Another Canada West football game with major playoff implications looms this weekend as the Saskatchewan Huskies host the Manitoba Bisons.
The Huskies had a big decision to make at the quarterback position after benching starter Kyle Siemens last week in B.C. Siemens completed only 50 per cent of his passes for 116 yards with one interception before getting pulled.
Back-up QB Mason Nyhus opened the second half by leading the Dogs on their only touchdown drive of the game, but went on to throw three picks of his own.
Huskies Head Coach Scott Flory said Siemens will start against the Bisons this weekend. In fact, he said he told the fifth-year QB as much right after their 20-10 loss to the UBC Thunderbirds on Oct. 12.
While Flory maintains Nyhus has a bright future, the Huskies are Siemens’ team.
“We talk a lot about trust around here and that’s not only player-to-player but coach-to-player and player-to-coach and I think he trusted the decision whether he liked it or not,” Flory said.
“I hope he didn’t like it but at the end of it, I’m just trying to do what’s in the best interest of this football team and he understands that and the best interest of our football team is him to start on Saturday.”
The Huskies offense will look to rebound after producing their lowest points total in a single game this season.
“You have to roll with your successes and also roll with your failures and for me personally, I have to be able to play better and rise to the occasion and last week was a tough one but it’s all about how you respond,” Siemens said.
“It’s part of football and, at the time, I just wasn’t playing my best football but thankfully it’s another week and we can bounce back from it.”
Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan are entering the last games of the regular season with matching 3-3 records.
The U Sports teams last met on Sept. 7 with the Huskies winning 48-46 in enemy territory.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 20, at Griffiths Stadium.