Huskies open season with win over Bears (VIDEO & stats)

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies delivered fireworks on Labour Day weekend.

The Huskies scored three touchdowns in the second quarter Friday and rolled to a 38-7 win over the Alberta Golden Bears to open the Canada West football season.

The Huskies have won their season opener for nine consecutive years.

Running back Ben Coakwell, defensive back Seamus Neary, receivers Braeden George and Garrett Bolen along with punt returner Luke Thiel scored touchdowns for Saskatchewan. Stephen McDonald added five converts and a 21-yard field goal.

Defensive back Jeremy Bell scored Alberta’s touchdown. Steve McCaffery had the convert.

Saskatchewan (1-0) is home to the Regina Rams next Friday. Alberta (0-1) has its home opener next Saturday, playing the Manitoba Bisons.

Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren, a second-year university quarterback from Edmonton making his first career start for the Huskies, was 6-for-6 passing on two touchdown series in the second quarter.

Coakwell capped one of the drives with a two-yard run up the middle. And Gilbert-Knorren rolled right and hit George in the back of the end zone with a five-yard pass for another TD. Those touchdowns in the second quarter sandwiched a touchdown by Neary, who intercepted a pass by Alberta quarterback Julian Marchand near midfield, bobbed and weaved, and ran 57 yards into the end zone.

Thiel scored on a big return for Saskatchewan in the third quarter. Thiel fielded a punt at the Saskatchewan 48-yard line, beat the first wave of the Alberta cover team, then high-tailed it into the open. He outlegged the last man back, McCaffery, Alberta’s punter who has played defensive back.

Bolen scored the other touchdown for Saskatchewan. Trent Peterson, who played quarterback for the Huskies in the fourth quarter, connected on a 34-yard pass-and-run with Bolen.

Alberta’s touchdown came early in the second half.

With Saskatchewan scrimmaging deep in its own end, Gilbert-Knorren passed to Rory Kolhert in the right flat. Kolhert was stripped of the ball by Bell, who had a clear path on a 35-yard return.

Alberta got the ball right back on the Huskies’ next series. Huskies punter Denton Kolodzinski fumbled a snap and Alberta linebacker Mike Hansen recovered on the Saskatchewan 45. But an Alberta pass on third-and-two went incomplete and it turned the ball over on downs.

The Huskies opened the scoring in the first quarter on a field goal by McDonald. The field goal finished a drive by Saskatchewan that started on the Alberta 50-yard line after Nico Higgs, a fifth-year Huskies linebacker, intercepted a pass by Marchand.

This was Jeff Stead’s first game as head coach of the Golden Bears. Stead was an assistant coach with Alberta the last three seasons. He became head coach in April after Jerry Friesen resigned. Friesen is now an assistant coach with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. Stead was the offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Manitoba Bisons for 10 years, highlighted by winning the Vanier Cup in 2007.

Saskatchewan coach Brian Towriss has 168 career wins in the regular season and playoffs, putting him one behind the CIS record held by former Western Ontario Mustangs coach Larry Haylor, with 169. Towriss is in his 28th season as head coach of the Huskies.

Photo Credit: Ivan Tam

By Bob Florence

Summary
Saskatchewan 38, Alberta 7
First quarter
Sask. – FG Stephen McDonald 21 5:30
Second quarter
Sask. – TD Ben Coakwell 2 run. (Convert McDonald) 1:46
Sask. – TD Seamus Neary 57 interception return. (Convert McDonald) 7:46
Sask. – TD Braeden George 5 pass from Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren. (Convert McDonald) 12:08
Third quarter
Alberta ‚- TD Jeremy Bell 35 fumble recovery. (Convert Steve McCaffery) 1:09
Sask. – TD Luke Thiel 62 punt return. (Convert McDonald) 13:54
Fourth quarter
Sask. – TD Garrett Bolen 34 pass from Trent Peterson. (Convert McDonald) 7:12

Alberta 0 0 7 0‚- 7
Sask. 3 21 7 7 -38

Yardsticks

Alta. Sask.
First downs 7 28
Yards rushing 24-59 38-138
Yards passing 157 258
Team losses 0 38
Net offence 216 353
Att-comp. 31-18 29-20
Interceptions by 2 3
Fumbles-lost 0-0 5-2
Punts-ave. 13-30.9 9-32.8
Penalties-yds 16-105 8-71
Time of possession 28:11 31:49

Individual
Rushing – Alta.: KK Sonuga 17-48, Curtis Dell 2-10, Julian Marchand 2-6, Smith Wright 3-6. Sask.: Ben Coakwell 13-54 1 TD, Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren 9-52, Dexter Janke 6-38, Mark Klause 5-18
Receiving – Alta.: Laine Rogers 5-45, Porter Brown 4-29, Ryley Richardson 4-20, Jess Valleau 2-13. Sask.: Garrett Bolen 5-59, Rory Kolhert 4-44, Garrett Burgess 4-38, Jeffrey Moore 2-58 1 TD, Braeden George 1-5 1 TD
Passing – Alta.: Julian Marchand 16-27, 113 yd., 2 int. Curtis Dell 2-4, 44 yd. Sask.: Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren 15-22, 172, 2 int, 1 TD. Trent Peterson 5-7, 81 yds, 1 int, 1 TD
Interceptions – Alta.: Chad Kaminski, Jayson Heatherington, Tyler Greenslade. Sask.: Nico Higgs, Seamus Neary 1 TD
Fumble recoveries – Alta.: Jeremy Bell, Mike Hansen
Tackles – Alta.: Tyler Greenslade 9, Duncan Morris 9, Tanner Lestus 7.5, Jayson Heatherington 6. Sask.: Zach Hart 4.5, Mitchell Friesen 4.5, Seamus Neary 4.5, Stephen Kovach 4
Punt returns – Alta.: Jess Valleau 5-11, Yembai Moiba 1-0. Sask.: Luke Thiel 5-92, 1 TD, Kit Hillis 3-15