CALGARY – It's just week two of the Canada West football season, but thanks to a twist on the schedule, every game matters more than usual at this time of year.
Each team in Canada West plays three of the other five teams twice each, with one game against each of the other two opponents each year making up the eight-game regular season. In 2015, those single games – which hold the key to tiebreakers at the end of the year – are being played right off the bat rather than in the meat of the schedule as has been past practice. So, after an emotional 49-16 win over the UBC Thunderbirds to open the season last week, the second-ranked University of Calgary Dinos are set for another important contest as they take on Manitoba Friday night (Shaw TV, CanadaWest.tv).
It's the second-straight Top-10 match-up for both teams as the No. 2 Dinos face the No. 6 Bisons at Investors Group Field, and there should be no shortage of motivation for Calgary. The Dinos lost two games on the field in 2014: both to Manitoba, both in the last three weeks of the season, and one of which ended Calgary's streak of six straight conference titles. It's a rematch of the 78th Hardy Cup, where the Bisons stormed into McMahon Stadium last November and emerged with the hardware after a stifling defensive performance in a 27-15 win.
Kickoff goes at 7 p.m. CT (6 p.m. MT) at Investors Group Field, live on Shaw TV and CanadaWest.tv.
HEADLINES• CIS Top 10 battle as No. 2 Calgary faces No. 6 Manitoba in a rematch of the 2014 Hardy Cup won by the Bisons
• The only time the Dinos and Bisons will face off in the regular season schedule this year
• Calgary is winless at Investors Group Field, having lost their only previous game at Winnipeg's sparkling new stadium, 50-31 in Week 8 last season
• It's an early-season battle for first place as both teams come in at 1-0 after wins last week. Calgary was the only one of the three home teams to win with its 49-16 victory over UBC, while Manitoba knocked off Saskatchewan 34-28 in Saskatoon last Friday night
• The Dinos have won nine of the last 10 regular season games between the teams, with the only blemish coming last year in the final game of conference play
• Both teams remain home next weekend with Calgary hosting Alberta while Manitoba welcomes UBC
No. 2 Calgary Dinos (1-0)Last week: defeated UBC 49-16
Next week: host Alberta• The Dinos overcame a slow start – and a 102-yard TD pass on the first play – to wear down UBC en route to a 49-16 win last week
• RB
Mercer Timmis became the Dinos' all-time TD leader with his 35th and 36th career majors against the Thunderbirds
• K
Johnny Mark is just 14 points away from the all-time CIS career scoring mark after putting up 17 in week 1
• R / RET
Michael Klukas had the most electrifying play on specials in the country last week, going goal-line-to-goal-line for a 110-yard punt return TD – the longest in more than 40 years for the Dinos
• Calgary's defence allowed just 35 rushing yards against UBC last week, and the lion's share of the Thunderbirds' 265 passing yards came on two plays: the 102-yard TD to open the game, and a 51-yard bomb in the second quarter.
No. 6 Manitoba Bisons (1-0)Last week: defeated Saskatchewan 34-28
Next week: home to Alberta• The Bisons lost plenty of offensive weapons in the off-season in QB Jordan Yantz, RB Keenan LaFrance, and R Nic Demski, but they seem to have found replacements who showed well against Saskatchewan. Sophomore QB Theo Deezar tossed for 218 yards and a pair of TDs against the Huskies, while freshman tailback Jamel Lyles picked up 155 rushing and 250 all-purpose yards
• Lyles was named CIS offensive player of the week for his efforts
• Deezar was at the controls in Manitoba's 50-31 win over the Dinos to end the regular season last year
• Manitoba's defence picked off four passes against Saskatchewan last week and allowed just 107 rushing yards. They'll have a key test against a Calgary run game that racked up 279 yards on the ground against UBC
• The Bisons are 2-0 in home openers since moving to IGF in 2013
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