CALGARY – It's a unique scenario to face once, let alone in consecutive seasons – but it's exactly the challenge the University of Calgary Dinos face Saturday afternoon.

For the second straight season, the Dinos host a semi-final playoff game against the team they defeated a week earlier in the final game of the regular season. Last year, it was Manitoba, and Calgary qualified for a fifth straight Hardy Cup game with a dominant victory. In 2013, they look to repeat the feat as they face the UBC Thunderbirds.

The second of two Canada West semi-finals goes at McMahon Stadium Saturday afternoon, with kickoff at 3 p.m. MT as the 8-0 Dinos take on the 4-4 Thunderbirds for a trip to the 77th Hardy Cup. The other semifinal has Saskatchewan visiting Manitoba Friday night, and Shaw TV (Channel 10 Calgary) will provide live coverage of both games.

Once again, the Dinos and the Fifth Quarter are proud to present the BADLANDS tailgate event in the Red and White Club before the game. For more information and to book your tickets, visit www.dinos5thquarter.com.

GAME NOTES (.pdf)

There's certainly an element of familiarity between the squads, with Saturday's contest set to be the third between them this season. The first two both went to Calgary in a 41-31 victory in Week 1 at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver and last week's 34-17 win at McMahon to wrap up the Dinos' first-ever 8-0 record. Historically, the Dinos have played no team more in the playoffs than UBC, with Saturday's game set to be the ninth postseason contest between them. The teams have split them evenly, 4-4, with the most recent game coming in the 2011 Hardy Cup – a 62-13 win for the Dinos. They have met in conference semi-final action just once, however, with UBC winning that 1999 game 27-14 in Vancouver.

The two semi-final winners will face off in the 77th Hardy Cup, hosted by the highest remaining seed, next Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. local.

Here's a look at the two teams:

No. 3 Calgary Dinos (8-0)
Last week: defeated UBC 34-17

To the surprise of virtually everyone, the 2013 'rebuilding year' for the Dinos resulted in the program's first-ever 8-0 finish as Calgary ran the table. Behind a young offensive line, Mercer Timmis led the nation in rushing with 1,157 yards and 19 touchdowns – to compare, the CFL touchdown leader, Calgary's Jon Cornish, has 14 touchdowns through 17 games, and only two CFL backs have broken the 1,000 yard barrier, with Timmis playing half the number of games.

Equally impressive has been the play of quarterback Andrew Buckley who, despite taking over three quarters into the opening game of the season, still put up the sixth-best passing season in school history with 2,184 yards – only two fewer than Erik Glavic's Hec Crighton-winning 2009 campaign. With a talented group of receivers led by veteran Chris Dobko – who the Dinos hope to see back in the lineup Saturday after missing the final two games of the year – the Dinos again had the most potent and most productive offence in the conference this season, averaging 42 points and nearly 550 yards per game.

Calgary also lost 10 of 12 defensive starters from last season, yet still allowed fewer touchdowns (20) and points (183) through the eight-game schedule than anyone else in Canada West. Doctor Cassama stepped into the weak-side linebacker role and led the team in tackles with 36, while defensive halfback Cyril Iwanegbe had a breakout season with 34.5 tackles.

For the Dinos, the message is simple: stay the course. Calgary will be looking for continued consistent play from all areas of the team, including a special teams unit that has improved significantly this season, as they face the daunting challenge of beating the Thunderbirds for the third time this season.

UBC Thunderbirds (4-4)
Last week: lost to Calgary 34-17

The UBC Thunderbirds have the odd distinction of having a much better record (3-1) away from home than their record at Thunderbird Stadium (1-3) this season. They finished the season 4-4, beating out Regina by two games for the fourth and final playoff spot this season.

UBC showed improvement as the season went on, culminating in a 60-0 win over Alberta in their only victory at home – over a team that had taken them to overtime back in Week 2 on the road. Two of their losses at home were by less than a touchdown, with a four-point setback to Manitoba and a five-point defeat to Saskatchewan.

The Thunderbirds, with new defensive coordinator Jerry Friesen on staff, led the conference in total defence, allowing just 430 yards per game. On the flip side of the football, UBC finished third in most offensive categories, with one glaring exception: the passing game. The Thunderbirds averaged just 231 yards through the air, 55 fewer than Saskatchewan (286) and nearly 100 in arrears of the Dinos (319), who they must beat in order for their season to continue.

They'll be able to take some positives out of last week's 34-17 loss, however. Brandon Deschamps, the offensive catalyst for UBC, still managed 161 rushing yards against the Dinos' top-ranked run defence, while receiver Micha Theil picked up 110 yards through the air. Statistically, the game was closer than the score would indicate, with UBC actually recording more passing yards than the Dinos in the game and putting up 451 yards of total offence.

Deschamps was the only player other than Timmis to record 1,000 rushing yards in the season, averaging 144 per game to finish with 1,007.

-UC-