CALGARY – The University of Manitoba Bisons took advantage of 10 turnovers and an impressive defensive performance to deny the University of Calgary Dinos a seventh consecutive Hardy Cup title Saturday, winning the Canada West championship 27-15 at McMahon Stadium.

It's the first conference title since 2007 for the Bisons, who were the last team other than Calgary to hoist the Hardy Cup. They will head east to face the Université de Montréal Carabins in an unlikely CIS Uteck Bowl next Saturday, Nov. 22 at CEPSUM in Montreal. The Carabins advanced after upsetting No. 1 Laval in Saturday's Dunsmore Cup final.

Just 30 seconds into the game, it looked like the Dinos were ready to run away with another one as Mercer Timmis punched a hole through the Bisons defence and was off to the races for an 81-yard touchdown. That was as good as it would get on the day for the hosts, however, as their next drive portended things to come.

Jonathan Jones intercepted Canada West MVP Andrew Buckley for a 20-yard pick six less than four minutes later, and the Bisons never trailed again. It was the first of five interceptions on the day for the Manitoba defence, as later on Tyler Fong, Cam Teschuk, Jayden McKoy, and Jordan Linnen would grab errant Calgary passes.

"We had our ups and downs most of the year, and we were always able to overcome our mistakes," said Calgary head coach Blake Nill. "But today, Manitoba was the best team. We were lucky to win one hear against them – they have a focus and a drive. I'm not saying our guys weren't focused, but it's not going to happen when you turn the ball over 10 times.

"They did a great job going after the football. They were looking to strip the ball, and their secondary played us well. We did not execute, and when we had a little momentum, we just shot ourselves in the foot."

The Bisons grabbed their first lead of the game midway through the opening quarter as Kienan LaFrance eluded tacklers for a 40-yard TD run to go up 14-7. The Dinos managed to tie it up at 14-14 on a 42-yard Buckley pass to Rashaun Simonise early in the second, but the Bisons outscored the Dinos 13-1 from there and held the highest-scoring offence in the nation to just a single point in the second half.

A pair of Ryan Jones field goals from 7 and 30 yards along with a 7-yard TD pass from Jordan Yantz to Zach Regert rounded out the scoring for the Bisons, while Johnny Mark's 78-yard single on the opening kickoff of the third quarter was all the Dinos could muster from there.

In addition to the five interceptions, the Dinos fumbled twice – one of which set up the first Jones field goal – and turned it over on downs three times. McKoy's pick in the fourth quarter snuffed out what looked to be a promising drive for the Dinos, as he intercepted a pass from Eric Dzwilewski two yards deep in the end zone. Dzwilewski was in the game in relief of Buckley, who was sidelined midway through the third quarter with an apparent hamstring injury.

LaFrance carried the ball 30 times for 155 yards and the touchdown, while Yantz completed 17 of 26 passes for 263 yards and a major. Dustin Pedersen was the Bisons' leading receiver with 86 yards on four catches.

Calgary actually won the statistical battle again, picking up 471 yards to the Bisons' 394. Timmis picked up 133 yards on just 12 carries, aided by the opening-play 81-yarder, while Buckley completed 16 of 25 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown – along with four interceptions. Dzwilewski went 7-for-16 on the afternoon, tossing for 105 yards and one pick. Jake Harty was the top target on the day with nine catches for 135 yards, while Simonise hauled in six balls for 108 yards and a TD.

Despite the adversity, the Calgary defence held firm through most of the contest, sacking Yantz five times – three of those courtesy Doctor Cassama. Adam Konar was the leading tackler for Calgary with 9.5, while DJ Lalama added seven tackles to lead the way for the Bisons.

While the Dinos watch from the sidelines, the Bisons will travel to Montreal to face the Carabins next Saturday. The winner of the Uteck Bowl will face the winner of the McMaster-Mount Allison Mitchell Bowl in the 50th Vanier Cup, hosted for the first time in Montreal.

SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
CGY – Mercer Timmis 81-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 0:35, 7-0 CGY
MAN – Jonathan Jones 22-yard interception return TD (Ryan Jones convert), 4:28, 7-7
CGY – Kienan LaFrance 40-yard TD run (Ryan Jones convert), 7:13, 14-7 MAN

2nd Quarter
CGY – Rashaun Simonise 42-yard TD pass from Andrew Buckley (Johnny Mark convert), 5:58, 14-14
MAN – Ryan Jones 17-yard FG, 9:22, 17-14 MAN
MAN – Zach Regert 7-yard TD pass from Jordan Yantz (Ryan Jones convert), 13:47, 24-14 MAN

3rd Quarter
CGY – Johnny Mark 78-yard kickoff single, 0:00, 24-15 MAN
MAN – Ryan Jones 30-yard FG, 4:08, 27-15 MAN

4th Quarter
No scoring.

-UC-