EDMONTON – Led by a masterful performance from all-Canadian running back Steven Lumbala, the No. 2-ranked University of Calgary Dinos scored another big win with a 51-1 victory over the Alberta Golden Bears Friday night at Edmonton’s Foote Field.
BOX SCORE
BOX SCORE
Lumbala, who has battled an injury through much of the season, had his best performance of the year with a 22-carry, 218-yard, two-touchdown performance on the ground, adding one reception for a 31-yard touchdown to those totals for a combined 249 yards from scrimmage on the night.
With the victory, coupled with Manitoba’s loss at Saskatchewan, the Dinos (6-0) clinched at least second place and a home playoff date and will host a Canada West semi-final for the fifth consecutive season. Calgary heads to Regina next weekend for a Friday night date with the Rams – and a win there would clinch first place and home field throughout the playoffs.
The game opened with a 74-yard touchdown toss from Eric Dzwilewski to Elie Bouka of the Dinos on their first offensive play, setting the tone for another long night for the Bears. But it was the rushing attack led by Lumbala that piled up the yardage and wore down the Alberta defence throughout the night.
“Steven is an all-Canadian tailback and maybe the best in the country,” said Dinos head coach Blake Nill. “The run game is very important for us, and we were able to use that tonight – and that’s a good sign going forward.
“Overall, we make it a point to respect every opponent equally, and that means from a preparation standpoint and playing to your full capacity,” said Nill. “I felt that at times we showed that tonight, but I didn’t feel like we did that well enough. The point from here is to keep improving every week, and we know that our most important game of the season is next week at Regina.”
After Bouka’s opening score, Stephen Fabian’s punt single would count for the only Alberta point on the night, 4:12 into the game. A 14-yard field goal by Johnny Mark put the Dinos up 10-1 after the first.
Calgary would punch it in again early in the second when Dzwilewski called his own number for a one-yard TD score. That major preceded a stretch of four consecutive drives that ended in turnovers, with the Bears gambling on third-and-inches and coming up short twice, while the Dinos fumbled a third-down play and then Dzwilewski threw an interception into coverage.
Jimmy Underdahl replaced Dzwilewski at that point in the game, and the Calgary offence found the end zone once more before the half on a pitch by Underdahl to Lumbala, who rumbled 31 yards to the house to make it 24-1 Dinos at the half.
Two more Lumbala scores from 15 and four yards in the 3rd along with a 30-yard field goal by Mark made it 41-1 after 45 minutes. A one-yard run by Underdahl and a 34-yard field goal by Mark rounded out the scoring.
With his three field goals, Mark now has 19 on the season, eclipsing Aaron Ifield’s school single-season record of 18 with two games still to play.
Bouka, playing for the first time since sustaining an injury in week one against Regina, was the Dinos’ leading receiver with four catches for 111 yards and the touchdown. The two Calgary quarterbacks combined to go 14-of-23 for 225 yards and two touchdowns, but it was the run game that led the way. On 41 carries, the trio of Lumbala, Mercer Timmis, and Denzel Morrison combined for 325 yards along the ground on the night.
Bouka, playing for the first time since sustaining an injury in week one against Regina, was the Dinos’ leading receiver with four catches for 111 yards and the touchdown. The two Calgary quarterbacks combined to go 14-of-23 for 225 yards and two touchdowns, but it was the run game that led the way. On 41 carries, the trio of Lumbala, Mercer Timmis, and Denzel Morrison combined for 325 yards along the ground on the night.
Defensively, the Dinos were solid again and limited the Bears to 10 first downs on the night. And while the offence scored 51 points, that number has significance for the defence as well: through six games this season, Calgary has given up just 51 total points.
John Kadiebwe led the way with six tackles on the night along with Hunter Turnbull’s five, while the Dinos picked up four sacks as a unit. Alberta managed just 195 yards of total offence in the game, most of which came in the late stages as the Bears played out the string – but were held out of the end zone by the Dinos.
The second-ranked Dinos shoot for a 7-0 start to the season next Friday night as they take on the Regina Rams Friday night at Mosaic Stadium, live on CanadaWest.tv and QR77.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
CGY – Elie Bouka 74-yard TD pass from Eric Dzwilewski (Johnny Mark convert), 1:43, 7-0 CGY
ALB – Stephen Fabian 48-yard punt single, 4:05, 7-1 CGY
CGY – Johnny Mark 14-yard FG, 12:30, 10-1 CGY
2nd Quarter
CGY – Eric Dzwilewski 1-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 1:22, 17-1 CGY
CGY – Steven Lumbala 31-yard TD pass from Jimmy Underdahl (Johnny Mark convert), 14:45, 24-1 CGY
3rd Quarter
CGY – Steven Lumbala 15-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 3:03, 31-1 CGY
CGY – Steven Lumbala 4-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 6:33, 38-1 CGY
CGY – Johnny Mark 30-yard FG, 11:09, 41-1 CGY
4th Quarter
CGY – Jimmy Underdahl 1-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 3:56, 48-1 CGY
CGY – Johnny Mark 34-yard FG, 8:28, 51-1 CGY
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