Despite missing the U SPORTS leader in passing yards per game, and going scoreless the entire second half — the Saskatchewan Huskies did all their damage in the second quarter en route to a convincing 24-10 victory at Thunderbird Stadium over UBC.
It was a devastating result for UBC's seniors playing their final home game. Two fifth-year senior receivers, Shemar McBean and Edgerrin Williams-Hernandez, shared an emotional moment at center field after the final whistle, as the team's playoff hopes dwindle by the day.
"This is a big game for us — it's just a lot of emotion," said McBean. "A lot of time and effort [is] put into training, doing all these things, and to lose after putting your heart into it really sucks."
Anton Amandrud, who has thrown for 328.2 yards per game this season, missed his second consecutive contest for the Huskies. Backup quarterback, Jake Farell, has performed admirably in Amandrud's absence, amassing over 500 net yards during his two games at the controls. That includes 171 in the air against the Thunderbirds, and two touchdown passes.
After a scoreless opening frame, Saskatchewan opened the floodgates in the second quarter, putting up all of their 24 points in just over five and a half minutes and scoring two touchdowns within the final 93 seconds.
Alexander Hillyard, who was playing his third straight contest for UBC in place of veteran kicker Kieran Flannery Fleck, got the scoring started with a field goal to put the Thunderbirds up 3-0. After that though, it was all up-hill for UBC.
Running back, Kayden Miller scored his second touchdown of the season on a 3-yard run at 5:46 0f the quarter to give the Huskies an 7-3 lead. Four minutes later came total disaster for the Thunderbirds. Back-to-back touchdowns from Canada West player-of-the-year candidate, Daniel Wiebe, put the Huskies up 24-3 at halftime. Wiebe had 69 yards on the night.
Post-game Blake Nill called the two minute-swing before halftime as his team finding yet another way to self destruct.
UBC showed yet again that passing isn't their problem. Despite the offence appearing stuck in the mud most of the night, Drew Viotto has put a strong string of games together after the team appears to have pivoted from fifth-year Derek Engel. Viotto was 21-for-36 on passes and piled up 306 yards in the air.
The T-Birds lone score came in the fourth after they put the clamps down Saskatchewan's blistering offence during the second half. Reciever, Trey Montour caught the long ball from Viotto at 3:25. The momentum being stoked was immeditely extinguished, as Montour was ejected from the came for objectionable conduct following the touchdown. The referee on the field indicated Montour used an obscenity on the penalty call.
A sore point for the Thunderbirds this season has been their punt-returns. UBC accumulated only 54 yards on 7 returns on Friday night, outmatched by Saskatchewan's 122 yards on two more returns.
Thunderbirds special teams coordinator, Pat Tracey, has coached for nearly 40 years in both U SPORTS and the CFL and is one of the most well-decorated defensive coordinators in U SPORTS history.
At the end of the day, the plays are in the hands of the players though, and it all comes down to execution on the field. Blake Nill said the poor-play from his special teams isn't from a lack of coaching.
"I am concerned about it. Coach Tracey's concerned about it too," said Nill. "And it's not because they haven't been coached well, [they're] young kids... What I want my young men to realize is that when [they] see the coaches leave the field, they know our coaches care."
UBC will next take on the Regina Rams on Oct. 24 at Leibel Field while the Huskies head home for a date with the Manitoba Bisons on the 25.