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By Greg Campbell

Going "coastal"

Huskies visit UBC Saturday.

Oct 21, 2022 | 10:46 PM

The Saskatchewan Huskies’ dream of a national title last season fell short to a historically good Greg Marshall-led Western Mustangs squad. Since that snowy afternoon last December in Laval, all the Huskies have done are clear the path of any opponent that is standing in their way.

Scott Flory and his team come into Saturday’s contest looking for their seventh straight win to start the season. The team has already secured home field advantage throughout the Hardy Cup playoffs thanks to last week’s 23-20 victory over provincial rival Regina. They are also winners of three straight against this week’s potential victims, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

The last time these two teams met in September, the Huskies outscored the Thunderbirds 23-7 in the first half on route to a 29-10 victory at Griffiths Stadium. Mason Nyhus had 376 yards through the air and two touchdowns in the contests, while Ryker Frank had 110 yards on the ground. Caleb Morin, Daniel Perry, and Rhett Vavra all snagged over 80 plus yards in receptions, combining for 264 yards on 16 catches. The Huskies made the most of their opportunities in the red zone, going 3 for 4, while the visitors only had one trip into that section of the field all evening.

The Huskies’ engine to the team, Nyhus, continues to flourish in his fifth-year at the helm. The Regina product has 2,012 yards through the air through six contests, good for second in the country, while leading the Canada West conference in touchdowns (12) and completion percentage (67.4).

While the Huskies offence has sputtered at stages, there is no denying the sheer firepower and weapons that are at Nyhus’ disposal. Six of the top 30 reception leaders in the Canada West make up his receiving and runing back corps, with Daniel Perry and Caleb Morin ranking third and fourth respectively with 419 and 397 yards.

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The defence has been equally stout, with opponents averaging only 13.8 points per game and seven interceptions to their name.

David Solie remains steady as they come in the game, receiving this week’s Special Teams Player of the Week award in the Canada West after hitting a trio of field goals last weekend to remain perfect on the season.

The Thunderbirds however have been soaring the last two weeks, with back-to-back wins against Calgary and Manitoba having the home side looking to clinch a berth in the Hard Cup playoffs with a third straight win.

Second-year quarterback Garrett Rooker is fresh off a Canada West Offensive Player of the Week performance against the Manitoba Bisons, having thrown for 217 yards and a major while adding a rushing touchdown and 49 yards on the ground.

UBC also sports the conference’s leading tackler in Ryan Baker, who has 43.5 on the season, including a pair of sacks. Baker is one of five Thunderbird defenders with at least 1.5 sacks on the season.

This week’s game could come down to both teams’ rushing attacks. UBC has over 460 yards rushing in their last two contests alone. The Thunderbirds boast the top runner in the Canada West with Isiah Knight at 562 yards on the season, while Ryker Frank is only 40 yards back at 522 (as well as three touchdowns).

However, the home side will have to deal with Warren Muzika’s second-ranked run defence, which has only allowed a hair under five yards a rush all season, and 104 a game.

The last time the Thunderbirds defeated the Huskies dates back to 2019, in a thrilling comeback victory that ended 38-37. Saskatchewana currently have won 13 of their last 18 contests against UBC.

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gregcampbellca@gmail.com