CALGARY – The Regina Rams and Calgary Dinos seem to consistently exemplify the quirks of Canada West's seven-team, eight-game schedule in their head-to-head match-ups.
Saturday will be Regina's sixth visit to McMahon Stadium for a conference game since joining Canada West in 1999 – but five of those games came in consecutive years from 2000 through 2004. The Rams have not played a game in Calgary since Oct. 8, 2004, so a team that was once familiar to Calgary football fans is now largely unknown.
Just a handful of players from that 30-24 Dinos victory will be on hand for Saturday's contest, which has serious post-season repercussions for both sides. Two-time Canada West MVP Teale Orban was still just an 18-year-old pure freshman, embarking on what has become one of the most prolific passing careers in CIS football history, and Dinos fans will see him perform for the second and final time at McMahon on Saturday.
Just two current Dinos – fullback David Gruninger and defensive back Jon Waldie – played in that 2004 game.
But enough history, back to the task at hand. Both teams enter the weekend with identical 3-2 records, but their roads have been far different. The sixth-ranked Dinos put their perfect home record on the line this weekend against a Rams team they played – and beat – in exhibition action back in late August.
While the Dinos haven't exactly been road warriors, scoring just three points in two road games, Calgary has owned the second half at McMahon Stadium in three previous outings, outscoring opponents 61-21 in the final 30 minutes – including a 41-18 advantage in the fourth quarter. The Dinos have never trailed by more than a touchdown at home this season, but Orban and the powerful Regina offence will provide a stiff challenge Saturday. If the Dinos are successful, it will be their first 4-0 season at home since the Vanier Cup championship year of 1995.
Orban broke Greg Vavra's conference record for career completions in last week's win over Alberta and already holds the all-time touchdown passes record in Canada West. He will likely complete the passing record trifecta early in Saturday's ball game, as he sits just 32 yards in arrears of the all-time passing yards record. And it could hardly come at a more appropriate place – the current record holder is Darryl Leason, who spent the first part of his career with the Dinos before joining the Rams for the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
Jordan Sisco and Chad Goldie are Orban's top targets, and both rank in the top 10 in the conference in receiving yards. Goldie is another potential record-breaker Saturday, as he sits just three behind UBC's Brad Coutts (1996-2000) for the all-time receptions record.
Calgary's defence will have its work cut out for it on the run as well, as Regina boasts conference-leading rusher Luke Derkson. Derkson is averaging nearly 125 yards per game, a healthy 25 yards better than the Dinos' Matt Walter, who currently sits second in the rushing race.
After stumbling out of the gates to an 0-2 start, the Rams have rebounded for three straight victories, beginning with a wild finish at UBC that became an 18-16 Rams victory.
The Dinos, meanwhile, enjoyed their bye last week after a long grind that started with the first day of training camp back on August 15. The coaching staff gave the players a couple of days off to help recover from the nicks and bruises that are part of a football season, and Calgary will field a healthy lineup against the Rams.
Offensive lineman Reed Alexander and running back Anthony Woodson remain sidelined indefinitely, but nagging injuries hounding other players – most notably Walter and leading receiver Anthony Parker – had valuable time to heal over bye week.
The Dinos come into the weekend riding a modest two-game losing streak against the Rams, but they did score an exhibition win over Regina Aug. 23 in Medicine Hat, a 26-10 decision. Calgary is 5-5 all-time against the Rams in conference play.
Gruninger, Waldie, Josh MacDonald, and Patrick Callan, the four fifth-year Dinos, will be honoured prior to Saturday's game – the last home game of their CIS careers. The Dinos finish the season with back-to-back road contests at Manitoba and Alberta.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on The FAN 960 and www.fan960.com with Dave Rowe and Tony Spoletini. A video webcast will also be available at www.nutv.ca/streaming, and live stats at www.sidearmstats.com/calgary/football. Kickoff is 1 p.m. MT.
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