CALGARY – Fifty years to the day the program played its first-ever game, the No. 2-ranked University of Calgary Dinos head to Saskatoon Friday to face the No. 6 Saskatchewan Huskies in a Top-10 battle of 2-0 teams for first place nearing the midway point of the 2014 campaign.

Kickoff at Griffiths Stadium is set for 7 p.m. MT, live on CanadaWest.tv.

Though the University of Calgary will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016, the football program began in 1964. Under the leadership of Dr. Dennis Kadatz, the Dinos stepped onto the field for the first time on Sept. 19, 1964 and defeated Royal Military College 16-7 in a preseason contest.

In the half-century since, the program has four Vanier Cups to its credit along with 15 Canada West championships – the last six of which have come in consecutive years since 2008 as the team continues along its string of high-level consistency: the Dinos have won 38 of their last 42 conference games. That has been led by Blake Nill, now in his ninth season with the team: Friday, he'll go for his 50th regular season win with the Dinos and his 99th career conference victory – which would put him just a win shy of the exclusive 100-win club in CIS football.

For the 86th time in their history, the Dinos will hook up with the Saskatchewan Huskies in regular season play on Friday night in the teams' only meeting of the regular season in 2014.

Here's a look at the two teams:

No. 2 Calgary Dinos (2-0)
Last week: defeated UBC 59-11; Next week: host Manitoba

The Dinos have played the part of the favourite so far this season, and they've backed it up in the numbers: through two games, the Dinos have scored 130 points on offence and given up just 14; amassed more than 1400 yards while giving up just 454; and put the ball in the end zone a staggering 17 times in two games, though they have yet to allow an offensive touchdown by the opposition.

Andrew Buckley is the reigning conference offensive player of the week after his 322-yard, 4-TD passing performance in the first half last week at UBC. Mercer Timmis has four touchdowns already in 2014 after adding two more to his total against the Thunderbirds – including a beauty receiving major from 30 yards as the Dinos punched it into the end zone on all of their first three drives in Vancouver. And Brett Blaszko, the 2012 conference rookie of the year, has racked up nearly 350 receiving yards through just two games.

Defensively, the Dinos will look to continue their shut-down play against the Huskies. The Thunderbirds managed just 57 passing yards in the game last week en route to a 177-yard offensive performance – one that the Dinos can take plenty of credit for. Adam Konar, making his Calgary debut last week, made his presence felt with a pair of solid tackles and an interception, while all-Canadian DB Cyril Iwanegbe is the team's tackle leader with 12.5.

No. 6 Saskatchewan Huskies (2-0)
Last week: defeated Alberta 42-41 (OT); Next week: at Regina

Saskatchewan held on for a Week 2 victory thwarting off an Alberta Golden Bears comeback by stopping a two-point convert attempt in overtime.
 
Alberta fought back from a 24-9 third quarter deficit to force overtime, including 19 points in the fourth quarter. Saskatchewan quarterback Drew Burko hit 2013 All-Canadian Kit Hillis to score the Huskies' overtime touchdown.
 
Burko has kept the Huskies' offence on track completing 49-of-79 passes for 601 yards and eight touchdowns in his two games in 2014. Hillis, John Trumpy and Andrew Lalonde have been main targets each scoring two touchdowns. Hillis leads the team with 143 yards in two games, followed by Trumpy with 114.

Fifth-year safety Mark Ingram, a 2014 CIS All-Canadian, continues to be tough on opponents with 13.5 tackles in two games – eight against the Golden Bears in Week 2. Fourth-year linebacker Dane Bishop has tallied another 9.5 for the Huskies, while Dylan Kemp has added eight.

Saskatchewan heads on the road to face archrival Regina next week in what will be the final meeting between Rams head coach Frank McCrystal and the Huskies' Brian Towriss, barring a playoff confrontation.

-UC-