EDMONTON – The second-ranked University of Calgary Dinos closed out their 2009 regular season with a 40-5 victory against their archrival Alberta Saturday afternoon in Edmonton, finishing the season with a 7-1 record for the first time since 1988.

BOX SCORE

Calgary finishes tied for first place in Canada West with the Saskatchewan Huskies, but the prairie Dogs will earn the first seed and home field advantage throughout the conference playoffs by virtue of their 34-33 overtime victory over the Dinos back in Week 1 in Saskatoon – Calgary's only loss of the season. Calgary and Saskatchewan will host Manitoba and Alberta, respectively, the two conference semi-finals next Saturday afternoon, with the winners advancing to the 73rd Hardy Cup championship game at the home of the highest remaining seed.

Saturday's game had no bearing on the final standings after Saskatchewan sewed up first spot and eliminated the Regina Rams Friday night but after falling to Alberta in the same situation a year ago, Calgary head coach Blake Nill was pleased with his team's response.

“This game was exactly the way we thought it would be,” Nill told The FAN 960 after the game. “It was a physical game, one both teams understood the importance of. We did a great job playing to our potential, and we have some momentum heading into the playoffs.”

Since their season-opening loss to the Huskies, the Dinos head into the post-season on a seven-game win streak and will host the Manitoba Bisons next Saturday at 1 p.m. MT at McMahon Stadium (Shaw TV, The FAN 960, www.fan960.com).

“Four years ago, we got pounded here pretty bad, and the kids were pretty excited to show what they could do today,” Nill went on. “This is a provincial rival, a recruiting rival, and ultimately it always comes down to recruiting. We had a number of recruits in the stands, and I think they saw the difference between our two programs today.”

The first 10 minutes were scoreless until Aaron Ifield and Hugh O'Neill exchanged field goals. Erik Glavic put the Dinos ahead for good with a two-yard touchdown plunge early in the second quarter, capping off an eight-play, 75-yard drive. A pair of Steven Lumbala touchdown rushes of two and 19 yards, a 20-yard Glavic pass to Matt Walter, and three more Ifield field goals rounded out the scoring for the Dinos, while Alberta managed just a conceded safety in addition to O'Neill's 36-yard field goal.

Ifield's second field goal of the night gave him 51 for his career and the all-time University of Calgary lead in that department, passing Bruce Parsons' 50. Ifield finishes the 2009 season with 53 career field goals heading into his fifth and final campaign next season.

Walter also reached a milestone, passing the 1,000-yard mark on the season with 19 carries for 169 yards on the afternoon. He wraps up the season with 1,103 rushing yards, taking the Canada West rushing title by more than 300 yards over UBC's Dave Boyd. Walter picked up 135 rushing yards on 12 carries in the first half alone, while Glavic was seven of 12 for 131 yards passing in the opening 30 minutes.

Alberta starting quarterback Quade Armstrong finished the half with eight completions on 18 attempts for 77 yards and one interception. He finished with 19 completions on 38 passes for 171 yards and two interceptions.

Running backs Matt Jarvis and Jeff Wollin gave the Bears a two-headed attack against the Dinos and combined for 23 carries and 107 yards, just the second time all season the Dinos have given up more than 100 yards along the ground.

Lumbala added 42 yards in addition to his two majors for the Dinos. Calgary receiver Nathan Coehoorn, who caught a 44-yard toss from Glavic to set-up their first TD, finished with five catches for 121 yards while Anthony Parker had a quiet afternoon, finishing with just one catch for 14 yards.

Both teams hit the playoff trail next Saturday afternoon, with Alberta visiting Saskatchewan while Calgary hosts Manitoba.

-UC-