Regina clinches final playoff spot with victory in Winnipeg

The University of Regina Rams punched their ticket to the Canada West playoffs after holding on for a 31-22 road win over Manitoba on Saturday afternoon at University Stadium in Winnipeg.

The Rams (3-5) finish in fourth place in the conference standings with the victory and will now prepare for a Canada West semifinal game at top-ranked Calgary next Friday at McMahon Stadium. Manitoba finishes with an identical 3-5 record, but end up in fifth place and out of the postseason.

Regina scored the first 15 points of Saturday’s game, getting an early touchdown by Steve Famulak after a blocked punt by Jorgen Hus deep in Manitoba territory and adding an Adrian Charles touchdown catch early in the second.

Moving the ball with the wind effectively in the second quarter, the Bisons pulled to within one point after touchdowns on back-to-back possessions following the Charles major. Both Manitoba touchdowns were off one-yard plunges, the first by quarterback Khaleal Williams and the second by running back Anthony Coombs.

Manitoba threatened to score for a third consecutive possession, but Regina’s Mike Kerr had other ideas. Playing in his final conference game, the fifth-year halfback picked off a Williams pass on the goal line and ran it back 83 yards to notch the second longest interception return in school history. An unnecessary roughness penalty was tacked onto the return to set up a short field for the Rams’ Zach Oleynik-led offence and after a short Mark McConkey reception, Charles ran it in from six yards for his fourth touchdown rush of the season.

Manitoba’s Nick Boyd capped the first-half scoring with a 26-yard chip shot as the Rams took a 22-17 lead into halftime.

Neither team was able to find the end zone in the second half. Chris Bodnar’s three field goals stood as the only scoring of the third quarter, and the Bisons could only muster a total of five points of a rouge and a pair of conceded Regina safeties in the fourth.

Back-to-back sacks by Rams tackle Stefan Charles forced an end to a Manitoba possession early in the fourth, while the Rams forced a turnover on downs later in the final quarter and essentially iced the victory after Brady Aulie recovered a fumble by Andrew Barry on a kickoff following a conceded safety with less than two minutes to go.

Charles ended up with 93 rushing yards, while Oleynik was 16-for-27 with 187 passing yards and a touchdown. McConkey led Regina with five catches, while Brenden Owens had three catches for a team-high 62 receiving yards.

The Rams’ defence got through for six sacks, with Stefan Charles and Akiem Hicks leading the way with two apiece. They also picked off Williams four times, as Jamir Walker, Famulak, and Chris Sciog joined Kerr with interceptions. Charles, Austin Bates, and Justin Edralin all tied for the team lead with 5½ tackles.

Manitoba’s Anthony Coombs had 87 rushing yards, while Grayson Wells blocked two point-after attempts for the Bisons.

The Rams will face Calgary on the road in the Canada West semifinals for the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four years. The Dinos won all three of those postseason contests and have an eight-game winning streak overall against Regina. The two teams will kick off on Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Calgary.

NOTES: Kerr’s 83-yard interception return trails only Walker’s 87-yard return against Saskatchewan on Sept. 18, 2010 … Sheldon Gray also had an 83-yard interception return at Alberta (Oct. 28, 2000) … McConkey passes Jordan Sisco for second on the school’s all-time list with 145 career receptions … Hicks ends the conference schedule with a school single-season record 6½ sacks, breaking Sean Brimacombe’s record of six set in 2005 … Charles ends up with 175 rushes, smashing the U of R’s old single-season record of 142 set by Neal Hughes in 2003 and ranking as the tenth highest total in Canada West history.

Rams sports info

In a ‘win and in’ game for both football teams to make the Canada West playoffs, the Regina Rams were successful as they defeated the host Manitoba Bisons by a 31-22 score on Saturday, October 29 afternoon at University Stadium (U of Manitoba campus) in front of 1500 fans.

With the victory, Regina finished 3-5 as did Manitoba but the Rams held the tie-breaker with two wins again the Bisons during the 2011 season and will now play No. 1 ranked Calgary Dinos in the Canada West Semi-Final in the first weekend of November. Regina gets the fourth and final playoff spot while Manitoba ends up in fifth spot.

On top of the game result which decided a playoff berth, this was the last ever football game played at University Stadium after 44 years (1967-2011 – with one year away in 1973). The Bisons moved into a new Stadium with the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the 2012 season.

The game was controlled in the trenches for Regina as the defensive line registered six sacks (Rams’ Stefan Charles and Akiem Hicks with two each) and hurried Bison QB Khaleal Williams all game as the Bisons contributed with nine turnovers (four interceptions, two fumbles and three turnovers on downs).

A factor always at University Stadium is the wind and it was howling again at 25 km/h and the team with it had the advantage during the game.

With the wind at their back, Regina jumped to a quick 15-0 lead after a block kick on Bison Brendon Bowman by Jorgen Hus and then recovered by Steve Famulak for a touchdown along with running back Adrian Charles churning for a 13 yard TD run plus a rouge and safety.

Manitoba responded with the wind as they finally moved the ball with touchdown runs by Williams from one yard and Anthony Coombs from one yard. For Coombs, this was his eighth rushing TD of his rookie campaign.

A big pl