SASKATOON, Sask. – Freshman kicker Niko DiFonte's 10-yard field goal with 41 seconds left capped off the game-winning drive as the second-ranked University of Calgary Dinos escaped from Griffiths Stadium Friday night with a 20-19 win over No. 10 Saskatchewan.

On a night they struggled to finish drives, DiFonte's field goal capped off a clutch nine-play, 101-yard march downfield for the Dinos that started on their own 6-yard line and took just 1:23. Jimmy Underdahl picked up completions of 27, 8, 24, and 20 yards on the drive, with Austen Hartley hauling in two huge grabs to keep the drive alive. The Dinos' defence turned the ball over on downs, and Calgary was able to kneel out the victory.

It was the Dinos' third win over a top-10 team in as many weeks as they scored 10 points in each of the first and fourth quarters, bookending two scoreless frames as the two old rivals went toe-to-toe in front of a big Homecoming crowd at the University of Saskatchewan.

"When your offence can put a drive together like that at the end of the game, you have to be happy with the way they performed," said Dinos Head Coach Wayne Harris. "Tonight was a tough test on a tough field against a tough opponent, and it was nice to put that string together. Jimmy showed a lot of poise, the offensive line did a good job in protection and creating running lanes, and Chown had a couple big runs on that drive."

"Lots of respect for Saskatchewan, they put on a heck of a show tonight," Hartley told Shaw TV. "On the last drive it was exciting in the huddle – there was lots of energy on the bench, and it transferred onto the field."

The Dinos had to come back for the win without the services of centre Darius Ciraco, who was injured in the third quarter – resulting in a shuffle on the offensive line that vaulted first-year starter Spencer Roy into the pivotal centre spot.

"Darius is one of our top guys, and Spencer Roy came in and performed admirably in his absence," said Harris. "There's lots of pressure to put on a young guy in that situation and atmosphere…I really think both lines were the difference makers in getting the win tonight."

Calgary headed into the fourth quarter trailing by six points after the Huskies defence had shut them down for two quarters. The Dinos re-took the lead 5:44 into the final frame when Quentin Chown scored his second touchdown of the night, giving the visitors a 17-16 advantage. On the ensuing Saskatchewan drive, however, the Dinos gave up the biggest play of the game when Julan Lynch rumbled 63 yards downfield to get inside the red zone. Unable to find the end zone, the Huskies settled for a Sean Stenger field goal.

The game got off to a promising start for Calgary, with DiFonte kicking a 22-yard field goal on the Dinos' opening drive. Late in the quarter Calgary took a 10-0 lead when Chown took a pitch from Underdahl for a 12-yard touchdown.

With the wind in the second quarter, though, the Huskies took full advantage with Kyle Siemens tossing for a pair of touchdowns to Chad Braun and Samuel Baker, with Stenger adding a pair of singles.

The Dinos moved the ball but struggled to complete drives throughout the second quarter, a trend that continued until the two scoring drives in the fourth that ultimately led to the win.

Underdahl wrapped up the night completing 29 of 43 passes for 383 yards – 79 of which came on the game-winning drive. Both Hartley and Whitman Tomusiak cracked the 100-yard barrier among receivers, with Tomusiak hauling in 10 passes for 114 yards while Hartley picked up 108 yards on seven catches. Chown ran hard all night, with 15 carries going for 86 yards and the two crucial touchdowns.

Micah Teitz had a monster night defensively for the Dinos with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack, while Boston Rowe continued to find himself in the centre of the action with eight tackles on the night and a sack of his own. Jack McEwen and Brett Wade also picked up a sack apiece as Calgary's defence held the opposition under 20 points and 375 yards for the third game in a row.

"The defence had a couple breakdowns, but they made big plays when it was required," said Harris. "You know (Saskatchewan) is going to make some plays, and it's about how you respond to those. I like the way the team responded tonight."

The only remaining undefeated team in the conference, the 3-0 Dinos will wrap up the first half of the season next Friday night at Regina (7 p.m., Shaw TV, CanadaWest.tv) before playing three straight games at McMahon Stadium. Saskatchewan (2-1), meanwhile, visits Manitoba next week.

-UC-