CALGARY – Tyson Philpot piled up 214 yards and three touchdowns to help the University of Calgary Dinos turn in their best performance of the season Saturday afternoon at McMahon Stadium, dominating the UBC Thunderbirds 53-14 to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

It was clear from the opening kickoff, Calgary knew their season was on the line. 

The Dinos (2-3) scored on their very first offensive play – a 37-yard strike from Josiah Joseph to Tyson Philpot - and before the Thunderbirds (2-3) could even blink, they found themselves down a score. And Calgary was far from done. 

Three opening-quarter touchdowns, one from Tyson, one from his brother Jalen and the last one on the ground courtesy of Alessandro Molnar, helped the Dinos sprint out to a 25-0 lead which they would never look back from.

And after three straight losses, something relatively unheard of from the Dinos in recent memory, Tyson Philpot said it felt good to get back in the win column.

"We've had a few rough games the last few," he said. "So it was good to get back on our home field and show the world what we are about."

And show they did, as Calgary made a loud statement, improving to 2-3 with the win, and planting themselves smack dab in the middle of a wild Canada West playoff race with just one week to go. 

Dinos head coach Wayne Harris was pleased with his team's effort while admitting there was still room for improvement. 

"It was closer," Harris said when asked if thought his team played a complete football game. "I thought the energy went down on the bench towards the end of the third quarter, but we were still able to continue to do some good things."

The Dinos scored all 53 of their points in the first three quarters, as both teams would go scoreless in the fourth. 

After Javier Williams scored the Dinos' fourth touchdown of the game late in the second quarter, the Dinos' defence would get in on the action, as Jacob Biggs would step in front of a Garrett Rooker pass, taking it back for the score, giving the Dinos a comfortable 39-7 lead at the half. 

If the game wasn't already over, two more Tyson Philpot scores early in the second half would seal the deal for Calgary, who would cruise the rest of the way for the 53-14 victory. 

Joseph was the definition of efficient in this one, completing 16-of-18 passes for 350 and four touchdowns. 

Jalen Philpot had 112 yards through the air to go along with his brother's 214, adding to the massive season from the dynamic receiving duo.    

Daniel Flanagan had another standout day on the defensive side of the ball for Calgary, finishing with eight total tackles as well as two sacks and four tackles-for-loss. 

The Thunderbird running game was a bright spot for the team, as UBC finished the game with two 100-yard rushers. Dane Kapier racked up 161 yards and one touchdown on the ground, while Isaiah Knight chipped in 109 of his own.  

Next week, Calgary will head east for a rematch with the first-place Saskatchewan Huskies, who they beat 34-20 in the season opener for both squads. With a win, Calgary would secure themselves a spot in the Canada West playoffs, and keep their hopes of defending their Vanier Cup championship alive. 

The kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. MT on Saturday, Nov. 6 in Saskatoon.   

SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
CGY – Tyson Philpot 37-yard TD pass from Josiah Joseph (Vince Triumbari convert), 1:54, 7-0 CGY
CGY – Team Safety, 3:10, 9-0 CGY
CGY – Jalen Philpot, 8-yard TD pass from Josiah Joseph (Vince Triumbari convert), 12:18, 16-0 CGY
CGY – Team Safety,  13:32, 18-0 CGY
CGY – Alessandro Molnar 7-yard TD run (Vince Triumbari convert), 15:00, 25-0 CGY

2nd Quarter
UBC – Dane Kaplar 49-yard TD run (Ben Kolb convert), 8:13, 25-7 CGY
CGY – Javier Williams 10-yard TD run (Vince Triumbari convert), 11:45, 32-7 CGY
CGY – Jacob Biggs 44-yard interception return TD (Vince Triumbari convert), 13:22, 39-7 CGY

3rd Quarter
CGY – Tyson Philpot 42-yard TD pass from Josiah Joseph (Vince Triumbari convert), 1:39, 46-7 CGY
UBC – Jason Soriano 29-yard TD pass from Garrett Rooker (Ben Kolb convert), 4:27, 46-14 CGY
CGY – Tyson Philpot 80-yard TD pass from Josiah Joseph (Vince Triumbari convert), 5:05, 53-14 CGY

4th Quarter
No Scoring