FB Preview: UBC, SSK favoured in Coaches Poll

Last year's finalists eye return to Hardy Cup

August 30, 2023

There's no ties in Canada West football, but there's officially a tie at the top of this year's CW football coaches poll.

Last year's Hardy Cup finalists, the Saskatchewan Huskies and UBC Thunderbirds, each received identical votes and will enter the season as favourites.

A new CW football season kicks off this week with three games on Friday night, including Alberta visiting Calgary, Saskatchewan travelling to Manitoba, and Regina hosting UBC.

After claiming two straight conference championships, many will still consider the Huskies as the team to beat. Saskatchewan is coming off a dominant 7-1 regular season campaign, powered by a blistering offensive attack that averaged 30.1 points per game. Having twice fallen just short in the Vanier Cup, it's a group that will be motivated to get over the hump in pursuit of a national title.

Dethroning the Huskies won't be easy, but UBC appears up to the task. The T-Birds, who went 4-4 last season, made waves with an impressive semifinal upset of Regina. That valuable playoff experience has left the group confident they can take the next step in pursuit of their first Hardy Cup trophy since 2015.

Not to be overlooked, the Manitoba Bisons look to build on their own 4-4 campaign. The group showed well in the pre-season, which included a 26-7 exhibition win over Regina last weekend. The Bisons finished third in this year's coaches poll, narrowly ahead of fourth place Regina.

The Alberta based teams will enter as underdogs, with poll results placing the Alberta Golden Bears fifth and the Calgary Dinos sixth. That's sure to give both sides plenty of motivation as they look to return to the CW playoffs this season.

The eight-game CW regular season runs through Oct. 28, with semifinal playoff games set for Nov. 4.

The 2023 Hardy Cup will take place Nov. 11, hosted at the highest finishing seed.

Catch the Action on SASKTEL, TELUS and CANADA WEST TV

The excitement of hard-hitting Canada West football is returning to SaskTel maxTV and maxTV Stream and TELUS Optik TV subscribers this fall.

The conference has unveiled its 2023 CW Football Showcase schedule, which will bring 19 total games to SaskTel subscribers on SaskTel maxTV and maxTV Stream.

All Rams and Huskies games will also be available on maxTV Local on Demand. Viewers can find them on channels 48 or 348 for the Rams and 49 or 349 for the Huskies.

Fans in British Columbia and Alberta will be able to watch Showcase games on TELUS OptikTV, channels 997 and 998.

Fans can catch all the action through the new look CanadaWest.TV, which now allows fans to watch games on popular Connected TV apps like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.

2023 CW FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Team - Points (First-place votes)

T1. Saskatchewan Huskies - 23 (3)

T1. UBC Thunderbirds - 23 (3)

3. Manitoba Bisons - 14

4. Regina Rams - 13

5. Alberta Golden Bears - 12

6. Calgary Dinos - 5

2023 CW FOOTBALL TEAM PREVIEWS

T1. Saskatchewan Huskies

Key Offensive Performer: Ryker Frank, RB

Ryker Frank was a key component to the Huskies run game in 2022. With four touchdowns and an average of 75 rushing yards per game, the 2022 Canada West All-Star will be a force to be reckoned with in 2023.

Key Defensive Performer: Lane Novak, LB

Intensity and determination are at Lane Novak's core. The third year linebacker racked up 47.5 tackles in 2022 and will continue to be a centrepiece of the Huskies defence this season.

CFL Draft Picks: OL Dayton Black (6th to HAM) | REC Daniel Perry (37th to OTT) | DB Charlie Ringland (43rd to BC) | REC Caleb Morin (67th to HAM)

T1. UBC Thunderbirds

Key Offensive Performer: Isaiah Knight, RB

In his second season with the Thunderbirds, Knight led the Canada West with 754 rushing yards, 192 more than the conference's second highest total. His 859 all-purpose yards was good for second in the conference in 2022 and he led UBC with five touchdowns. The Ottawa native was named a 2022 All-Canadian.

Key Defensive Performer: Ryan Baker, LB

Named a 2022 All-Canadian, Baker led the Canada West with 59.5 total tackles. The converted former quarterback also had a pair of sacks. His 10 solo tackles in the 2022 Hardy Cup easily led all players on the field, finishing last year's playoffs with 20 total.

CFL Draft Picks: DL Lake Korte-Moore (3rd to SSK) | DL Luke Burton-Krahn (23rd to EDM) | REC Lucas Robertson (69th to CGY)

3. Manitoba Bisons

From the coach: "Having made the playoffs for four seasons in a row, and with 19 starters back, optimism is high for the Manitoba Bisons. Third-year Jackson Tachinski is the clear cut starterat quarterback this season, two years after leading the Bisons to the Hardy Cup final after a knee injury to all-time passing leader Des Catellier. He has 18 touchdowns over eight starts and over 1200 all-purpose yards, and his playmaking ability at 6'4", 225 will be key to the Herd's success. On defence, WILL and MAC linebackers Nick Thomas and Isaac Dokken have combined for almost 200 tackles during their Bisons careers, and will set the tone on defence, while Manitoba returns all five starters in the secondary, including 2022 interception leader Sebastien Reid." - Brian Dobie

Key Offensive Performer: AK Gassama, REC

Draft-eligible receiver AK Gassama will be one of the best players in the country in 2023. Coming off his first-career All-Canadian season where he was just two yards shy of the most receiving yards in the nation, AK hasn't stopped working. He trained in Houston in the offseason alongside a number of NFL pros, such as Jaylen Waddle, and has enhanced his route-running, vision and overall football IQ for the upcoming campaign. Expect a Player of the Year-calibre season from number one.

Key Defensive Performer: Nick Thomas, LB

Fifth-year WILL linebacker Nick Thomas returns to the Herd after being drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in May. A lower body injury took him out of the lineup for most of 2022, but the former All-Canadian is fully healthy and has been flying around all camp making plays. Nick is in the top 25 in program history in tackles, with 101 and should be near the top of the leader board in tackles in 2023.

CFL Draft Picks: DT Collin Kornelson (44th to WPG) | LB Nick Thomas (60th to SSK)

4. Regina Rams

Key Offensive Performer: Bennett Stusek, REC

Bennett Stusek enters his final season of U SPORTS eligibility with 99 catches, 1552 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns in his career with the Rams. He's expected to again be one of quarterback Noah Pelletier's main targets this year along with returning starters D'Sean Mimbs and Emmett Steadman.

Key Defensive Performer: Josh White, LB

Josh White will be one of the anchors on a new-look Rams defence this year. White, who will start at will linebacker for the fourth consecutive season for the Rams, enters his final season with the program ranked sixth in school history with 9.5 sacks and seventh with 19.5 tackles for loss. White was a third-round selection by Ottawa in the CFL Draft earlier this year.

CFL Draft Picks: DL Anthony Bennett (8th to WPG) | DB Jaxon Ford (11th to SSK) | LB Josh White (25th to OTT) | DL Tanner Schmekel (35th to WPG)

5. Alberta Golden Bears

Key Offensive Performer: Eli Hetlinger, QB

As is often the case in Canadian Football, Quarterback play has a massive role in team success. The same is true for the Bears, who seem to have found their QB of the current and future. In five starts last season, Eli Hetlinger tossed for 279 yards per game, the third highest total in U SPORTS. In games he completed, the Bears were 2-2. Without him, the Bears were 1-3. Much of the Bears potential success in 2023 relies on continued progression and a healthier season from Hetlinger.

Key Defensive Performer: Jonathan Giustini, FS

Arguably the Bears best pass defender in 2022, free safety / kicker Jonathan Giustini returns to anchor a young defence in 2023. Giustini finished second on the team with 47 tackles last fall, adding a team-high six pass breakups, and is one year removed from being the conference's all-star at kicker. Losing three of their top four tackle leaders to graduation/the CFL, Giustini will once again need to be excellent in the Alberta backfield in their absence.

CFL Draft Picks: LB Jake Taylor (18th to EDM) | DL Kwadwo Boahen (22nd to CGY) | REC Jonathan Rosery (62nd to WPG)

6. Calgary Dinos

From the coach: "We were a young team in 2022 that struggled to find consistency. This group has matured and worked very hard in the off-season and we can already see the difference on the field. A very strong recruiting class that contained linemen from the NCAA, CJFL and CEGEP will allow us to be stronger upfront. The key additions of Taylor Altilio, Adam Blasetti and Chris Anstey to our coaching staff will make a huge impact on the field and in the meeting rooms. Our focus in 2023 is a return to playoff football." - Wayne Harris

Key Offensive Performer: Matthieu Clarke, RB

Matthieu Clarke emerged as a leader on the Dinos offence last season, amassing 382 yards rushing and 560 total yards. Now entering his third season on the field, he will be relied upon as a veteran for this year's young offensive unit.

Key Defensive Performer: Jacob Biggs, DB

Jacob Biggs is the clear leader for the Dinos defence heading into 2023. The standout defensive back earned his way into rookie camp with the Calgary Stampeders but an injury cut his time short, allowing him to return to the Dinos for his fifth season. His experience and leadership will play important roles this season.

CFL Draft Picks: DL Josh Hyer (64th to HAM)