The Calgary Dinos (2-5) welcome the Alberta Golden Bears (1-6) to McMahon Stadium in Calgary for the second Battle of Alberta of the season.
The two will be in search of the final playoff spot by capturing a win on Saturday afternoon. Calgary beat Alberta 23-19 when these teams met earlier this season in Edmonton, and will hope to close out the season 2-0 in this year's edition of the rivalry. But the Golden Bears might have something to say about that. Alberta has to win tonight if they want to play one more week of football.
Who will punch their ticket to the playoffs? Here's what you need to know ahead of Saturday.
Down but not out
The Golden Bears came up just short again last week versus the Rams, falling 22-20 on a last-minute field goal.
It was a moment that felt like the final nail in the coffin for an Alberta team that has found themselves on the losing end of several games this season. But a gift from the Manitoba Bisons gave the Golden Bears one small path forward going into this week, after they won 33-31 in Calgary as the game was ongoing in Edmonton.
Head Coach Stevenson Bone was straightforward when asked what his message to his team was after the loss to Regina: "We're still not done."
"We could be in the playoffs at 2-6," Bone said to OB.SESSED post-game. "That's the goal."
It's a simple mission from the Golden Bears' perspective this week: Win and you're in.
Is it possible? Yes, this team has been underwhelming in its performance this season, but it's not due to a lack of talent. From Carter Kettyle to Eli Hetlinger, to Chase Tataryn, to Dayton Ingenhaag, there is no shortage of talented football players who should get a chance at the professional level. But football is a team sport, and you win and lose as a team.
You can't point to one player to blame for the Golden Bears' failures this season. The team has played very well, but has faltered when it matters most late in games.
Alberta has lost three games within one score this season — they aren't the only team in Canada West to ever experience that, but it might be what holds them out of playing football in November.
Throw in the team's average of 29 points allowed per game, and it is clear what the Golden Bears need to do to win on Saturday: avoid a late-game collapse and hold the Dinos to less than 21 points.
The offence should be looked after with Carter Kettyle and potentially Eli Hetlinger back at the helm — Hetlinger assumed the starting spot after Trey Reider was hit before getting out of bounds on a scramble early in the first quarter and left the game last week.
If Alberta can make that a reality, then the Golden Bears are heading to the postseason with a 2-6 record.
Turning the tides?
The Dinos are riding a four-game losing streak into the final week of the season.
Things have not turned out so well for Calgary. In fact, their last win was in Edmonton, and they have since struggled to close out games late, losing by less than one score in three of their past four games.
David Jordan has impressed yet again, though, despite the choppy waters. The American transfer has thrown for over 200 yards in all but one game during the losing streak and is proving to be a quarterback the Dinos can rely on in the future.
But you can't quite say the same about the Dinos' rushing game. No Dino has recorded 100-plus rushing yards in a game since Eri Olarubofin's 155-yard performance in the win over Edmonton.
Calgary is middle of the pack at 14th in the league for rushing yards per game as a team. Can they kickstart that again this week like they did earlier in the year? If the Dinos want to make the playoffs, they might have to.
After a solid 2-1 start to the year, it's been anything but for Calgary. All the team's momentum with their youth movement has hit a stalemate. Some may view it as the team coming back to earth, but it's clear something has changed since their win in Edmonton.
Saturday will be a strong test for a young Dinos team. Will they answer the call and right the ship? Or will the 2-1 start look like a fluke?
That question will be answered based on who is matching up with the number one seed in the first week of November.
Keys to the game
Alberta
- Follow up on last week's momentum with a full 60-minute effort
- Feed Carter Kettyle
- Hold on in the fourth quarter
Calgary
- Use lessons from earlier in the season to right the ship
- Utilize Jordan and the passing game
- Limit Kettyle's opportunities
Prediction
Both teams are coming off weeks where they could've been the one with the win. Instead, it might result in two very hungry offences.
There is no debate that whoever wins this one is the hungrier team. It's not very often that you are faced with a win-win situation as a 2-5 or 1-6 team. This is a chance to quell the doubters and prove those one-score games very well could've gone your way.
Calgary has the edge due to their win last time these two teams met, but don't forget that Alberta led late in that game. It appears to be a toss-up — as it always is in Canada West — but the Golden Bears looked like a team on a mission with Hetlinger under center, and this week might be the one where they turn their fortunes around.
Final score prediction: Alberta wins 21-20