CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos (0-1) will look to get their 2023 season on track when they head west to take on the UBC Thunderbirds (1-0) at Thunderbird Stadium.

Things will get underway at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday as UBC hosts Calgary for its 2023 home opener.

The Dinos will be looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Alberta last weekend, but things won't come easy when they clash with the T-Birds, who started their season with a win on the road at Regina and enter the game ranked ninth in this week's U SPORTS poll.

HEADLINES

• UBC claimed a 39-29 win over the Dinos from McMahon Stadium last September in the lone meeting between the two programs last season.
• That game marked the first regular season or playoff win by the Thunderbirds in the head-to-head series since 2015, snapping a 10-game win streak by Calgary.
• The Dinos last loss in Vancouver came all the way back on Sept. 2, 2006 with a 22-16 defeat.
• Both the Dinos and Thunderbirds will look to get their offenses going more in Week 2, after combining for just one offensive touchdown in their season openers.
• Saturday marks the first of two meetings between Calgary and UBC this season, with the rematch scheduled for Oct. 14 at McMahon Stadium.

Calgary Dinos (0-1)
Next week: at Regina

• The Dinos will look to bounce back from a disappointing opening loss to Alberta, falling 33-9 from McMahon Stadium.
• Three big plays seemed to prove the difference in last week's opener. The Bears were able to connect on two short passes that turned into long TD runs of 70 and 71 yards in the first half. Then, just before halftime, Calgary drove the length of the field and got within the 10 yard line, only to turn the ball over in the waning seconds of the first half with the score 17-5, completely changing the momentum of that contest.
• Quarterback Dom Britton went 14-of-27 in his Calgary debut. The new signal caller seemed to find some rhythm with his receivers late in the game and the Dinos will look to build on that going into Week 2.
• Calgary will continue its road swing next weekend, heading east to take on the Regina Rams Saturday, Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. from Mosiac Stadium.

UBC Thunderbirds (1-0)
Next week: vs. Manitoba

• UBC started the 2023 campaign with a 25-10 win over Regina last Friday. The T-Birds racked up 317 yards in the air and 431 total yards of offence, but only were able to cross the goal line once in a bend-don't-break showing by the Rams defence.
• Keiran Flannery-Fleck was named the U SPORTS Special Teams Player of the Week following the Week 1 win. The third-year kicker went 6-for-6 on field goals - just one shy of a single-game Canada West record. Flannery-Fleck connected from 14, 22, 30, 30, 31 and 38 yards and accounted for 19 of UBC's 25 points in the win.
• Third-year starting QB Garrett Rooker went 19-for-25 for 305 yards and one TD in the season opener. The big play for Rooker came early in the second quarter when he connected with Sam Davenport on a 61-yard score.
• UBC will continue its three-game homestand next weekend when Manitoba comes to town.

-UC-