Playoff berths are on the line at IG Field this Saturday, as the top two football teams in Canada West face off. The No. 6 ranked Manitoba Bisons (3-1) host the No. 5 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies (3-1) this Saturday, October 30 at 2 p.m.
The Canada West Football Showcase game can be watched on Canada West TV presented by Co-op in Manitoba. Fans in Saskatchewan can watch on SaskTel and the game is available through Telus in Alberta.
With a win over the Huskies on Saturday, the Bisons would lock up a top two seed in Canada West and a home playoff game on November 13, 2021 — their first at IG Field since the 2013 season. Saskatchewan, meanwhile, would secure the conference's top seed with a win and ensure the Hardy Cup goes through Griffiths Stadium, as they would hold tiebreakers on Alberta, UBC, and Manitoba in that scenario.
With the stakes higher, Manitoba will be hoping for a speedy recovery for first-year quarterback Jackson Tachinski, who left last week's game at UBC with a lower body injury. Tachinski catalyzed a stretch of 24 unanswered points for Manitoba after UBC went up 17-0 in the first half, including touchdown passes to Gavin Cobb — the third connection of the season for those two — and Breydon Stubbs. While backup true freshman Sawyer Thiessen was able to give the Bisons a seven-point lead with a rushing touchdown after Tachinski left the game, UBC scored the game's last nine points to come out on top.
The loss was Manitoba's first of the season, but the friendly confines of IG Field have provided an ample boost over the last three seasons, as the Bisons have won six straight at home — a stretch that includes a 43-19 victory over the Huskies in their 2019 home opener.
This matchup, though, could come down to how the Bisons deal with the veteran skill players on Saskatchewan. It starts with their senior quarterback Mason Nyhus, who has been excellent in 2021, throwing for 321.8 yards per game and 12 touchdowns to just one interception. Veterans Adam Machart in the running game (98.8 yards per game on the ground) and Colton Klassen and Sam Baker in the passing game (89.3 and 71.0 through the air, respectively) are also ones to watch on the Huskies side.
Combatting that will be a Bisons secondary that has only improved as the season has gone on. Five Manitoba defensive backs have at least three pass breakups through four games, led by Jarrett Alcaraz with four and safety Stephen Adamopoulos, cornerback Marcel Arruda-Welch, halfback Nick Conway, and SAM linebacker Stefan Conway with three apiece.
This being the last regular season home game for Manitoba, the Bisons will honour their graduating players before the game.
After this week, the Bisons wrap up their regular season with a road game against the Regina Rams. That game is set for Saturday, November 6 at 3 p.m. CDT.
View the full game notes here.
MATCHUP HEADLINES
The Bisons are 6-4 against the Huskies over their last ten games but finding a close call in that group isn't easy. The last three meetings between these two squads have been decided by at least 23 points.
HOOFPRINTS: MANITOBA BISONS (3-1)
LAST WEEK: L 24-26, Oct. 23 at UBC
NEXT WEEK: at Regina, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. CDT
- Rush by Committee: Averaging 164.3 yards per game on the ground (7th in U SPORTS, 3rd in Canada West), the Bisons are increasingly using a three-back depth chart. First-year back Breydon Stubbs has seen his workload increase from five carries at Alberta to seven vs. Calgary and ten at UBC. Alongside Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette and Michael Ritchott, all three are averaging at least 31.5 yards per game.
HOOFPRINTS: SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (3-1)
LAST WEEK: W 28-17, Oct. 23 vs. Regina
NEXT WEEK: vs. Calgary, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. CST
- Veteran Savvy: During a season where teams are coming back from a year off and playing a shortened schedule, the statistic that stands out for Saskatchewan is their lack of penalties. The Huskies lead U SPORTS by a significant margin, committing only 35 penalties for 268 yards through four games this season.
