EDMONTON – Fresh off a 29-22 win over the Regina Rams, the Alberta Golden Bears look to remain perfect as they host the Saskatchewan Huskies Friday in their home opener. (Kickoff at 7pm, Foote Field).
While they enter the game with a 1-0 record, Head Coach Chris Morris says his team can’t afford to look past Saskatchewan.
“It was a great thing to get a win but let’s not fool ourselves about what we are right now, we’re a young team that needs to get better every second.”
One of those young players – rookie quarterback Ben Kopczynski. The 5’10” pivot from Calgary showed great composure in his debut against Regina, completing 22 of 36 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown.
But if the Bears are going to pull out a victory against Saskatchewan, they’ll have to do two things… first, remain disciplined. They racked up 145 yards in penalties last week, something they can’t afford to do against the Huskies. Morris says they’ll need to focus on those that are controllable like excessive celebration or roughing the passer.
“The reality is if you hit a quarterback, you’re probably getting a flag so you gotta be careful with what you do when you get close to him.”
They’ll also have to find a way to slow down Huskies defensive tackle Donovan Dale. The 6’1” 290lbs 1st Team All-Canadian was a terrific addition by Saskatchewan. Morris calls him one of the best defensive lineman in the country.
“So we gotta have a plan for him and we gotta make sure our offensive line understands what he does really well and what we can do to slow him down a little bit because that’s about the best you do with that kid, he’s a talented player.”
As for Saskatchewan, the Huskies come into this game reeling after a disastrous start to their season. With four turnovers, the Huskies dropped their home opener against the defending Hardy Cup Champion Manitoba Bisons 34-28. Head Coach Brian Towriss says his team has a great deal of respect for the Bears and are expecting a battle. They’ve been focused on eliminating their mistakes especially in the red zone. Against Manitoba, the Huskies were just 3-for-6 in the red zone, something that needs to change if they want to avoid an 0-2 start.
The home opener will mark the first time the Bears play on their brand new field turf. Foote Field underwent a much needed makeover this off-season, that many are calling a program changer.
“It’s a wonderful surface for our athletes,” said Morris. “Their legs are more fresh, we’re not as beat up, we’re not as ground down, we don’t have as many kids with shin splints or ankles that are sore.”
AROUND THE CANADA WEST
This week’s featured game will see the (2) Calgary Dinos (1-0) visit the (6) Manitoba Bisons (1-0). Keep an eye on Dinos kicker Johnny Mark who is two field goals away from tying the Canada West record for most career field goals (71). He’s also 14 points away from tying the CIS all-time scoring record (422). You can catch Friday’s game at 7 pm on Krown Produce Canada West Football on Shaw TV. Tune in on local Shaw TV, Shaw HD Ch. 304, Shaw Direct 299.
The other game will see one team get into the win column, as the Regina Rams (0-1) visit the (10) UBC Thunderbirds (0-1).
CIS TOP 10
Here’s this week’s edition of the CIS Top 10…
1. Laval Rouge et Or
2. Calgary Dinos
3. Western Mustangs
4. Montreal Carabins
5. Guelph Gryphons
6. Manitoba Bisons
7. McMaster Marauders
8. Mount Allison Mounties
9. Saskatchewan Huskies
10. UBC Thunderbirds
A reminder, Global TV is your home for the 2015 Hardy Cup Playoffs including the 79th Hardy Cup Final.
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