WINNIPEG – With all the feel of a playoff football game, the No. 7 nationally ranked Alberta Golden Bears held on in the final seconds, defeating the Manitoba Bisons 35-25 on Friday night at IG Field.
The win improves their record for 6-1, and they will host a home playoff game for the first time in 19 years. Manitoba falls to 3-4 and will hope for a 1-5 Calgary loss to No. 6 Saskatchewan tomorrow.
If Calgary loses, the Bisons will clinch a record fifth straight playoff birth as the four seed. If Calgary upsets the Huskies, they will play the Bisons the following week with the last playoff spot on the line.
This game had extra meaning for fans of Bisons pivot
Jackson Tachinski, who was injured in the second quarter on a hit off a blitz the first time the two teams faced in week two.
He was 3-0 with 1,059 yards of total offence and nine majors since coming back, and added 289 passing yards, 71 rushing yards (and the game's opening score) and two touchdowns overall tonight, but Alberta clamped down when they had to.
After a
Jarrett Alcaraz pass breakup, the Bisons set up shop at their own 40 with 4:44 to play in the fourth down 28-25. Tachinski calmy led the Bisons into field goal range, but was taken out of the game for three plays after a completion to
Brendt Adams to the Golden Bears 34.
Tachinski was winded on the play on a hit taken after the throw, and Alberta stopped backup
Sawyer Thiessen from getting a first down on second and long.
That brought out Bisons kicker
Maya Turner, whose 24-yard attempt was blocked by Alberta defensive lineman Kwadwo Boahen, who also had a sack, forced fumble and four solo tackles in the game.
With 1:35 to go, Alberta tried to run out the clock, but an incompletion forced third down, giving the Bisons the ball at their 45 with plenty of time to tie the game or win it.
But, on the first play from scrimmage, Tachinksi threw his first interception of the year to safety Jonathan Giustini to ice the game. Alberta would score a rushing touchdown a few plays later to ice the game.
Giustini, also the team's kicker, had a game to remember, as he broke the program record for scoring, with 255 points. He set the record on a 47-yarder late in the third and added three more in the fourth on a 35-yarder.
"To be honest, I didn't get the coverage. I just reacted and made a play," admitted Giustini, who went unnoticed in the back end by Tachinski on the throw.
"I just like contributing to the team as much as I can. Playing and kicking I get to make a difference in two different areas."
Tachinski led Manitoba on a six play, 73-yard drive to open the game, giving the Herd their only lead at 7-0 on a QB keeper. There were no passes thrown on the run-focused drive.
Alberta responded immediately, with Jonathan Rosery capping off an 82-yard drive with a 16-yard catch from Eli Hetlinger. The Alberta pivot finished with 223 yards through the air on 17-of-30 passing and the score.
A safety with 5:12 to go in the first gave the visitors a 9-7 lead and they did not trail the rest of the way.
But the story for Alberta, as it's been all year, was their play on the ground.
Despite losing 1,000 yard rusher Matthew Peterson in the first half after just 33 yards, Ope Oshinubi stepped up with a career day, going off for 194 yards on 15 carries and two important scores, including the game-sealer at the end.
As a team, Alberta rushed for 279 yards, well above their conference-leading 220. Oshinubi's four-yard score at the end of the first half gave his side a 19-7 halftime lead, and was set up by a massive 65-yard gain where he went virtually untouched down the short side.
Manitoba battled back, getting a career-high 119 yards from
De Shawn Le Jour at receiver and a score from
AK Gassama, but 82 yards in penalties hurt them as the game went along.
If the Bisons earn the final playoff spot, they will likely travel to Alberta, setting up what should be a thriller in the conference semis in two weeks.
"The plays are there," said Tachinski postgame. "I think we can take advantage of these guys. Whether it's run or pass I think it will be a different story."
