CALGARY – With the dust having settled from a pair of thrilling semifinal games a week ago, the two teams left standing in Canada West were here last year, too.

The 83rd Hardy Cup returns to McMahon Stadium Saturday, with the University of Calgary Dinos facing the University of Saskatchewan Huskies for the second year in a row – with the home side looking for a different result this time around.

Kickoff goes just after 1 p.m. MT Saturday, live on the Canada West Football Showcase (SaskTel / TELUS Optik / Bell MTS), along with streaming coverage on CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op.

GAME NOTES (.pdf)

The Hardy Cup will be handed out on the McMahon turf for the 10th straight year, an unprecedented run of success for the Dinos who make their 12th consecutive appearance in the game. But it's the Huskies that are defending the title, having pulled off the upset a year ago with a 43-18 win.

The winner of the Hardy Cup gets the right to host the U SPORTS Mitchell Bowl next weekend, with the Ontario champions heading west. The winner of that game will play for the Vanier Cup in Quebec City.

HEADLINES

• The teams met just once in the regular season, with the Huskies taking a 29-15 home win on Sept. 27
• 2019 marks the third time the Dinos and Huskies have met back-to-back years in the playoffs after 2015-16 and 1994-95.
• The Dinos and Huskies have combined for 36 of the 82 previous Hardy Cup championships between them, with Saskatchewan, the older program, holding a slight 19-17 lead in that category.
• Saturday is the eighth playoff meeting all-time between the two programs, with the Dinos holding a 5-2 advantage in the previous seven games
• The Dinos and Huskies were 1-2 in Canada West in most statistical categories this season, including total offence, points scored, points allowed, and yards allowed. One major difference: while the Dinos boasted the top passing attack with 2579 yards through the air, the Huskies were the top rushing team with 1772 yards along the ground

No. 7 CALGARY DINOS (7-2)
Last week: defeated Manitoba 47-46

• The Dinos escaped with a 47-46 win over Manitoba in the semifinal last week, picking off a two-point convert attempt on the final play of the game after the Bisons had used a perfectly-executed Hail Mary to score a last-second touchdown
• Special teams were a big story for the Dinos against the Bisons, led by returner Jalen Philpot – the reigning U SPORTS special teams player of the week. Philpot racked up 226 yards on punt and kickoff returns, including a 97-yard KOR touchdown to answer a special teams major by Manitoba in the fourth quarter
• QB Adam Sinagra was responsible for all five Dinos touchdowns against Manitoba, throwing four and running for the eventual game-winning score himself.
• The Dinos are 16-7 all-time in the Hardy Cup, with a 13-3 record in the 16 of those contests played at McMahon Stadium. At home, the Dinos are 30-7 in postseason action in their history.

No. 6 SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (6-3)
Last week: defeated Alberta 28-23

• Saskatchewan had to get past Alberta for the second straight week in their semifinal last Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, emerging with a 28-23 win for their first home-field playoff victory since 2009 to make a repeat appearance at the Hardy Cup
• The Huskies have been led by their run game all season, with conference MVP Adam Machart leading the way. The durable tailback won the conference rushing title by nearly 900 yards, racking up 166 per game to finish with 1330 – easily the best total in the country.
• Saskatchewan ran the table on conference awards in 2019, with Machart taking MVP honours while DL DB  Nelson Lokombo defensive MVP, LB Ramsey Derbas rookie of the year, and Scott Flory coach of the year.
• Saskatchewan last won back-to-back Hardy Cup titles in 2005 and 2006, the final two in a span of four titles in five years from 2002-06

-UC-