BOX SCORE CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos were able to accomplish a first in program history Friday night, wrapping up an 8-0 record with a 34-17 win over the UBC Thunderbirds at McMahon Stadium.

The undefeated season comes after the team lost two-thirds of its starting lineup and played the bulk of the season without the reigning conference MVP, Eric Dzwilewski. It's an incredible accomplishment for a team full of youth, and it was sophomore tailback Mercer Timmis that carried the team to victory one more time Friday night.

Timmis ran the ball 23 times for 184 yards and one touchdown to lead the Calgary offence Friday night to all but wrap up the national rushing crown with 1,183 yards on the season, the third-best campaign in school history. He extended his conference and school single-season touchdown record to 19, and it would require a massive performance in action elsewhere in the nation Saturday for him to be caught for the 2013 CIS rushing crown.

A proud Dinos head coach Blake Nill was hardpressed to explain his team's surprising success this year as they head back to the playoffs in search of a sixth consecutive conference title and that still-elusive Vanier Cup.

"I'm at a loss for words," said Nill on the field after the game. "I can't describe how this happens. Realistically you look at the changes we had to make the amount of the responsibility to put on such an inexperienced kids, whether they're first year or returning players…to have them respond like that just shows the quality of this team. No matter what happens in the playoffs, this will help us in future years."

Calgary didn't take long to score in this one, driving 75 yards downfield on their opening possession to take a 7-0 lead on Andrew Buckley's touchdown pass to fullback Mac Sarro.

After a 42-yard UBC field goal and the teams traded rouges, UBC passer Greg Bowcott found David Scott in the end zone from 17 yards out to give the Thunderbirds the lead at 11-8 on their best drive of the night. Just over three minutes later, however, Timmis's 19th touchdown of the year put the Dinos ahead for good at 15-11, and Jake Harty caught another Buckley pass and took it to the house before the end of the half, giving Calgary a 22-11 advantage at half time.

A low-scoring third quarter saw just four points put on the board: another single by UBC along with a 21-yard Johnny Mark field goal for the Dinos. Quinn Van Gylswyk split the uprights for a second time early in the fourth from 28 yards out to bring UBC within 10 points, but that was as close as they would get as Buckley ran untouched into the end zone from four yards out.

The teams traded safeties in the final half of the quarter to round out the scoring.

Buckley, who was thrust into the starter's role the last time these two teams met on the first day of the season because of the injury to Eric Dzwilewski, completed 17 of 24 passes for 228 yards and two majors – another solid effort from the third-year pivot.

"We knew Andrew was a quality quarterback," said Nill, "but people don't realize that he had to change his role, he had to change his mindset on what his responsibility was. He was used to coming off the bench finishing games or going in unique situations – but he had to become a starter, to prepare like a starter. For him to be able to transition to that role speaks volumes about the kind of young man this kid is again he deserves a ton of credit."

His top target was Harty, who hauled in five passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.

For the Thunderbirds, running back Brandon Deschamps had another outstanding outing with 20 carries for 161 yards, finishing the season just behind Timmis in most rushing categories, including breaking the 1,000-yard barrier. Bowcott completed 16 of 33 passes for 224 yards and a major, while Carson Williams threw just two passes – one for a 37-yard completion to Micha Theil. Theil was the Thunderbirds' leading receivier with seven catches for 110 yards on the night.

The Dinos will enjoy home field advantage throughout the Canada West playoffs and will host a semi-final next Saturday, Nov. 2. Kickoff will go at 3 p.m. MT – likely against these very same UBC Thunderbirds. The final playoff positioning will be determined with the final two games in the conference on Saturday.

A young Calgary squad now faces the challenge of the postseason – a challenge Nill will lean on his coaching staff to help his team prepare for.

"As coaches it's our responsibility to make sure we carry the burden of this playoff preparation," said Nill. "We're the guys with experience, we're the guys that know how to handle the situation and I'm looking at all my coaches, myself included, to  make sure that we do everything possible to our kids fired up ready to go to get into the play without stress come next week."

SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
CGY – Mac Sarro 10 yard TD catch from Andrew Buckley (Johnny Mark convert), 3:19, 7-0 CGY
UBC – Quinn Van Gylswyk 42 yard FG, 5:28, 7-3 CGY
UBC – Quinn Van Gylswyk 85 yard kickoff single, 5:41, 7-4 CGY

2nd Quarter
CGY – Johnny Mark 49-yard punt single, 4:21, 8-4 CGY
UBC – David Scott 17-yard TD catch from Greg Bowcott (Quinn Van Gylswyk convert), 5:41, 11-8 UBC
CGY – Mercer Timmis 4-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 9:11, 15-11 CGY
CGY – Jake Harty 8-yard TD catch from Andrew Buckley (Johnny Mark convert), 14:25, 22-11 CGY

3rd Quarter
UBC – Quinn Van Gylswyk 54-yard punt single, 3:16, 22-12 CGY
CGY – Johnny Mark 21-yard field goal, 14:10, 25-12 CGY

4th Quarter
UBC – Quinn Van Gylswyk 28-yard field goal, 3:02, 25-15 CGY
CGY – Andrew Buckley 4-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 6:14, 32-15 CGY
UBC – TEAM safety, 8:33, 32-17 CGY
CGY – TEAM safety, 13:34, 34-17 CGY

-UC-