Box Score CALGARY – The second-ranked University of Calgary Dinos somehow escaped with an undefeated record in 2014 Friday, September 26 night, edging the No. 10 Manitoba Bisons 42-41 in Canada West football at McMahon Stadium. A 40-yard field goal try by Manitoba's Ryan Jones on the final play of the game was low and wide right, and rookie Dinos receiver Dallas Boath got the ball just out of the end zone with an 11-yard return to seal the victory for Calgary, which improves to 4-0 on the campaign while Manitoba drops to 2-2 this season.
The play came after Calgary's kicker, Johnny Mark, made a 25-yarder with 53 seconds to go to give Calgary back a lead that shifted back and forth all night.
Mistakes haunted the Dinos all night, and the Bisons were there to take full advantage virtually every time. A longshot fake punt in the third quarter didn't work, giving the Bisons outstanding field position and leading to a major. A fumble on a punt return inside the 10-yard line led to another Manitoba major, and blown coverages that left receivers wide open accounted for three more TDs for the visitors.
But when it counted, the second-ranked Dinos were able to pull off a pair of sensational plays in the dying moments to pull off the win. The first was a 29-yard completion to Rashaun Simonise on a third-and-eight that set up Mark's game-winning field goal; the second, a 12-yard sack of Bison quarterback Jordan Yantz by Doctor Cassama on the ensuing Manitoba drive that ultimately forced the Bisons into the 40-yard field goal try.
Calgary tailback Mercer Timmis struggled to find the open field most of the night but still managed to pick up 123 yards along the ground. Calgary pivot Andrew Buckley also struggled at times, but he put up respectable numbers with 18-of-32 passing for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those majors went to Brett Blaszko, who racked up 119 yards on seven catches to lead the way for the Dinos, while Brendon Thera-Plamondon also cracked the 100-yard barrier on the night with his three catches, scoring one TD. Calgary's other major came courtesy of a three-yard run by Buckley.
On the other side, Yantz went to the air 45 times and completed 26 of them for 426 yards and four touchdowns. Matt Sawyer caught two of them, including a 19-yarder in the fourth quarter that put the Bisons ahead. Alex Vitt was Manitoba's leading receiver with 123 yards and a major, while Kienan LaFrance had one rushing and one receiving major on the night for Manitoba. Yantz added the sixth Bisons TD with a five-yard run late in the third quarter.
Calgary's Johnny Mark put two kickoffs into the end zone for what turned out to be very important points, before splitting the uprights for the game-winning points. And while he added two important singles, the Bisons malfunctioned on a point-after attempt early in the third quarter that cost them a point – a point that turned out to be the difference in the game.
The Bisons (2-2) will return to Alberta to face the Golden Bears in Edmonton next week, while the Dinos (4-0) will remain home to face the Regina Rams Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Canada West Football
Friday, September 26, 2014
McMahon Stadium, Calgary
FINAL
#10 Manitoba 14 07 13 07 – 41
#2 Calgary 10 21 08 03 – 42
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
MAN – Kienan LaFrance 31-yard TD run (Ryan Jones convert), 2:56, 7-0 MAN
CGY – Brendon Thera-Plamondon 49-yard TD pass from Andrew Buckley (Johnny Mark convert), 4:33, 7-7
CGY – Johnny Mark 66-yard kickoff single, 4:33, 8-7 CGY
MAN – Alex Vitt 27-yard TD catch from Jordan Yantz (Ryan Jones convert), 10:13, 14-8 MAN
CGY – TEAM safety, 13:34, 14-10 MAN
2nd Quarter
CGY – Brett Blaszko 21-yard TD pass from Andrew Buckley (Johnny Mark convert), 1:11, 17-14 CGY
CGY – Andrew Buckley 3-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 8:22, 24-14 CGY
CGY – Brett Blaszko 42-yard TD pass from Andrew Buckley (Johnny Mark convert), 12:05, 31-14 CGY
MAN – Kienan LaFrance 50-yard TD pass from Jordan Yantz (Ryan Jones convert), 13:23, 31-21 CGY
3rd Quarter
MAN – Matt Sawyer 30-yard TD pass from Jordan Yantz (two-point convert attempt failed), 3:32, 31-27 CGY
CGY – Brett Blaszko 7-yard TD pass from Andrew Buckley (Johnny Mark convert), 10:56, 38-27 CGY
CGY – Johnny Mark 78-yard kickoff single, 10:56, 39-27 CGY
MAN – Jordan Yantz 5-yard TD run (Ryan Jones convert), 14:04, 39-34 CGY
4th Quarter
MAN – Matt Sawyer 19-yard TD pass from Jordan Yantz (Ryan Jones convert), 8:05, 41-39 MAN
CGY – Johnny Mark 25-yard FG, 14:07, 42-41 CGY
