GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, October 14
Time: 1:00 PM
Opponent: Alberta Golden Bears
Location: Edmonton, AB
Venue: Foote Field
Watch: SaskTel 49, 349 / CanadaWest.TV
Listen: HuskieFAN
SCHEDULE | WATCH LIVE
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Huskies Seek Revenge
Following up on the conference-wide bye week, the Huskies (4-1) are ready to resume play and will be headed west this Saturday for a re-match against the Golden Bears (4-1) in Edmonton.
The Huskies are hungry for revenge after suffering a 26-22 loss to Alberta at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park on September 15. The Huskies, Golden Bears, and Thunderbirds all sit in a three-way tie for first place in Canada West, with UBC holding first place due to their point differential. This weekend is an opportunity for the Huskies to take that top spot.
The quarterbacks matched up well in their last meeting, with Saskatchewan's Anton Amundrud going 20 for 38, 266 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Alberta's Eli Hetlinger put up similar stats, going 23 for 25, 209 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Expect to see both slingers bring the heat on Saturday afternoon.
Alberta's strength in their win came from their run game, with 258 net rushing yards. Matthew Peterson was the star of the show for the Golden Bears, with 192 yards on 16 possessions, and a touchdown. The Huskies had just 52 net yards rushing, thanks to Ted Kubongo and his 50 yards. Saskatchewan's run game has vastly improved since the September 29 meeting, with Ted Kubongo and Ryker Frank providing solid numbers in wins against the Calgary Dinos and UBC Thunderbirds.
Against the Golden Bears, Saskatchewan's defence was solid. Defensive back John Stoll had eight solo tackles and linebacker Nick Wiebe added five solo tackles. They were supported by defensive back Finn Marcotte-Cribb and linebacker Seth Hundeby with four solo tackles a piece. The Huskies defence leads Canada West in interceptions (nine) and sacks (twelve). This dominant defence will be needed against a quick and accurate Alberta offence.
Keep your eyes on kicker David Solie this weekend, after his outstanding performance leading up to bye week. Solie was named Huskie Athlete of the Week, Canada West Player of the Week, and U SPORTS Player of the Week, for his performance against the UBC Thunderbirds.
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5 Things:
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Alberta's win on September 29 snapped a 19 game winning streak at home for the Huskies. The last loss prior to this was in September 2018.
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Huskies quarterback Anton Amundrud is fourth overall on the U SPORTS leader board in passing yards per game, averaging 289.0 yards.
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Saskatchewan last saw the field on September 29 when they hosted the then undefeated UBC Thunderbirds, snapping their win streak with a 34-31 victory.
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Kicker David Solie had a career high 50 yard field goal against the UBC Thunderbirds.
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Alberta's Matthew Peterson is the leading rusher in U SPORTS with 807 rushing yards.
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Scouting the Golden Bears
The Golden Bears are proving to be a force in Canada West. Their lone loss was at the hands of the UBC Thunderbirds, who had a convincing 54-37 victory over the Golden Bears on September 22. The team has incredible strength on the offensive side of the ball, with impressive showings from their starting quarterback, receivers and running backs.
Alberta has a strong receiving core in Kolby Hurford, Carter Kettyle, and Jonathan Rosery. The three are averaging more than 50 yards in receptions per game, thanks to Hetlinger, who sits in seventh place nationally in average passing yards per game with 272.0. The receiving core will be strengthened by their run game, which includes U SPORTS leading rusher Peterson, who is averaging 161 yards per game.
Special teams is anchored by Jonathan Giustini, tied for eighth nationally in points with 57. The fourth year has a 68% field goal percentage, hitting a season high 49 yard field goal. He needs just 18 more points to set a new all-time scoring record for the Golden Bears and should easily hit that mark by the end of the regular season.
Defensively, Saskatchewan has the edge on Alberta with the top ranked defence in Canada West. Comparatively, the Huskies defence is allowing an average of 20.4 points per game, with the Golden Bears giving up 25.6 points per game.
While Alberta's defence is solid, it's their offence that will prove to be the biggest hurdle to a Huskie win on Saturday.
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Head-to-Head:
- All-time vs. Alberta: Saskatchewan is 106-45-1
- Last 10 Meetings: Saskatchewan is 7-3
- Huskies 2022 Regular Season vs. Alberta: 1-0
- Last Meeting: 26-22 Huskies loss on September 29, 2023 at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park
- Next Regular Season Meeting: This is the last meeting of the two teams in the 2023 Canada West regular season
