CALGARY – It may be a changing of the guard for the University of Calgary Dinos football team this season, but expectations haven't changed.

Gone are six of the team's nine first team All-Canadians from the record-breaking offensive squad a year ago, with four – QB Andrew Buckley, RB Mercer Timmis, OL Sean McEwen, and K Johnny Mark – having spent time with CFL teams while a fifth, receiver Rashaun Simonise, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals. The offence returns just seven starters from 2015, while the defence has nine first-stringers back.

Still, Calgary finished in a dead heat with national champion UBC in the Canada West coaches poll unveiled Monday, with both the Dinos and Thunderbirds receiving three first-place votes and 23 points overall, setting up a season where they're expected to meet in the Hardy Cup once again. There's plenty of football to play before that, of course, starting with Thursday night's season-opener against the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg (6 p.m. MT, Shaw TV, CanadaWest.tv)

FULL 2016 DINOS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

For second-year head coach Wayne Harris, the change is part of the gig in university football, and he is impressed with how his returnees have grabbed the mantle of leadership in the off-season.

"Our guys have responded to the challenge very well and have been training very hard since day one when we started workouts in January," explained Harris, the reigning CIS coach of the year. "New leaders do emerge – that's the one thing you know will happen in university football, each team is going to be a little bit different in its character and I think the character of this team is outstanding. We've lost some great talent, but we've also added some great skill and character as well."

The headline, of course, is that Jimmy Underdahl will finally get his chance at quarterback. The fifth-year Notre Dame High School product ably backed up Buckley during his last two Hec Crighton-winning seasons, finishing in the top-10 in passing in Canada West last season and seeing significant playing time with an offence that averaged nearly 59 points per game last year.

Underdahl will be protected by four of the five starting offensive linemen from 2015, while Quentin Chown, Bryce Harper, and Jeshrun Antwi provide a plethora of different looks out of the backfield to replace the yards churned up by Timmis over his career.

"There has certainly been some big change at main positions, like at quarterback with Andrew Buckley," said Harris. "But Jimmy Underdahl has been with the program for five years now and has been a strong leader. He has all the skills necessary to be very successful.

"We expect to still be able to have lots of offensive production. I think we're in a good situation right now – our offensive line is pretty much intact. Sean McEwen is hard to replace, but the O-line has been doing an outstanding job for us."

The defence could be the strength of this team, with nine players – including four former All-Canadians: DB Adam Laurensse, DB Robert Woodson, DL Connor McGough, and LB Micah Teitz – returning to take their spots. The defensive coaching staff will be led by 32-year CFL veteran Tom Higgins, who rejoins the program where he got his start in coaching in the early 1980s as defensive coordinator.

"Tom brings a wealth of experience and a broad perspective to the program," said Harris. "He's such a positive coach, and he brings that to all of our players. They have really responded well. It's also nice to have new blood into the coaching staff to get some different perspective and bounce some ideas off.

"Defensively, we haven't had quite as many changes with most of the backfield returning and the defensive line back entirely. We feel confident that we have a good program moving forward, but certainly there's a lot of work still to do."

It's a tough start to the schedule for the Dinos, who return home to face UBC next week after Thursday's opening-night clash with the Bisons. Manitoba has always been a tough out for Calgary, especially in Winnipeg, and both teams are headed into the season with confidence through non-conference games after the Dinos took care of Regina 37-13 while Manitoba stunned UBC 50-7 over the weekend.

2016 Canada West football coaches poll
Team/Points (first-place votes)
T1. UBC / 23 (3)
T1. Calgary / 23 (3)
3. Saskatchewan / 17
4. Manitoba / 13
5. Alberta / 8
6. Regina / 6

University of Calgary Dinos
2015 regular season record: 8-0
2015 regular season standings: 1st, Canada West
2015 playoff record: 1-1
2015 playoff finish: Lost 34-26 to UBC in conference final

Head Coach: Wayne Harris
Number of seasons as head coach with team (including 2016): 2
Number of seasons as head coach in CIS (including 2016): 2
Career regular season record with team: 8-0
Career regular season record in CIS: 8-0
Career overall record with team (reg. season & playoffs only): 9-1
Career overall record in CIS (reg. season & playoffs only): 9-1

FULL 2016 DINOS FOOTBALL ROSTER

OFFENCE
Number of returning starters: 7

Key returning players:
QB Jimmy Underdahl takes the reins after backing up for the last four seasons, but he's hardly inexperienced. He saw plenty of action last year as the Dinos built up big leads before the half, finishing in the top 10 in passing in Canada West. Underdahl was invited to the Montreal Alouettes' training camp this season and saw action in a pre-season game.

OL Braden Schram is a returning first team All-Canadian who anchors an offensive line also returning Ryan Sceviour, Jordan Filippelli, and Ryan Preuter. Centre Sean McEwen has moved on to the pros, but the O-line is veteran and experienced and will anchor the Dinos' run game.

RB Quentin Chown was sidelined through much of 2015 with injury but is back and ready to top the Dinos' depth chart at tailback. Sophomore Jeshrun Antwi and senior Bryce Harper will also rotate through, providing different looks out of the backfield.

R Austen Hartley was a reliable target last season and will be a significant part of the offence going forward. His 26 receptions for 469 yards and four TDs in 2015 placed him second on the team in each category.

Key recruits:
R Whitman Tomusiak has all kinds of experience, spending two seasons on the B.C. Lions practice roster after a career in junior football. Along with local product Kelton Bailey, the Henry Wise Wood grad who was Calgary high school player of the year last season, the receiving corps will have plenty of weapons.

RB Cole Kussmann joins the Dinos from London, Ont. where he was the leading rusher and MVP of the Ontario Varsity Football League last season.

QB Adam Sinagra and QB Josiah Joseph provide options for the Dinos at quarterback, with Sinagra joining after a three-year CEGEP career at John Abbott College while Joseph led the Okanagan Sun to a BCFC championship a year ago.

Key losses:
QB Andrew Buckley – now with Calgary Stampeders
RB Mercer Timmis – now with Hamilton Tiger-Cats
WR Rashaun Simonise – now with Cincinnati Bengals
SB Brett Blaszko – now with BC Lions
OL Sean McEwen – now with Toronto Argonauts

DEFENCE
Number of returning starters: 9

Key returning players:
DL Cory Robinson and DL Connor McGough were key players as the Dinos allowed just 131 rushing yards per game last season, and they anchor a defensive line that is back in its entirety. McGough was a second team All-Canadian in 2014.

LB Micah Teitz had a breakout season last year, leading the Dinos in tackles en route to a second team All-Canadian selection.

DB Adam Laurensse and DB Robert Woodson were both first team All-Canadians a year ago and anchor a defensive backfield that is largely intact. Woodson led the conference with five interceptions last year

Key recruits:
DB Brennan Van Nistelrooy joins the Dinos after being drafted by the BC Lions 48th overall in last spring's CFL Draft. The Lethbridge, Alta. native spent a season with the Alberta Golden Bears early in his career. DB Treshaun Abrahams-Webster is a promising prospect joining the Dinos from Pickering, Ont.

LB Jakub Jakoubek is expected to step in to a starting linebacker role after gaining experience with the Calgary Colts last season.

Key losses:
LB Doctor Cassama
LB Tanner Doll

SPECIAL TEAMS

Key returning players:
K/P Alec Curtis is a fourth-year kicker who will battle it out with other newcomers for the kicking position vacated by perennial All-Canadian Johnny Mark. Curtis

Key recruits:
K Niko DiFonte is a promising kicking prospect, joining the Dinos from Oak Park High School in Winnipeg.

Key losses:
K/P Johnny Mark, the CIS all-time leader in scoring and field goals, completed his eligibility last season. He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and saw game action earlier this season against the Calgary Stampeders.

-UC-