CALGARY – The Calgary Dinos (5-0) have returned from the Thanksgiving bye week with plenty to be thankful for.
They remain the unanimous No. 1 ranked team in the country, and with a win this Friday in Saskatoon (7 p.m., Shaw TV) they would lock up top spot in the Canada West, for the fifth straight season.
They may also have star running back Mercer Timmis back in the line-up, who’s listed as probable for Friday night. Despite missing the better part of three games with a shoulder injury, Timmis still leads the league in touchdowns (7), and rushing yards per game (175.3).
In his absence, the Dinos’ run game hasn’t suffered, racking up 697 yards on the ground since Timmis left late in the first quarter of the Sept. 17 game against Alberta.
Fourth-year running back Bryce Harper has carried the bulk of the load, including his first career 100-yard rushing game last week against Saskatchewan.
“We’ve always said we’ve had the best running backs in the country, like as a whole,” stated the California native. “But it starts with Mercer, right? Just an unbelievable running back and we just kind of feed off of him. In practice, each play we’re like, ‘did we make the right read? Did we do the right things?’ It’s just a brotherhood.”
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Milestone watch continues on Friday for the Dinos fifth-year kicker, Johnny Mark. He needs just one field goal to become the all-time Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) career record holder with 85. But Mark insists he won’t feel the nerves the next time he lines up a field goal.
“We’ve kicked a lot field goals so far and if it doesn’t go the way I want it to, then hopefully we’ll have another try coming along,” said Mark, who’s missed just two field goals in 21 attempts this season.
“I’m hoping we win the Vanier, that’s the number one goal, but it’s obviously nice to hit some personal milestones along the way. I’m sure I’ll reflect on this in a couple years and be thankful for it, but right now I’m just really focused on winning the championship.”
He’s currently tied with Tyler Crapigna (McMaster) with 84 field goals. Ironically, Crapigna was traded Wednesday by the Calgary Stampeders to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Mark has three games left to set the new standard, and add to his CIS all-time scoring record, which currently stands at 489 points.
The Huskies will try to avoid back-to-back losses at the hands of the Dinos, and stay in the playoff race. The Huskies remain in a logjam in the middle of the standings with two wins, currently tied for the final spot with Alberta.
It’s the Huskies annual Blackout Game Friday night. They’re expecting a crowd of close to 10,000. The Dinos will counter with their all-white look, so it’ll be black and white night Friday at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon.
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