VANCOUVER (CIS) -– The UBC football team tied a school record for points in a game on Friday night, and they needed almost every single one of them, out-gunning the Regina Rams 60-48 in a three-and-a-half hour marathon in front of 1,200 at Thunderbird Stadium.
It was a huge win for the Thunderbirds and a potentially devastating blow for Regina. This game could very well decide the fourth and final playoff position in the Canada West, with the top two spots virtually locked up by Saskatchewan (4-0) and Manitoba (4-0), and Alberta (2-2) favoured to take the third position.
Things looked comfortable for UBC (2-2) seven minutes into the third when a Darren Wilson kickoff rouge after a major made it 46-21, but the Rams (1-3), led by the stellar play of quarterback Teale Orban, hung around to keep things interesting.
Orban, who finished with a ridiculous 548 yards and six touchdowns on 34-of-53 passing, hooked up with Chad Goldie for back-to-back touchdowns, the latter a 51-yard laser on the final play of the third quarter, to pull Regina back within striking distance at 46-34. It would have been closer if not for a blocked extra point.
The key play came with nine minutes remaining in the game and the Thunderbirds still hanging on to the 12-point lead, facing second-and-seven from the Regina 36-yard line. Blake Smelser dumped it off to Wilson, who broke two tackles and escaped to the outside for the first down and then some. Three plays later, Smelser zipped a 14-yard pass through a keyhole and into the hands of Ciezki, who was double covered in the end zone.
That made it 53-34 with eight minutes to play, and the only questions remaining had to do with records and career highs. Almost.
One minute later, Orban found Goldie again, this time from 20 yards out, to shave the deficit to 53-42. On the ensuing onside kick, receiver Chris Getzlaf stormed off the line, scooped up the ball on the hop, and sprinted virtually untouched to the end zone. Luckily for the Thunderbirds, the play was called back and UBC handed the ball because the kick traveled only eight or nine yards.
Ciezki then ripped off a spectacular 56-yard run through, around and over would-be-tacklers, but that was called back on a hold. He would find the end zone again, however, this time on a 25-yard rush on that same series to put it away for good at 60-42. The Sherwood Park, Alta., native proved to be the difference, as the Rams had no answer for him on defence, nor a return volley in their own running game. The Rams, who trailed the entire game, were held to just 64 rushing yards, and Orban led them in that category too, scampering for 49 yards on four carries.
Back to the records and career highs.
Orban’s 548 passing yards ranked second in Canada West history – Calgary’s Greg Vavra racked up 627 vs. Saskatchewan in 1983 – and his six passing TDs ties for fourth best, matching Vavra’s six in that same game.
Smelser had a personal-best 392 yards on 26-of-33 passing attempts, also tying his career mark with four touchdowns. In the first half alone, the senior was 16-of-19 for 272 yards. Ciezki was a bull, finishing with a career-best 183 yards on 22 carries. He also tied a career best with three touchdowns, and his receiving major tied him for the UBC single game TD mark with four.
Three members of Regina’s big receiving corps broke the 100-yard barrier, led by Goldie’s nine grabs for 145 yards and four majors. Chris Bauman (7-140, 2 TD) and Chris Getzlaf (7-131) were also nightmares for the UBC defensive backs.
Wilson continued to shine for UBC, finishing with seven grabs for 125 yards, including a spectacular 43-yard over-the-head fingertip catch in the end zone that made it 14-7 six minutes in.
UBC’s 60-point outburst ties their mark from a 60-19 win over Saskatchewan in 1982, their first Vanier Cup year, and the 108 combined points are the most in a game that UBC has ever been involved in. The previous record was 95, set in a 52-43 win over Manitoba in 1992.
The fireworks began early as Derek Townsend returned the opening kickoff 46-yards to the UBC 54. Smelser then found Wilson over the top for a 45-yard gain and Ciezki bowled his way in from nine yards out to make it 7-0 just 47 seconds in. Regina answered right back at the three-minute mark but UBC scored on their first three drives to go up 17-7.
The T-Birds led 31-21 at the half.
Townsend finished with 110 kickoff return yards, 109 of them on three returns in the first half. Alan Pepper and Barry Jonat also caught TD passes for UBC.
Regina put up 605 yards in total offence to 593 for UBC.
Next up for UBC is a home-and-home with the struggling SFU Clan (0-3), starting with Shrum Bowl XXIX on Sat, Oct. 7 at Thunderbird Stadium (2:30 p.m., AM730). The T-Birds close with games at Calgary (0-4) and home to Manitoba. Regina, meanwhile, is home to Calgary, home to Saskatchewan, at Manitoba and at Alberta.
Courtesy of University of British Columbia
