September 29, 2014 Update: This game has been forfeited by Calgary due to ineligible players. This will be reflected as a 1-0 win for Alberta in the standings.
CALGARY – The second-ranked University of Calgary Dinos scored on their first two drives of the game and then just kept…on…scoring, trouncing their provincial rival Alberta Golden Bears 71-3 at McMahon Stadium Friday night.
In front of a KICKOFF crowd of 5,534, the Dinos (1-0) sent the
student body home happy with a nine-touchdown, 734-yard offensive
performance for their 11th consecutive win over Alberta (0-1). And
it could have been even worse, if not for an illegal block penalty
that negated a 125-yard missed field goal return by Jake Harty.
Andrew Buckley completed 17 of 23 passes for 313 yards and three
touchdowns – all in the first half – and ran in another
major himself as the Dinos built up a 43-0 lead at half time. Brett
Blaszko and Harty combined for 308 of the Dinos' 443 receiving
yards in the game as the six-time defending Hardy Cup champions
simply dominated in all facets of the game.
And the success wasn't limited to the Dinos' starters, either
– running backs Quentin Chown and Bryce Harper, listed behind
reigning conference MVP Mercer Timmis on the depth chart, combined
for more than 150 yards on the ground as the first-stringers gave
way to the bench after half time. Eric Dzwilewski added another 114
passing yards in the second half for Calgary.
"The offence did well, and they're going to be strong," said Dinos
head coach Blake Nill. "We just need to execute and work on getting
better every week. And I look at a guy like Quentin Chown –
he came in to spell Timmis, he's a very heavy runner, and I thought
he did a great job."
While Calgary's offence lit off the fireworks, the Dinos did a
solid job defensively as well, limiting the Bears to 23 first downs
and picking off Alberta quarterbacks five times on the night. Adam
Laurensse picked up a pair of interceptions, while Nathan Mitchell,
Tanner Doll, and Thomas Spoletini each had a single. Calgary also
picked up a quartet of sacks, with Cory Robinson and Micah Teitz
recording two apiece.
Timmis, for his part, recorded 47 yards on 10 carries in a light
outing for him – but he added two more touchdowns, from one
and eight yards out, to his ever-growing career total, picking up
where he left off in 2013. Buckley's TD came on a seven-yard run,
and his three passing majors went to Brett Blaszko on a
perfectly-placed 65-yard catch-and-run play, an eight-yard strike
to Harty, and a 49-yard bomb to Brendan Thera-Plamondon. Chown
added a pair of rushing majors from nine and six yards out less
than two minutes apart in the third quarter, and Austen Hartley
picked up the ninth major on a five-yard run in the fourth. Two
field goals and two singles by Johnny Mark rounded out the scoring
for Calgary.
The Bears managed just a single field goal on the night, when
Vuyani Ndhlovu split the uprights from 42 yards out on a rare trip
inside Calgary territory for Alberta. The Bears managed just 277
offensive yards, with starting quarterback completing 12 of 27
passes for 124 yards and four picks. His replacement, Scott
Pearson, fared little better with 55 yards on seven completions.
Running back Joel Mukendi was a bright spot for the Golden Bears,
picking up 97 yards on 14 carries along the ground.
Alberta returns home next week to host the tenth-ranked
Saskatchewan Huskies (1-0), while the Dinos head on the road to
take on the No. 7 UBC Thunderbirds (0-1) in Vancouver.
-UC-