BURNABY, B.C. – Eight turnovers proved costly for the No. 9 Calgary Dinos as they fell to No. 8 Simon Fraser 20-3 in Canada West football action Saturday in Burnaby, B.C.
Five fumbles, two interceptions, and one turnover on downs plagued the Dinos, who fall to 2-2 on the 2008 season, while SFU moves into sole possession of first place in Canada West at 3-1. Two turnovers in the red zone proved particularly costly, snuffing out long drives at key times in the game. In the end, a 37-yard Aaron Ifield field goal was the only scoring play for the Dinos.
“We just need to hold on to the ball,” said Calgary coach Blake Nill following the game. “Our defence was solid again today for the most part, but we need to get the offence in synch. And now this sets up a huge game for us against UBC next weekend.”
On a sloppy field with wet, foggy conditions, back-to-back fumbles on the first two offensive plays of the game set the tone for the afternoon. Clan receiver Andrew Emans caught an eight-yard pass then fumbled on the first play following the opening kickoff, and Chase Moore recovered to give Calgary the ball on the Simon Fraser 31-yard line. On the very next play, Dinos quarterback Deke Junior mishandled the snap and the Clan pounced on the loose ball.
A one-yard sneak on third down by quarterback Bernd Dittrich was the only scoring play of the opening quarter and the Clan went up 6-0 after a missed convert attempt.
Two field goals by Jeffrey Biles put the Clan up 12-0 with less than two minutes to play. Junior led the Dinos downfield effectively, setting up first-and-goal from the SFU four yard line with 30 seconds left. Junior again had trouble with the snap, and SFU linebacker Thomas Pearce jumped on the loose ball.
It was the same story in the third quarter, where the Dinos came knocking on the door in the red zone following an eight-play, 88-yard drive. With the ball on the Clan 19 yard line, Junior was intercepted – and again Pearce was the beneficiary.
The Dinos' final turnover of the afternoon led directly to points for the Clan. With less than two minutes to play, Matt Walter made a 10-yard reception but fumbled, with Chris Folk right there to recover for Simon Fraser. Folk returned it for 31 yards and the final points of the game, putting the hosts up 20-3.
Junior finished the afternoon 15-for-27 with 211 yards and two interceptions. He was replaced in the fourth quarter by import Casey Brown, who fared little better in racking up 38 yards on 4-of-9 passing.
Walter had his second straight 100-yard game from the backfield for Calgary, but his 143-yard rushing performance was mitigated by three fumbles as the Dinos had serious trouble holding on to the slick ball on the natural turf at Swangard Stadium. Sophomore Anthony Parker was the Dinos' leading receiver, making seven catches for 119 yards.
Calgary's offensive struggles continued throughout the game, and the Dinos have now gone more than eight quarters of football without an offensive touchdown – the last coming at 13:42 of the fourth quarter against Manitoba in Week 3. The defence played well in allowing just one offensive touchdown by the Clan, but the Dinos did give up 295 yards on the ground to SFU – including the first 100-yard rushing game by a Clan player in nearly three years with Gabe Ephard's 111 yards.
For the Simon Fraser Clan, who came into the season riding a 25-game losing skid, the victory followed a 27-17 upset of the sixth-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies last weekend and the 3-1 start is their best since joining CIS in 2002. It snapped a four-game losing skid against the Dinos, who beat the Clan by a combined score of 106-17 in their two meetings last season.
Dittrich finished the game 7-for-20 for 151 yards and one interception, while rushing for 59 yards and SFU's lone offensive touchdown. Gabe Ephard added 11 yards on the ground on 12 carries, while collectively the Clan rushed for 295 yards. Folk was the defensive leader for SFU, collecting 7.5 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery, while Jamie McCartney added two sacks and 5.5 tackles for the Clan.
Both teams head east for their next action, though the Clan head a little further so. Simon Fraser will take on the Regina Rams (1-2) next weekend in Regina, while the Dinos return to McMahon Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff against the UBC Thunderbirds (2-2) Saturday, Sept. 27. The game will be broadcast live on Shaw TV, The FAN 960, and fan960.com.
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