CALGARY - Blake Nill is just one win away from an exclusive club as he takes aim at his 100th career regular season victory as a head coach in CIS football.

Nill's second-ranked University of Calgary Dinos (3-0) host the No. 10 Manitoba Bisons (2-1) Friday night at McMahon Stadium. Kickoff goes just after 6 p.m., live on Shaw TV and CanadaWest.tv.

He scored his 50th regular season win with the Dinos last weekend at Saskatchewan as the team moved to 3-0 after surviving its first big test of the season following a pair of lopsided victories to open the campaign. In the Bisons, his squad will face an offence with explosive capabilities led by quarterback Jordan Yantz and Nic Demski, one of the top-rated prospects in the upcoming CFL draft. The Dinos have had recent success against Manitoba, winning their past 11 games overall.

It's Student Appreciation Night, with a free barbecue on the quad on campus earlier in the day, a pre-game party at the Den, bus transportation to and from the game, and promotions throughout the night. The Vanier Cup will also be in attendance as it makes its way across the country in celebration of the game's 50th Anniversary. The TELUS Vanier Cup will be staged in Montreal for the first time ever in November.

Here's a look at the two teams:

No. 2 Calgary Dinos (3-0)
Last week: defeated Saskatchewan 38-24; next week: host Regina

Led by the continued heroics of Mercer Timmis, the Dinos found a way to break a 24-24 deadlock with the Saskatchewan Huskies last Friday night to score two touchdowns in the final five minutes and emerge with a 38-24 win. Timmis added three TDs to his 208-yard performance, giving him top spot on the school's all-time leaderboard for rushing touchdowns with 30.

The Calgary offence continues to be the class of the conference, averaging 56 points and just under 680 yards per contest, but they'll face a resurgent Bisons defence that is second-best in Canada West (behind their own) in points (24) and yards (402.3) allowed per game. Andrew Buckley has the third-best passing average in the nation at 315 yards per game, despite playing only the first half of the first two games of the year. And despite a quiet game from a stats perspective against Saskatchewan, Brett Blaszko is still in the top four nationally in receiving yards – though he did score the game-winning TD against the Huskies.

Cyril Iwanegbe continues to lead an athletic, shut-down defensive corps for the Dinos, who hope to have defensive lineman Tyler Langlais available for Friday's game. Langlais sustained an injury during the Vanier Cup last November and has worked hard to rehab from knee surgery in the off-season.

This game marks the beginning of a five-week stretch where the Dinos stay in the province of Alberta. Calgary plays three of its next four games at home and enjoys the Thanksgiving Day bye week – and the Dinos' only road contest comes Oct. 18 when they make a quick trip to Edmonton to face the Alberta Golden Bears. The Dinos host Regina next Saturday, Oct. 4, at McMahon Stadium.

No. 10 Manitoba Bisons (2-1)
Last week: defeated UBC 20-10; next week: at Alberta.

After a slow start with a 44-24 setback on the road at Saskatchewan, the Manitoba Bisons put together back-to-back wins at home against Regina and UBC to improve to 2-1 heading into this weekend's contest in Calgary.

Manitoba's offence, though traditionally the strong point of the team, has struggled to put up just 86 points (fifth in the six-team conference) and ranks fifth in virtually all offensive categories. Defensively, however, only the Dinos (38) have given up fewer points than the Bisons (72) through the first three weeks of the season.

The offence still has weapons, however, led by quarterback Jordan Yantz and receiver Nic Demski. Yantz and Calgary's Buckley finished tied at the all-star pivot position last year after he led the conference with 2,474 passing yards, and he's a veteran with plenty of experience. Demski, meanwhile, was the top-ranked receiver and the third player overall on the CFL prospect rankings released earlier in the month. Despite having just seven catches on the year, he is a threat every time he touches the ball. The Yantz-Demski tandem is complemented by running back Kienan LaFrance, who trails only Timmis for the Canada West rushing lead with 76.3 yards per game.

Defensively, the Bisons are led by fifth-year junior transfer Tremaine Apperley at defensive back. Apperley is third in the conference in solo tackles (18) and fourth in total tackles (20). D.J. Lalama and Jayden McCoy are also in the Top 10 in the conference in tackles.

The Bisons remain on the road next week, taking on the University of Alberta Golden Bears next Saturday afternoon at Foote Field in Edmonton.

-UC-