The red-hot Regina Rams (5-1) head to Edmonton for a matchup against the struggling Alberta Golden Bears (1-5) at Foote Field on Saturday afternoon with playoff implications on the line.
Coming off a conference-wide bye week, there is still plenty to figure out with the Canada West playoffs just two weeks away.
The Golden Bears lost their last matchup 31-24 in Saskatoon to the Saskatchewan Huskies on Oct. 4 and will be looking to cap off their final regular-season home game with a win. Meanwhile, the Rams are in the hunt for first in the conference and remain tied with the Huskies through six weeks of action.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Week 7 in Canada West.
Holding on by a thread
The Golden Bears are not out of the playoff picture quite yet. Sitting 1-5 leaves a tall task ahead of them if they want to continue playing into November, but it was just last year when a 3-5 Regina Rams team hit their stride in the playoffs and won the Hardy Cup. Could something similar happen again this year? You can bet Alberta is hoping that is the case.
But don't let the 1-5 record fool you. Although the Golden Bears have a lot of ground to make up, this team could very well be sitting 3-3 if things had fallen their way in a few matches earlier in the year. And with Trey Reider in at quarterback, this team's offence has looked revamped.
Reider brought Alberta their first win of the season when the Golden Bears were last at Foote Field when they beat UBC 38-18. The fourth-year CJFL transfer tossed for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 20 of 27 completed passes. Reider followed that performance up by passing for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-24 loss to Saskatchewan.
Regina will be another tough test for the signal caller, but he has proven he can handle the pressure of the spotlight. Watch to see how Reider reacts and adjusts to a Regina defence that is among the best in the country.
The other notable offence on the Golden Bears is Carter Kettyle. The fourth-year wideout has been the go-to receiver in Alberta's offence this season. Kettyle has recorded 100 yards or two touchdowns in all of his past four games. He and Reider have found a strong connection, and they will be tough to stop.
Switching to defence, it has been a year of learning for a secondary that features mostly first-year players after four of the five starters in Alberta's secondary graduated last season. The defence is allowing 30.3 points per game as a group and ranks in the bottom 10 in U SPORTS. If the Golden Bears want to come away with a win on Saturday, they need to hold the Rams to under 30 points. That has only happened twice this season — Sept. 19 against Saskatchewan and Oct. 4 against Calgary.
If Alberta's defence can start to find ways to avoid prolonged drives and limit explosive plays, it will offer the offence a chance to work some magic.
Fighting for first
Regina is neck and neck with Saskatchewan for first in the conference as we enter the final days of regular-season football. The defending Hardy Cup champions are poised to make a deep playoff run to defend their title and potentially more.
Noah Pelletier has continued firing on all cylinders in the regular season, leading one of the best offences in the nation. But the true workhorse of the offence might be the man out of the backfield, Marshall Erichsen. Only Ethan Dolby in all of U SPORTS has more rushing yards per game this season than Erichsen, who is recording an average of 143 yards per game on the ground.
And the Marshall Erichsen show was on full display last week in Calgary.
Pelletier threw for his season-low of 97 yards as the Rams relied on Erichsen to rush for 134 yards and one touchdown on 26 attempts.
The three-headed monster of Pelletier, Erichsen and wide receiver Nicholas Sirleaf makes Regina an explosive opponent who can make you pay at any time.
But that is just where the team's strengths start. The Rams allow the fewest yards per game to opposing defences in Canada West and are tied for the fewest points allowed with Saskatchewan. The Regina defence has been a crucial point in pushing the Rams past their opponents.
Filled with gamebreakers in defensive back Brandon Wong and linebackers Owen Zimmer and Chopper Hippe, the Rams will be a tough test for any offence in Canada West to topple.
Regina will search for another win this week to keep pace with the Huskies for first place in Canada West.
Keys to the game
Regina
- Keep feeding Erichsen
- Find ways to pressure Reider on the pass rush
- Contain Carter Kettyle
Alberta
- Find ways to get the running game going
- Put the ball in Kettyle's hands
- Hold Regina to less than 20 points
Prediction
It was all Regina when these two teams met earlier this season in September. The Rams walked away with a 47-23 win in Regina and will hope to do the same, this time in Edmonton.
Alberta can't let that happen with their playoff hopes on the line. They are pushed back up against the wall now and need to win out to try to recreate the same magic the Rams did last season.
The Golden Bears appear outmatched in terms of offensive firepower, and with the team's struggles to keep opposing offences in check, the heavy favourite is the Rams. That doesn't mean Alberta can't win, though. The Golden Bears are a brand-new team with Reider under center. Is there another level to his game that can help them close out the season with two wins? If there was a time to find out, it's now.
Final score prediction: Regina wins 34-24