CALGARY – McMahon Stadium will play host to one of the two marquee match-ups in U SPORTS football this weekend as the No. 3-ranked University of Calgary Dinos host the No. 5 University of Regina Rams at KICKOFF XII.

The Dinos will welcome thousands of first-year UCalgary students to the final event of Orientation Week, and the freshmen should be in for a treat as two of the best football teams in the nation, led by a pair of award-winning quarterbacks, do battle on the field. Pre-game tailgate festivities get underway at 3:30 p.m. in the east parking lot of McMahon Stadium, with free Spolumbo's sausages and veggie burgers for the first 2,000 fans. The game itself kicks off at 5:30 p.m., live on TELUS Optik TV (channel 998), along with SaskTel MAX TV in Saskatchewan and BellMTS in Mantioba.

KICKOFF EVENT INFO

GAME NOTES (.pdf)

Along with Saturday's tilt between No. 1 Laval and No. 2 Montreal, the Dinos-Rams game will be the most-watched across the country this week. Both teams come in after big wins in Week 1: Regina was able to avenge last year's playoff loss to UBC with a solid 36-20 win over the Thunderbirds, while the Dinos put up 50 points against Alberta for the 10th straight time in a 55-26 road win over the Bears.

A key battle will be at quarterback, where the Rams come in with reigning Hec Crighton Trophy winner Noah Picton. The fourth-year pivot tossed for 335 yards and a pair of TDs against UBC and engineered a win for the Rams in their lone meeting with the Dinos last season. On the other side of the ball, Adam Sinagra cemented his place as the Dinos' starting QB with his 426-yard, four-TD passing performance against the Golden Bears. Racking up a sterling 82 per cent completion rate, Sinagra's performance landed him the Canada West and U SPORTS offensive player of the week honours.

The Rams also earned a conference award last week, with first-year linebacker Nick Cross earning the defensive honours with a 7.5-tackle, one-sack performance against UBC.

Last season's Rams win came at old Mosaic Stadium in Regina, the site of every Rams win over Calgary in nearly 15 years. In fact, the last time the Rams walked off the field victorious at McMahon was all the way back in 2003 – a streak of 13 straight home wins for the Dinos.

The teams will meet again at the new Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Saturday, Oct. 21 in the penultimate game of the 2017 season.

HEADLINES

• First of two meetings between the Dinos and Rams in 2017, with the return match Oct. 21 in Regina. The teams also met in the pre-season in Medicine Hat, Alta., with Regina taking a 39-3 victory. All-time, the Dinos are 17-7 against the Rams, including an 8-2 record in the last 10 regular season games.
• Regina, which finished first in the CW standings a year ago, did so on the basis of a tight 32-27 home win in the lone meeting between the teams in 2016. That game is best remembered for the Rams' defence forcing a fumble on the one-yard line on the final play of the game, snuffing out the game-winning Calgary touchdown.
• QBs Noah Picton (REG) and Adam Sinagra (CGY) are the reigning U SPORTS player of the year and U SPORTS offensive player of the week, respectively
• Friday night is the Dinos' first appearance on the Canada West Football Showcase broadcasts. The game will be available in Alberta on TELUS Optik TV channel 998, with SaskTel and BellMTS also providing coverage. Dustin Nielsen and Justin Dunk will provide the call from McMahon Stadium
• The Dinos expect a large crowd and a great atmosphere at the contest, with thousands of first-year students wrapping up Fall Orientation Week Friday night.

No. 3 CALGARY DINOS (1-0)
Last week: defeated Alberta 55-26
Next week: at Manitoba

• Calgary looked solid in its season-opener, racking up 34 first downs and 623 offensive yards to extend their dominance over the Alberta Golden Bears. The defence, meanwhile, gave up just 430 yards – and 109 of those came on one play, an Alberta TD late in the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach
• Boston Rowe was the Dinos' defensive catalyst against Alberta, picking up a team-best 4.5 tackles and showing off his hands with a tip-drill interception
• The Dinos' leading receiver in that game, Dallas Boath, is questionable for Friday after sustaining an injury following his eight-catch, 142-yard, 1-TD performance against the Bears.
• Eight first-year players out of Calgary high schools dressed for the Dinos' opening contest of the season, led by offensive lineman Tyler Packer (Notre Dame), who started at right tackle in his first-ever U SPORTS contest. Receivier Jacob Izquierdo out of St. Francis – the son of Dinos legend J.P. Izquierdo – caught a touchdown on his first career reception in the fourth quarter
• The Dinos moved up to No. 3 in the U SPORTS Top 10 this week after opening at No. 4.

No. 5 REGINA RAMS (1-0)
Last week: defeated UBC 36-20
Next week: host Alberta

• The Rams used a 15-point second quarter to take the lead on UBC last week, then held on as the T-Birds attempted a late comeback. The Picton-to-Picton connection was in full force, with QB Noah finding receiver (and cousin) Mitchell six times for 120 yards and a major
• Defensively, Cross – the first Rams rookie to start a season-opener straight from high school since 2008 – led the way with his 7.5 tackles and a sack, while Cole Benkic and Polis Koko picked up interceptions for the Rams
• Atlee Simon became the Rams' all-time leader in rushing TDs with his 18th in the second quarter last week
• The Rams held steady at No. 5 in this week's national poll

-UC-