GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 20
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Opponent: Calgary Dinos
Location: Saskatoon, Sask.
Venue: Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park
Watch: Sasktel 49, 349 / Canadawest.tv
Listen: HuskieFAN
SCHEDULE | WATCH LIVE
A chance to reset before the postseason begins.
The Saskatchewan Huskies (6-1) are back at home on Saturday afternoon, as they wrap-up the 2022 regular-season with a meeting against the Calgary Dinos (1-6) at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park.
The No. 4 Huskies are fresh off their first loss of the season — a 35-29 defeat at the hands of the UBC Thunderbirds last Saturday in Vancouver — and are looking to end the regular-season on a good note with the postseason set to get underway next Saturday.
With a win, Saskatchewan would finish 7-1 and record their best regular-season since 2009.
But standing in their way is a Calgary team who appears to have improved significantly since their 44-5 Week 1 loss to Saskatchewan. Since the Week 1 defeat, the Dinos have had only one loss of more than 12 points and got their first win of the season in Week 6 in Edmonton, outscoring their provincial rival Alberta Golden Bears 24-11.
However, despite the disparity in the team's records and the Huskies winning back-to-back games against the Dinos, including that 39-point blowout earlier this season, Calgary has had their fair share of success against Saskatchewan in recent memory — holding a 16-5 advantage since 2011.
While the Huskies enter the weekend as winners of 15 straight at home, only two of those wins have come against the Dinos. Calgary is the last team to win at Griffiths — a 37-28 victory on Sept. 29, 2018. With nothing to lose, you can bet the Dinos will be looking to make a statement against the conference's best in what will be their final game of the 2022 season.
Win or lose, the Huskies have already clinched first-place in the Canada West, as well as home field advantage throughout the entirety of the Canada West playoffs. That means that, potentially, the team's next three games will all be within the friendly confines of Griffiths.
And while Saturday's game might not mean anything in terms of the standings with Saskatchewan's seed clinched and Calgary already eliminated from the postseason, this provides one final opportunity to reset, respond, and prove to themselves and the rest of the nation they're ready for a trek back to the Vanier Cup.
5(ish) Things:
- Saskatchewan is looking to finish off their third-straight regular-season with a perfect record on home turf.
- The Huskies slipped two spots in the national rankings following last weekend's loss to the Thunderbirds. They now sit at No. 4 in the latest U SPORTS Top 10, trailing the Western Mustangs, Laval Rouge et Or and Queen's Gaels.
- A quartet of Huskies graduating players are set to play in the final regular-season games of their careers on Saturday. Carson Bell, Jonathan Leggett, Mason Nyhus and Tom Whiting will all be recognized prior to the game. The four standouts together accumulated 23 years in the program.
- Nyhus enters the weekend third in single-season passing yards in program history. Nyhus, who has 2453 yards through seven games, trails only Kyle Siemens and Steve Bilan's totals of 2572 and 2549 yards — meaning 120 yards on Saturday would vault him to the top of the record book.
- Nyhus is first in the nation with 350.4 passing yards per-game and third with 15 touchdowns, as he looks to bookend his tremendous regular-season with one last standout performance . The fifth-year passer is looking to become the second player in program history to win the Hec Crighton Trophy, as he would join former Saskatchewan passer Dave Pickett who is the only Huskie to ever be presented with the award.
- While UBC and the Regina Rams are already locked into their postseason meeting at Mosaic Stadium next weekend, Saskatchewan is still awaiting clarity on their playoff opponent. The Manitoba Bisons and Alberta Golden Bears are fighting for the fourth-and-final playoff spot — a berth that would present a Hardy Cup semifinal meeting next weekend at Griffiths. The Bisons would punch their ticket with a win over the Rams, while the Golden Bears need a win over the Thunderbirds plus a Bisons loss in order to extend their season.
Quotables:
Flory on what big takeaway from last week's loss to UBC:
"We didn't start necessarily the way we wanted to. I think we have to give a lot of credit to UBC, they came out fired up and they jumped up on us with two early touchdowns. I think we responded really well, but we just didn't quite have the sustained focus to finish the game we wanted to. I know we're going to have a great week of practices — we got a great opportunity to respond and I know we will."
Flory on what the mindset is and what he wants to see from his team this week:
"Just continued growth. We had a learning opportunity there on Saturday, right? We know that there's really good football teams in our conference and that every game is competitive. We're not invincible. We've had success and expect success, but we also know that we've got to be at our best because we know that we're every team is going to give us their best every game. Canada West is just that way every week, because there's such good football, such well coached teams, great athletes and good football teams. We know that we have to be at our best this week."
Flory on what he's seen in improvements from Calgary since Week 1:
"I've seen a team that's really finding their identity. They're settling in with their athletes. They're settling in with their systems. They're good — make no bones about it. They're a good football team. We know they're well coached and we got a ton of respect for them. They're going to come in ready to play. They're prideful guys too. They're competitors."
Flory on what he believes the Dinos "identity" is:
"I think they are getting back to what gave them success in those previous years, and they're finding the guys that can execute what they want when they want — and they're going with them and giving them the room to grow. I think that's pretty important from a program standpoint that they're doing that on both sides of the ball."
Flory on graduating defensive lineman Jonathan Leggett:
"He just has so much respect in our locker room. His work ethic both on the field and away from the field just defines the defensive line as a position group. He's really been a treat to be a part of our team and we're just blessed that he's been here."
Flory on graduating defensive lineman Carson Bell:
"Carson is a guy who's played junior football and has been with us for three years now and he's a guy that absolutely fills a need. He's a quieter guy, he's a guy that just does his job. He's a great teammate."
Flory on graduating linebacker Tom Whiting:
"He's the consummate guy that has gone from starter, to backup, to special teams. He's just the guy that loves football. Just really physical and loves football. Great teammate. I know it's going to be special for him and even for his parents — they've been Huskies parents for 10-plus years, with the oldest Sam a soccer player and then Ben (a five-year linebacker who graduated in 2019) and then Tom. So there's great lineage there with the Whitings being Huskie athletes so I'm really proud of Tom."
Flory on graduating quarterback Mason Nyhus:
"What more can you say? I'm just so proud of him and what he's been able to accomplish. His work ethic, his command, his leadership — he's an elite teammate. For a quarterback to the able to handle everything — on the field and off the field — to be able to handle it all and handle it with grace, I think he does a fantastic job."
Flory on knowing the team will be playing at home for, at least, the next two weeks:
"There's definitely a comfort in being at home. It saves you the logistics of travelling, getting on a bus or a plane and all the hotels. We can be at home and have that comfort of being here. That's a good thing. Obviously the home crowd and the support here is really good. But we know that every team is going to be coming in here and we got to be ready to play. That's really what it comes down to. We're going to be here this week and next — we've got to control our own destiny with that."
Flory on how much they'll be paying attention to who grabs the final playoff spot — Manitoba or Alberta:
"I preach to our guys, so we got to do the same things. From a coaching staff standpoint, we control what we can control. We'll worry about what that looks like after. We're not worried about that. We're focused on being better this week, to be honest, that's really what it's about. We can control this game. We know it's happening at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and that's what our focus is — it's on the Calgary Dinos."
Head-to-head vs. Calgary:
- All-time vs. Calgary: Saskatchewan is 36-56-2
- Last 10 meetings: Saskatchewan is 4-6
- Huskies 2021 regular-season record vs. Calgary: 1-1
- Last regular season meeting: 44-5 Huskies win on Sept. 2, 2022 in Calgary
Scouting the Dinos:
After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006 last season, Calgary was unable to make it back to the postseason in 2022 with a young rebuilding team that no longer featured the likes of Tyson and Jalen Philpot — two of the best pass catchers seen in the Canada West in recent memory
Daniel Sananes has emerged as Calgary's starting quarterback despite beginning the season as the backup. The second-year pivot had the best of his season in the team's win over Alberta, throwing for 317 yards on 21-33 passing, to go along with two touchdowns and two interceptions. However, Sananes struggled last week in the loss to Regina, throwing for just 126 yards on 12-33 passing.
Former Saskatoon Hilltop standout Ben Abrook has seen an increased role this season with the Dinos. Abrook, who will suit up in his hometown for the second time since departing the CJFL, enters the weekend with 25 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown.
Matthieu Clarke leads the Dinos with 341 yards on 61 carries — good for 48.7 yards-per-game, 30th in the nation.
Subomi Oyesoro has been a standout on the Dinos defence this season, and is fresh off a 6.5 total tackle performance last week against Regina.
The Dinos rank 22nd in the nation in points-per-game and 24th in the nation in points-per-game allowed.
