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REGINA, Sask. — The Manitoba Bisons generated momentum at key moments and put together a late scoring drive, but turnovers and field position proved costly in a 23-8 loss to the No. 6 Regina Rams on Friday night at Leibel Field.

Regina controlled much of the game with a powerful ground attack, accumulating 254 rushing yards while finishing with 470 yards of total offence as the Rams improved to 2-0 on the season. Manitoba moved to 1-1.

The Rams opened the scoring on a first-quarter rouge before putting together a four-play, 52-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Carter Ashman for an early 8-0 lead.

Manitoba's defence responded with its biggest play of the first half early in the second quarter. After Robert Lasebnik pinned Regina deep with a 49-yard punt, the Bisons forced a safety to cut the deficit to 8-2.

The Herd were unable to build on the momentum. A Brendt Adams fumble at the Manitoba 21-yard line gave Regina a short field, and Christian Katende converted the turnover into a two-yard touchdown run just 34 seconds later. Regina added a 22-yard field goal by Ty Gorniak on the final play of the half to take an 18-2 lead into the break.

The third quarter featured a strong goal-line stand by Manitoba. Regina marched 81 yards to the Manitoba three-yard line, but the Bisons' defence held firm and forced an incompletion on third down to prevent another touchdown. The Rams settled for an 11-yard field goal later in the quarter after recovering a Manitoba fumble on a punt return.

Facing a 21-2 deficit entering the fourth, Manitoba continued to battle. Regina extended its lead to 23-2 on a safety, but the Bisons' defence answered shortly afterward when Owen Miller intercepted Noah Pelletier in the end zone and returned the ball 25 yards to spark the offence.

The interception led to Manitoba's best drive of the night. Starting at its own 28-yard line, the Bisons marched 82 yards on 15 plays while controlling more than six minutes of clock. Ishe Matanga powered the drive on the ground, and quarterback Cole Anseeuw capped it with an 11-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds remaining. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the final score at 23-8.

Anseeuw completed 14 of 24 passes for 112 yards and added a rushing touchdown, while Matanga led the Manitoba ground game with 65 rushing yards on 13 carries. Nathan Udoh paced the receiving corps with four catches for 28 yards.

Defensively, Kaleb Mackie-Mcleod recorded a team-high nine tackles, while Owen Miller added six tackles and an interception. Gavin Perkins contributed two tackles and converted a key third-and-one rush in a short-yardage role.

Despite being outgained, Manitoba's defence repeatedly kept the Rams out of the end zone, forcing a turnover on downs at the three-yard line and coming away with both a safety and a fourth-quarter interception.

The Herd are back at it Saturday afternoon against the Calgary Dinos at Murray Field at Dakota Collegiate. There are limited tickets available for this off-site game due to capacity restraints. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance, which they can purchase here.