CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos can clinch top spot and home field advantage through the Mitchell Bowl as they head to Regina to take on the Rams.
Saturday's game kicks off at 2 p.m. MT at the new Mosiac Stadium. TELUS Optik TV (channels 997/998) will have live coverage, and the contest has been designated as the Game of the Week on CanadaWest.tv, with complementary viewing (a $4.99 value).
It's the Dinos' first trip to the shiny new digs in Regina, and Dinos Head Coach
Wayne Harris is looking to draw on his memories of the team's first trip to Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, a late-season 50-31 loss to the Bisons in 2014.
"It's always tough playing Regina in Regina, and being our first time at the new stadium, guys will have to get that out of their minds and focus on playing football," said Harris. "I remember the first one against Manitoba, we didn't play very well in their brand new stadium, and hopefully we won't make those mistakes again."
The Dinos and Rams met once earlier this season, with Calgary taking a 46-26 victory. The Rams and UBC are the only teams that can catch the Dinos in the standings, and Calgary owns the tiebreaker on the Thunderbirds already. They can capture the edge with the Rams with a win or a loss by 19 points or less.
Calgary wraps up the regular season next weekend at home against Alberta, with a Canada West semifinal set for McMahon Stadium a week later on Saturday, Nov. 4.
HEADLINES
- Second of two meetings between the Dinos and Rams in 2017, with Calgary winning the first 46-26 at home Sept. 8
- The Rams handed the Dinos a 39-3 preseason loss back in August in Medicine Hat, Alta.
- Regina handed the Dinos one of their two losses on the season in 2016, edging Calgary 32-27 at the old stadium en route to a first place finish – snapping Calgary's streak of regular season pennants at five consecutive years (2011-15)
- It's a match-up of the two top offences in the conference, with the Rams' 494 yards per game bested only by Calgary's 542
- At 6-0, the Dinos can clinch first place with either a win or a loss by 19 points or less against the Rams. A loss by more than 20 points would mean first place comes down to next week's season-ending contest at home to Alberta.
No. 2 CALGARY DINOS (6-0)
Last week: defeated Manitoba 36-27
Next week: host Alberta
- The Dinos wrapped their hands around first place a little tighter last week after needing a wind-aided fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Manitoba 36-27
- Calgary's defence stood tall in the 3rd quarter against the Bisons, allowing just 13 points despite the crazy wind at McMahon
- The receiving tandem of Hunter Karl and Michael Klukas continue to average better than 100 yards each per game, with both sitting in the top five nationally in receiving yards
- QB Adam Sinagra is closing in on 2,000 passing yards on the season and Is less than 130 yards behind Regina's Noah Picton in total yards, despite attempting 42 fewer passes than the Regina pivot
- Calgary wraps up the regular season next weekend at home against the Alberta Golden Bears Saturday, Oct. 28
No. 8 REGINA RAMS (4-2)
Last week: defeated Alberta 58-55 (2OT)
Next week: at UBC
- Reigning Hec Crighton winner Noah Picton is just 15 yards away from breaking the Canada West career passing record of 9,449 yards, currently held by former Ram Teale Orban. With two games to play, Picton is within striking distance of becoming the first player in Canada West history and just the sixth nationally to throw for 10,000 yards in his career – and all this with a year of eligibility remaining
- Regina narrowly escaped Edmonton with a 58-55 double-overtime win last weekend, needing a Daniel Scraper field goal to end the contest after a furious Alberta comeback late in the fourth quarter
- Since falling 18-16 at home to Manitoba in Week 4, the Rams have exploded on the scoreboard, scoring 50 at Saskatchewan and 58 at Alberta
- The Rams will head to Vancouver to face UBC next weekend, with second place and home field advantage likely to go to the winner of that contest.
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