The No. 6 ranked Bisons will look to win their first Hardy Cup since 2014 this weekend, as two-seed Manitoba visits No. 4 ranked and top seed Saskatchewan in the 84th edition of the Canada West title game.
The game at Griffiths Stadium can be watched as part of the Canada West Football Showcase on Canada West TV presented by Co-op. Fans in Saskatchewan can watch on SaskTel and in Alberta on Telus. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. CDT.
The winner of the Hardy Cup advances to the national semi-final, the Uteck Bowl, to play the RSEQ champion Montréal Carabins at CEPSUM Stadium on November 27.
While the Huskies have been in the Hardy Cup each of the last two seasons, the Bisons will need to call on history a bit further back as their motivation. Manitoba beat Saskatchewan in two straight playoff runs in 2013 and 2014, with their last post-season meeting coming in the conference semi-final in '14, a 47-39 victory that started the Bisons on their path to Hardy Cup champs.
This season, the story of the year has been how the Huskies have come on since the start of the Canada West season. After losing their first game to Calgary, Saskatchewan has gone undefeated since, with five of those six wins coming with double-digit margins of victory. Their last matchup with the Bisons came on October 30, where they won decisively at IG Field, 41-12.
Still, the Bisons will be calling upon a collective toughness that has seen them stay in the fight throughout 2021, despite significant adversity. Facing the Huskies with a different quarterback will be their first opportunity to change recent history, as first-year Jackson Tachinski will start for Manitoba in the Hardy Cup. Fourth-string pivot Sawyer Thiessen was solid in the October 30 matchup with Saskatchewan, but Tachinski's dual threat as a runner has been a boon for the Bisons offence ever since Week 1 starter Des Catellier went down for the year — especially last week in snowy conditions at IG Field, as the Vincent Massey product ran for 43 yards and a touchdown.
In the backfield, the Herd are down a back in a season where run by committee has been the motto. First-year Breydon Stubbs is out this week with an ankle injury, leaving the tandem of first-year Noah Anderson and fourth-year Michael Ritchott at the top of the depth chart. Ritchott in particular recalled his 2019 form in the semi-final win over Alberta, rushing for 85 yards on nine attempts, while Anderson continued to make the chunk plays he's become known for over the back half of the season, totalling 73 yards on 12 runs.
On defence, stars have emerged at all three levels for Manitoba. Fifth-year defensive end Brock Gowanlock continues to wreak havoc, as he had a sack, a fumble recovery for 20 yards, and three tackles in the win over Alberta. At linebacker, true freshman Isaac Dokken has improved across the board as the season has progressed and was named the Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week for his two forced fumbles last Saturday, including one he recovered himself.
In the secondary, Arjay Shelley was the Canada West Defensive Player of the Week after a pick of Alberta QB Brad Launhardt and two pass breakups, while Marcel Arruda-Welch had a pass breakup at the other corner, as the two-time Canada West All-Star returned from injury after two weeks away.
MATCHUP NOTE
- Over the last 25 years, the record between the Bisons and Huskies couldn't be closer, as Manitoba has an 18-19 record against Saskatchewan in the regular season and 2-3 in the playoffs. The Huskies have owned recent history, though, winning four of the last five matchups dating back to 2018, with three of those wins by at least 23 points.
HOOFPRINTS: MANITOBA BISONS (4-2)
LAST WEEK: W 43-17, Nov. 13 vs. Alberta (Canada West SF)
- Special Teams Success: Making plays on special teams has been a story of the Bisons season in 2021, on both sides of the ball. While some of this doesn't show up on the stats sheet, one example was the kicking game of Cole Sabourin in the elements last weekend, as the Bisons boot went 3-for-3 on field goals and averaged 34.1 yards on 10 punts, including four that pinned Alberta inside their own 20.
HOOFPRINTS: SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (5-1)
LAST WEEK: W 39-17, Nov. 13 vs. UBC (Canada West SF)
- Dual Threat: Second in the nation in points per game (36.2), the Huskies have proven all year that they can light up a scoreboard. The player to watch in this regard is Adam Machart, as the running back has averaged 83.0 yards per game on the ground while also catching 14 balls for 241 yards in the passing game.
