McMahon set for chilly Mitchell Bowl

CALGARY – McMahon Stadium will be a busy place this weekend.

A pair of national semi-finals will hit the turf amid perfect Canadian football conditions – snow and temperatures well below freezing – in a two-day celebration of the 110-yard, three-down game.

Before Sunday’s Canadian Football League clash between the Calgary Stampeders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the right to attend the Grey Cup, Saturday afternoon will see the University of Calgary Dinos take on the Saint Mary’s University Huskies for a berth in the Desjardins Vanier Cup.

Kickoff goes at 1:30 p.m. MT, broadcast on TSN live coast-to-coast and on Radio-Canada (French) live Manitoba-west and tape delayed Ontario-east. AM 770 CHQR will also provide a web-only audio feed at [url]www.qr77.com.

Fans are encouraged to dress warmly as temperatures are expected to be well below the freezing mark. The first 400 fans in attendance will receive a free Dinos toque, courtesy the University of Calgary.

It’s the second straight season the Dinos and Huskies have hooked up in a Canadian Interuniversity Sport Bowl game, with Calgary coming out on top 38-14 last year in Halifax at the Uteck Bowl. This time it’s a change in venue and a likely change in conditions – but the host Dinos will be hoping there’s no change in the result.

The winner will meet the Uteck Bowl champion for the national championship Nov. 27 at PEPS Stadium in Quebec City. The Laval Rouge et Or will look to advance to the Vanier Cup on their home field when they host the Western Mustangs in the Uteck Bowl, immediately preceding the Mitchell Bowl at McMahon.

It’s just the second time in history that the Atlantic champion has travelled to Canada West for a Bowl game, the first being the 2004 Mitchell Bowl when Saint Mary’s fell 31-16 to Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Canada West schools have hosted 18 Bowls since the format was adopted in 1967, and just twice has the visiting team emerged victorious. The last time that happened was 1973, when McGill defeated Manitoba 16-0. Since then, Canada West has won 12 consecutive national semi-finals at home.

Two of those dozen were held at McMahon Stadium and were won by the Dinos – the 1985 Western Bowl, a 56-14 defeat of Carleton, and the 1995 Churchill Bowl, which Calgary won 37-7 over Ottawa. Overall, the Dinos are 13-2 at home in the post-season, with the only two losses coming to Regina in Canada West semi-finals (2000, 2002).

History and the venue might be on their side, but the Dinos will have to be on top of their game to make a return trip to the Vanier Cup. After a slow start, the Huskies have reeled off six consecutive victories, including a 37-8 win over Acadia in the Atlantic final, the Loney Bowl. In addition to momentum, Saint Mary’s has the memory of a home semi-final loss last season that they will hope to avenge Saturday afternoon.

The Dinos are 3-1 all-time against Saint Mary’s, including wins in the 2009 Uteck Bowl (38-14), the 1993 Atlantic Bowl (38-23), and the 1988 Vanier Cup (52-23). The lone Huskies win in the all-time series came in the 1992 Atlantic Bowl by a 23-11 score.

Here’s a look at the two teams:

No. 5 Calgary Dinos (8-2) – Canada West Champions

Last week: defeated Alberta 56-3

The three-time defending Canada West champion Dinos are certainly peaking at the right time in 2010.

After a glut of injuries had them limping through much of the regular season, the sick bay started to empty late in the conference schedule – and it wasn’t a moment too soon. Since dropping a 36-17 decision to the Saskatchewan Huskies Oct. 15, Calgary has reeled off four straight victories, averaging 42 points and 545 yards offence per game over that span. And while the offence has begun putting up the numbers it was expected to in the pre-season, the defence is also near full strength and has performed admirably over that stretch as well.

Quarterback Erik Glavic was the CIS offensive player of the week after a nearly flawless performance last Saturday in leading the Dinos to their 12th Hardy Cup title. Glavic completed 14 of 18 passes for 270 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, earning MVP honours in the conference championship game for the second straight year. He spread the ball around effectively, with six different receivers making catches while seven players had at least one rushing attempt as Calgary hammered Alberta 56-3.

Defensively, the Dinos had just about everyone on the field against Alberta save the Canada West defensive player of the year, linebacker Sam Hurl. All three of Alberta’s points were conceded by the Dinos (a safety and a punt single), and Calgary held the Bears to just 216 total yards. Conference all-star Tye Noble continues to provide yeoman service from his halfback spot, while the return of Swedish sensation Doctor Cassama provided a spark for the Dinos’ defence last week. Nothing, however, was as big a momentum-changer as big Linden Gaydosh’s 20-yard interception return touchdown.

A Calgary victory Saturday will ensure that for the third straight season, the Dinos’ season will end on the turf of PEPS Stadium in Quebec City.

No. 9 Saint Mary’s Huskies (6-3) – Atlantic University Sport Champions

Last week: defeated Acadia 37-8

The season didn’t start as they had hoped it would, but the Saint Mary’s Huskies were able to shake off a three-game losing streak and have reeled off six straight victories, proving again they are the class of Atlantic University Sport football.

SMU had little trouble with the Acadia Axemen in last week’s conference championship game, cruising to a 37-8 victory despite being without the services of Atlantic MVP and Hec Crighton candidate Jahmeek Taylor. It was a Calgary product, slotback Ahmed Borhot, that stole the show for the Huskies. He caught nine passes for 202 yards as Saint Mary’s won its 10th Atlantic championship in the last 12 seasons.

Taylor will be back in the lineup against the Dinos, however, and that will mean nothing but positives for the Huskies. The third-year Mississauga, Ont. native led the AUS with seven touchdowns and put up 1,439 all-purpose yards in the regular season, including 711 on punt returns – the second-highest total in league history.

Quarterback Micah Brown took over the controls early in the season and performed admirably, leading the Huskies to those six straight wins – a streak that has seen them put up an average of 38 points per game.

Defensively, linebacker Ryan King of Sherwood Park, Alta. was the unquestioned leader for the Huskies, easily leading his squad with 56 tackles on the season. King is one of 14 players on the Saint Mary’s roster to hail from the province of Alberta, a list that includes five Calgary-area athletes: offensive linemen Sean Swanney (Calgary) and Sean Seafoot (Strathmore), defensive linemen Robbie Curran and Wyatt Gray (Calgary), along with the Loney Bowl MVP, Borhot. Gray, in fact, spent the 2009 season as a redshirt with the Dinos.

-UC-
Ben Matchett

Sports Information Director