, it's this one.
Final Score Prediction: Saskatchewan wins 23-17