Coming off a 19 point second half deficit, the Manitoba Bisons rallied for a 47-39 playoff football road win against #8 Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West Semi-Final on Friday, November 7 and advanced to the conference final. 

For the second consecutive season, the Bisons (regular season: 4-4; playoffs: 1-0) will travel to play the #4 Calgary Dinos (regular season: 6-2; playoffs: 1-0) in the Canada West Final. Kickoff will be at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, November 15. The game will be shown on live webcast at canadwest.tv website plus on SHAW TV across Western Canada. 

This is the third meeting of this season between the teams as Manitoba lost a close 42-41 result at Calgary on Sept. 26 then snapped a ten game conference losing streak against the Dinos by clinching a playoff spot with a 50-31 home win on Nov. 1 in week eight.

It is also the third consecutive season they have played against each other in the post-season. Last season, the Dinos won 43-28 at Calgary in the Canada West Final and in 2012, Calgary won at home by a 57-18 score in the conference semi-final.

During Bison football head coach Brian Dobie 19 years at the helm at Manitoba, the Bisons have won two playoff game over the Dinos as they are 2-2 but have never won a playoff game at Calgary. In the previous 18 years, the four playoff meetings were split at Calgary (Canada West Semi-Final: 2012; Canada West Final: 2013) and at Manitoba (Canada West Semi-Final: 2001, 2007). Overall, the Bisons met Cgy. in one other post-season meetings in 1985 as Manitoba lost in the Hardy Cup at Calgary by a 52-13 score.

At stake in the playoff game is advancing to the CIS Semi-Final (Uteck Bowl) next weekend. The winner of the Hardy Cup game will travel to the Uteck Bowl in Quebec  versus the RSEQ champion (either #2 Montreal or #1 Laval) on Saturday, November 22 at 11:30 a.m. CT.

Bison Football Notes: Manitoba has won ten Hardy Cup titles – Canada West Championship (previous winners in: 1923, 1924, 1927, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 2001, 2007).