They faced some adversity and had to come from behind in the second half, but the University of Calgary Dinos captured an unprecedented fifth consecutive Canada West championship Saturday afternoon with a 38-14 win over the Regina Rams in the 76th Hardy Cup at McMahon Stadium.
BOX SCORE
Canada West MVP Eric Dzwilewski set a school record with 33 completions in the game, tossing for 377 yards, while Steven Lumbala scampered 22 times for 251 yards as the Dinos scored 27 straight points in the second half after trailing 14-11 early in the third quarter.
The No. 3 Dinos (8-1) will now face No. 1, defending Vanier Cup champion McMaster (9-0) in the CIS Mitchell Bowl next Saturday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. MT, live on TSN. The winner of that will advance to the Vanier Cup Nov. 23 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
It is the 14thHardy Cup title in school history.
“I just tried to keep it positive and remind them that this process started back in January on the first day of classes,” said Dinos head coach Blake Nill, the Canada West coach of the year. “I told them at some point, our strength and conditioning was going to play a role. You could see they were wearing down, and when you make a couple of big plays and get momentum you can be successful. We managed to keep Mueller off-balance, and Lumbala just played awesome.
“You need to play in games like this where we had to overcome some adversity, and the kids battled hard. Now we’re in a position where, you know, we go into Mac and we will prepare as best as we can. Every program left is a good one, and we’re going to have to be prepared to play there.”
With the Dinos clinging to a tight 8-7 lead at the half, the Rams took the lead 6:29 into the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Landon Buch that he set up himself with a spectacular diving grab for 36 yards. But the Dinos offence – which had moved the ball successfully to that point but was unable to find the end zone – was given a shot in the arm by Lumbala not long after that. A 53-yard burst down the sidelines was followed by a 17-yard run inside the five – where Dzwilewski poked it in from the one to score the eventual game-winning touchdown. It was an 80-yard drive – and 71 of those came courtesy Lumbala.
With the momentum in their favour at that point, Dzwilewski faced pressure on Calgary’s next possession and got away a strike over the middle to Richard Snyder, who made a nice catch for a 35-yard touchdown. Dzwilewski would add another one-yard plunge into the end zone in the final five minutes of the game to salt away the victory and ensure the Hardy Cup will remain in Calgary for another year.
While the second half was all Dinos, it was the Rams that had momentum at the break after holding the Dinos out of the end zone, despite several chances for the Dinos deep in Regina territory. The Rams had the only major of the opening half, a seven-yard catch for Addison Richards from Mark Mueller with just 34 seconds left in the second quarter. Critically, however, the Rams could have been ahead further – a promising Regina drive early in the second stopped near the goal line when Michael Kiapway fumbled the ball forward into the end zone, where it was picked up by Calgary safety Wyatt Getty.
Mueller finished the night – and his CIS career – 26 of 40 for 316 yards and a touchdown. Buch continued his emergence as a top target, hauling in seven catches for 144 yards and scoring the one-yard rushing TD. Defensively, linebacker Alex Meldrum had a busy night with 8.5 tackles for the Rams, while Kirby Kezama picked up 7.5 tackles along with a pair of interceptions in a losing cause.
For the Dinos, Lumbala’s big night finished with 251 rushing yards, easily his top total of the season after spinning his way to three carries of 45 yards or longer. Dzwilewski set a school record with 33 completions, one better than Dalin Tollestrup’s 2006 mark of 32. Dzwilweski attempted 46 passes, tossing for 381 yards – 168 of those to Jake Harty, whose 15 catches set a new school single-game record as well as a new Canada West playoff mark.
Defensively, Jordan Verdone picked up eight tackles and a forced fumble, while Getty’s stat line was also impressive: six tackles, a 47-yard interception return, and that critical fumble recovery in the end zone.
The Dinos now get set for their fifth Bowl game in as many years against the undefeated, No. 1-ranked McMaster Marauders at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton, Ont. next Saturday. It will be the first game for the Dinos in Ontario since the 1995 Vanier Cup.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
CGY – TEAM Safety, 8:24, 2-0 CGY
CGY – Johnny Mark 13-yard FG, 14:02, 5-0 CGY
2nd Quarter
CGY – Johnny Mark 25-yard FG, 13:26, 8-0 CGY
REG – Addison Richards 7-yard TD catch from Marc Mueller (Taylor Wandler convert), 14:26, 8-7 CGY
3rd Quarter
CGY – Johnny Mark 21-yard FG, 3:32, 11-7 CGY
REG – Landon Buch 1-yard TD run (Taylor Wandler convert), 6:29, 14-11 REG
CGY – Eric Dzwilewski 1-yard TD run (Johnny Mark convert), 10:40, 18-14 CGY
CGY – Richard Snyder 35-yard TD catch from Eric Dzwilewski (Johnny Mark convert), 13:26, 25-14 CGY
4th Quarter
CGY – Johnny Mark 21-yard FG, 1:44, 28-14 CGY
CGY – Eric Dzwilewski 1-yard TD run, 10:18, 35-14 CGY
CGY – Johnny Mark 24-yard FG, 13:14, 38-14 CGY
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