VANCOUVER, B.C. - The University of Saskatchewan Huskies are headed back to the Hardy Cup for the first time since 2022. The No. 10-ranked Huskies overcame a 13-point, fourth quarter deficit in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon at Thunderbird stadium (Nov. 2) to defeat the No. 9 UBC Thunderbirds by a final score of 38-33 and advance to the Canada West Championship game.
For the Huskies, who entered the postseason as No. 3-seed in Canada West, they extend their playoff win streak over the T-Birds to twelve, with the last UBC win coming in 1976. The Dogs also earned their fifth consecutive win, and having avenged their regular season loss to UBC, have now defeated every team in the conference this year.
It was a string of season-altering plays late in the fourth quarter that vaulted the Dogs past the Thunderbirds, but the biggest perhaps was an onside kick recovered by fifth-year defensive back
Katley Joseph to set up the go-ahead score.
Prior to that play the Huskies had trailed the home team for the majority of the game after UBC was the first team to find the endzone early in the opening quarter, and took a 7-3 lead into the second frame. Despite an interception from rookie linebacker
Jacob Goldstone on the T-Birds opening drive, the Dogs could only come away with a field goal to open their semifinal matchup.
It wasn't until the 9:47 mark in the second that Saskatchewan found the endzone, finishing off a 9-play 72-yard drive with a
Ryker Frank major. Frank was once again sensational on the day, carrying the ball 26 times for 192 yards and two scores, bringing his 2024 season total to over 1,000.
After trading punts the Thunderbirds were able to retake the lead with under five minutes in the half after backup quarterback Derek Engel found a UBC offensive lineman in the endzone with some trickery on 3rd-and-two. The Dogs would have to settle for a field goal on the ensuing possession, cutting the deficit to one.
The narrow disadvantage would last all of 10 seconds as the Thunderbirds were able to connect on a 75-yard touchdown when UBC's Garrett Rooker found Sam Davenport behind the Saskatchewan secondary. Despite the one-play drive from the home team, the Dogs responded with a 10-play 85-yard march down the field to set up
Rhett Vavra's first touchdown of the campaign.
Saskatchewan quarterback
Anton Amundrud went to Vavra early and often on Saturday, with the veteran pass catcher totaling 13 receptions for a game-high 187 yards and a major. Having eased his way back into the offence, Vavra was undoubtedly Amundrud's favourite target in the playoff win.
Coming out for the third quarter, the game began to show shades of the Dogs week 4 loss, with the Thunderbirds scoring 12 unanswered to take a 33-20 lead heading into the fourth.
Determined to extend their season the Huskies marched down the field with another double-digit play drive to set up a
Lukas Scott field goal which was followed by a missed attempt on the next offensive possession, cutting the UBC lead to 33-24.
It was on their next drive that the dramatic comeback kicked into high-gear.
Third-year field general
Anton Amundrud dropped back at threw a pass which was intercepted by UBC's Max Kennedy. As Kennedy made an attempt to improve field position, rookie receiver
Ercy Avul made his first big-play of the afternoon when he punched the ball out, allowing
Ryker Frank to recover it at the Thunderbirds 34 yard-line. Despite coming away with no points, the Huskies avoided the disaster and remained alive in the ball game.
Getting the ball back with 1:22 on the clock, the Huskies entered desperation-mode, needing a score to have any hope at erasing the 33-24 deficit. on 1st-and-ten from the UBC 33, Amundrud found Avul along the sideline for a 33-yard score, and with a conversion from
Lukas Scott on the PAT, cut the lead to two with exactly 1:00 left on the clock.
Lined up for an onside kick, Scott sent a high-arching ball that, through the chaos of players desperate keep their season's alive, found the arms of
Katley Joseph who emerged from the pile with hope for the Dogs.
What came next was a showcase of power football from the Saskatchewan offensive line and running back
Ryker Frank, who rushed for 52 yards on the drive, capping off the Huskies' possession with a 1-yard touch down run while also killing off 31 seconds of precious UBC time.
Now with the script flipped and the T-birds looking for a miracle, the Huskies' secondary limited quarterback Garrett Rooker to two short completions and solidified the victory in an instant Canada West football classic.
UP NEXT
The Dogs return home to host an all-Saskatchewan Hardy Cup next weekend against the Regina Rams. who, in another semifinal upset, downed the Manitoba Bisons 28-25 to advance in the postseason. The last time the Huskies and Rams met was in Week 8 of the regular season and saw a hard-fought Saskatchewan victory by way of a 22-20 final score. The Huskies have proved that Griffiths Stadium is no easy place to play this season, earning a perfect 4-0 record at home.
Tickets for the 87th Hardy Cup are on sale NOW at HuskieTickets.com, with kickoff of the championship game set for 1:00 PM at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park on Saturday, November 9, 2024.
