Tough opponents await in Saskatchewan clashes
By Lyndon Little,
Vancouver Sun
There’s a B.C. gridiron invasion of Saskatchewan going on this weekend.
The B.C. Lions — riding a seven-game win streak — are probably the best bet for a Prairie victory as they take on the 6-6 Saskatchewan Roughriders Sunday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
As for the province’s two college squads, both the UBC Thunderbirds and Simon Fraser Clansmen face formidable assignments today — with the T-Birds in Saskatoon against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies (Radio 730, 11:30 a.m.) and the Clan in Regina to tackle the University of Regina Rams.
The 1-1 T-Birds will be attempting to end a lengthy bout of frustration against the 3-0 Huskies. The Thunderbirds have lost their last five trips to Saskatoon, including a 32-6 defeat in last year’s Canada West playoffs. The Huskies, however, are a problem for just about every visiting team. The high-scoring Saskatchewan offence leads the Canada West in total offence, with an average of 530 yards per contest.
The T-Birds, who lost an 18-17 heartbreaker in Edmonton to Alberta last week on a final-play punt single, stand fifth in the conference in total offence and No. 3 in defence.
In the Rams, the rebuilding Clan meet an opponent in a similar 0-2 hole. Regina, however, has at least been competitive in its two losses, while the struggling Clan has been blown out 77-7 by Manitoba and 52-7 by Saskatchewan. The Rams feature Canada West’s top passer in Teale Orban, who is averaging 299 passing yards per game.
Both B.C. teams are at home next weekend. UBC plays host to Regina Sept 29 at Thunderbird Stadium, while SFU faces Alberta Oct. 1 at Swangard Stadium.
