REGINA, SK - Christian Katende's historic night helped the University of Regina Rams clinch a postseason berth with a 29-22 come-from-behind victory over Alberta on Friday night at a raucous Leibel Field in Regina.
He finished with 26 carries for a total of 228 yards and 2 touchdowns, becoming the first Rams player in 7 years to go over the 200 mark and piling up the third most rushing yards in a single game in University of Regina history.
Leading 22-4 midway through the third, the Golden Bears are outscored 25-0 over the final quarter and a half in the 29-22 loss. Alberta finishes the season 2-6, and misses the post-season, while Regina secures the fourth and final seed.
Over their final four games, all losses, the Bears were outscored 65-18 in the fourth quarter.
THE COMEBACK
- Despite the Rams allowing only a single offensive touchdown on Friday, Alberta led 15-4 at halftime and opened up a 22-4 lead thanks to Romeo Nash's 32-yard pick six early in the third quarter.
- That's when Katende started to put the Rams on his back. They immediately responded with a 7-play, 72-yard touchdown drive which saw the third-year running back run for 57 of those yards off 5 carries, including a final 15-yard rumble to the end zone.
- The Rams then took advantage of an Alberta unnecessary roughness penalty which pinned the visitors back on their own one-yard line. On the next play, Tarick Polius took down Alberta running back Ope Oshinubi in the end zone for a safety to cut the Golden Bears' lead to 22-13.
- After yet another two-and-out forced by the Rams' defence, Noah Pelletier's offence took over at midfield and made it to the end zone six plays later with Pelletier himself finishing it off from two yards out to get Regina to within two points.
- On the ensuing Alberta possession, the Golden Bears got a couple of first downs but were forced to punt after a blindside block penalty put them into a 3rd-and-25 situation. But the snap was high, and Jonathan Giustini had to kick the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety which tied up the game at 22-22.
- With all the momentum firmly on the Rams' side, Katende then put the Rams into the lead for good. He had consecutive rushes of 8, 9, and 24 yards and a key Pelletier pass to Emmett Steadman brought the Rams down to Alberta's 10. After a successful Pelletier rush on third down, Katende rumbled in from seven yards out to score his second touchdown of the night and put the Rams up 29-22.
- The Rams got a huge sack from Brandon Wong on the next Alberta possession to force a punt, and more brilliance from Katende brought Regina well into Golden Bears territory before punting one final time. The defence brought it home, with a Jacob Tkachuk interception on a third-down heave by Alberta clinching the win.
