CALGARY – For a pair of 2-2 teams, Week 6 of the Canada West football season could very well make or break their playoff aspirations.
The UBC Thunderbirds hook up with the No. 10 Calgary Dinos Saturday afternoon at McMahon Stadium – a match-up that seems to have playoff implications. In 2006, a 105-yard passing play on third down in the waning moments of the game propelled the Dinos to an upset victory and dealt the T-Birds' hopes of hosting a playoff game a fatal blow. And in 2007, Calgary recovered from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat UBC 41-23, clinching the fourth and final playoff berth by eliminating the 'Birds.
While the Calgary-UBC game is earlier on the schedule in 2008, it's must-win time for both teams in their only meeting of the season.
The West Coast was unkind to both the Dinos and the Thunderbirds last weekend. On Friday night, mass confusion at Thunderbird Stadium as the final seconds ticked away kept UBC from kicking the game-winning field goal as they fell 18-16 to the Regina Rams. Under rainy, muddy, and altogether unpleasant conditions on Saturday, the Dinos committed eight turnovers en route to a 20-3 loss at the hands of the upstart Simon Fraser Clan – the first SFU victory over Calgary since 2004.
McMahon Stadium has indeed provided home-field advantage for the Dinos so far this season, with both wins – a 37-17 decision over Manitoba and a 17-11 triumph over Alberta – coming in its friendly confines. As good as McMahon has been for Calgary this year, however, it has been a disaster zone for the Thunderbirds of late. UBC's last road win over Calgary came all the way back in September 2000 – a span of more than eight full years.
If the Dinos hope to continue that home dominance of the T-Birds, however, some offensive adjustments are certainly in order. Calgary has scored just four offensive touchdowns in its first four games of the season, and all of those came against Manitoba. The Dinos head into the UBC game without having scored a major on offence in 121:18, just over two full games.
Despite the eight turnovers, there were certainly positives to be drawn from the Simon Fraser game last weekend. The offence did succeed in moving the ball, running back Matt Walter racked up big numbers along the ground, and the defence held the Clan to a single touchdown – and that came on third-and-goal from the one after the Dinos had stuffed the first two opportunities.
Walter is now the conference's leading rusher as measured by total yards, averaging just over 100 yards per game. Quarterback Deke Junior has shown flashes of brilliance so far this season, but consistency will be the key to solving the Dinos' offensive woes.
UBC quarterback Mark McVeigh had his best game of the season in last Friday's 18-16 loss to Regina, tossing for 242 yards on 14-for-25 passing for one touchdown and no interceptions. The 'Birds led the game for 54 minutes thanks to the running tandem of Dave Boyd and Cheng Wei, a Calgary native, along with conference-leading receiver Blaine Kruger. Kruger is the son of former Dino Harry Kruger and was scheduled to attend the Dinos' spring camp last May before deciding not to come at the eleventh hour. In his first year of CIS football, the former Victoria Rebels star has caught 20 passes for 277 yards.
UBC boasts the stingiest defence in Canada West as measured by points allowed, averaging just 12.8 per game. While much of that can be attributed to the 28-0 shutout win over Manitoba in Week 4, the Dinos – who have scored fewer points per game than any other team in the conference – will have to find a way to move the ball effectively against the Thunderbirds and find a way to put points on the scoreboard.
At halftime of Saturday's contest, the Dinos will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1988 Vanier Cup championship, with several players from the 1988 team in attendance to mark the occasion.
The 1988 Dinosaurs were one of only two teams in UC history to go 7-1. Following a 46-33 overtime victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies in the conference final, Calgary visited powerhouse Western Ontario in the Central Bowl in London, Ont., defeating the Mustangs 34-15. In the Vanier Cup at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, the Dinos captured their third national football title with a 52-23 drubbing of the Saint Mary's Huskies.
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