SASKATOON - For the second time in as many years the University of Calgary Dinos were crowned Canada West football champions.
The Dinos were handed the 73rd Hardy Cup with a slim 39-38 victory over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Saturday afternoon in Saskatoon’s Griffiths Stadium. Calgary will now move on to the Uteck Bowl, a CIS semifinal, against the Saint Mary’s Huskies, who defeated the St. Francis Xavier X-Men 31-22 earlier Saturday.

Calgary-Saskatchewan Hardy Cup game summary

It is the third time in four meetings in history Calgary has defeated the Huskies in the Hardy Cup. In 1988, the Dinos won 46-33 in overtime, followed by a 1995 32-30 overtime victory. Saskatchewan won 34-17 in 1994.
Dinos quarterback Erik Glavic, who was named the Canada West Football MVP earlier this week, was impressive in the victory completing 28-of-36 passes for 479 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 106 yards and one touchdown rushing. He was named the game’s MVP.
Down by one point and the possession with 1:58 in the final quarter, the Huskies were able to march the ball to the Calgary 28 yard line. Kicker Grant Shaw lined up for the 35-yard attempt but a bad snap resulted in the miss and the Calgary win.
The entire game was back and forth by the No.2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the country that both finished 7-1 on the season.
Saskatchewan was the first to score kicking two field goals in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead. Shaw hit from 27-yards, followed by 37-yards. He added another to begin the second quarter from 38-yards putting the Huskies up 9-0.
Calgary finally found the end zone when Glavic found an open Anthony Parker for a 19-yard touchdown. The drive only took four plays to get to the end zone. They added another touchdown roughly six minutes later when Richard Snyder caught a 14-yard pass in the end zone. Saskatchewan quickly answered back on the next possession with a Rory Kohlert 37 yard pass from Huskie quarterback Laurence Nixon. Shaw added another field goal from 40-yards to give the Huskies a 19-14 lead. To end the frame, Dinos kicker Aaron Ifield missed a 12-yard field goal but was given a single on the play. The huskies led 19-15 heading into halftime.
The Dinos quickly restored their lead to open the second half on a six-play 85-yard drive that ended with a Matt Walter 10-yard rushing touchdown to gain a three point 22-19 lead. Saskatchewan gained momentum at the halfway mark of the third quarter when defensive back Keenan McDougall blocked an Ifield punt running 20-yards into the end zone for a 26-22 lead. Shaw added another eight-yard field goal at 3:37 for a 29-22 lead. Snyder had his second of the day when he had a 60-yard touchdown to tie the game at 29.
Calgary gave Saskatchewan safety and Nixon found Braeden George in the end zone on a 10-yard pass. Calgary stormed back with an Ifield 18 yard field goal and Glavic’s four-yard touchdown for the 39-38 lead.
Nixon finished 24-of-35 with 422 yards and touchdowns. Veteran running back Tyler O’Gorman had 24 carries and 162 yards on the ground for the Huskies. Two Huskie receivers finished with more than 100 yards in the game – Kohlert had 166 with one touchdown and George had 104 with one touchdown.
Snyder was the best in the game with 222 receiving yards on seven catches. Walter was held to 96 yards on 19 carries.
Defensively, Andrea Bonaventura led the Dinos with 8.5 tackles and one breakup. Nico Higgs led the Huskies with seven tackles, followed by Jonathan Krahenbil with 6.5 tackles, one interception and one break up.
The Uteck Bowl is set for Saturday, November 21 at 1:00 p.m. Atlantic Time (10:00 a.m. Mountain) at Huskies Stadium in Halifax, Nova Scotia.