Bisons and Rams fight for final Canada West playoff spot Saturday

WINNIPEG – The Manitoba Bisons football team (3-4) hosts the Regina Rams (2-5) in the final week of Canada West football action on Saturday, October 29 with game time at 1 p.m. CT. The game can be seen on SHAW TV Manitoba and heard exclusively live on radio at 101.5 FM (umfm.com) with a special pre-game starting at 12 p.m. (noon) CT. Derek Taylor will be handling play-by-play with Matt Rollason as the colour commentary.

Manitoba is searching for the fourth and final Canada West playoff spot (first official post-season berth since 2007). #1 Calgary is in first with a perfect 7-0 record followed by #7 UBC at 5-2 and then #10 Saskatchewan at 4-3. Regina sits in fifth at 2-5 but can leapfrog Manitoba with a win on the last week of the season. Manitoba could still finish as high as third if they win and Saskatchewan loses to sixth place Alberta (0-7).

This is the second of two regular season meetings this season between the two teams with Manitoba losing 26-18 at Regina on Sept. 30 and also losing 15-7 in pre-season (Aug. 27/11). In the last 13 seasons since the Rams enter Canada West, the Bisons have a regular season record of 13-8 and hold an impressive 8-2 record at home versus the Rams. Manitoba has lost the last five meeting between the two teams (four losses in a row at Regina) and last won against them in 2008 season (Aug. 30: W 25-12).

This will be the last game played by the Bisons at University Stadium (U of Manitoba campus). Next season, Manitoba will move into the new Stadium being completed on campus that will house both the Bisons and the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. For 44 years (spanning 1967-2011 – with one year away in 1973), the Bisons home has been University Stadium where three teams has captured the Vanier Cup (CIS National Championship) and six Hardy Cup (Canada West conference championship).

In team conference 2011 stats, starting with scoring offence, Manitoba is third (27.4 points per game); while Regina is sixth (16.6 ppg) and in scoring defence, the Bisons are fifth at 26.7 ppg and the Rams are fourth with 25.1. In total offence, Manitoba is third with 439.6 yards per game and Regina is fourth at 352.6 ypg. In total defence, Manitoba is fourth with 403.9 yards per game and the Rams are second at 347.6.

Key individual offensive players for both teams, starting at running back with Rams Adrian Charles first in conference with 818 yards while Bisons Anthony Coombs third at 553. At QB, Bisons Khaleal Williams is second with 1710 yards and Regina’s Zach Oleynik fourth at 985. In receptions, Rams Mark McConkey is fourth with 31 and Bisons Tyson Takasaki is eighth at 23. Bison kicker Nick Boyd is second in scoring with 64 points.
Source: Manitoba Sports Info