The #8 Manitoba Bisons (5-2) looks to extend their four game conference winning streak as they play the final regular season game of 2015 against the #9 UBC Thunderbirds (5-2) on Saturday, October 31 at 3 p.m. CT at Griffiths Stadium. The game will be available on SHAW TV.
Manitoba and UBC play twice during the conference regular season in 2015 and met earlier in week three with the Bisons losing 51-48 at home on Sat., Sept. 19.
This is a showdown for second place in the conference. The winner of the week eight contest will capture second in Canada West standings and host one of the two Canada West Semi-Final games on Saturday, November 7 at 2 p.m. local time.
The Bisons started the season by playing CIS Top 10 ranked teams in the first three weeks of the year. They defeated then #8 Saskatchewan on the road to start the 2015 campaign with a 34-28 road victory on Fri., Sept. 4 then lost 46-38 to then #2 Calgary in the home opener on Fri., Sept. 11 and also lost to then #10 UBC at home by a 51-48 result on Sat., Sept. 19. In week four on the road, the Herd won 42-32 at Alberta on Sept. 25 and in a back-to-back, home and away series against Regina, the Herd swept the Rams with scores of 34-19 at home (Oct. 2) and 49-46 win at Regina (Oct. 17). In week seven, Manitoba defeated Alberta again by a 29-7 score at home on Oct. 23.
Manitoba has made the CIS Top 10 in all eight weeks so far and now at number eight while UBC is ranked number nine. The T-Birds have won three in a row and are coming off a 41-36 road win at Saskatchewan on Oct. 23.
Last season, Manitoba played UBC once and won 20-10 at Manitoba in week three, en route to a Uteck Bowl (CIS semi-final) appearance. UBC last won at Manitoba in the 2013 season. In the 2014 season, Manitoba went 4-4 in the regular season (third in Canada West) and was a Canada West champion after two conference playoff road wins while UBC went 2-6 and was sixth and last in conference standings.
Over Brian Dobie's tenure with Manitoba (20 seasons), the Bisons have a 17-13 record against UBC and 10-5 mark on the road during the conference regular season. Manitoba last won on the road against the Thunderbirds was in 2013 season.
Bison Notes: Bisons look to host a playoff game at Investors Group Field for the second time (2013 – inaugural season: host Sask. in semi-final and won 37-36).
