UBC cruises past Alberta to end long home drought

The UBC Thunderbirds football team opened the home portion of its 2011 season with an emphatic 40-30 win over the visiting Alberta Golden Bears at Thunderbird Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The final score was much closer than the game itself.

After losing to Calgary in the final seconds last week, UBC made sure the outcome would be decided early by scoring early and often.

UBC got on the scoreboard 1:52 into the game when quarterback Billy Greene (Surrey, BC) found Micha Theil (West Vancouver, BC) with a 44-yard touchdown pass.

On the ensuing kickoff, Alberta’s Tyler Lewis fumbled the ball, giving UBC possession at the Golden Bears’ 38-yard line.

It took Greene just two passes to get the Thunderbirds back into the end zone, with Jordan Grieve (Salmon Arm, BC) catching a 25-yard throw for the team’s second major.

With just 2:40 of the game into the books, UBC was up 14-0.

The two teams then traded singles before UBC kicker Billy Pavlopoulos (Georgetown, ON) knocked home a field goal in the second quarter to make it 18-1.

UBC then drove 99 yards in six plays to score again at 4:54 of the second quarter. Greene had runs of 41 and 37 yards before handing off to running back Dave Boyd (Duncan, BC) for a three-yard scamper into the end zone.

Boyd would end the day with 176 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown. It is the first time in 2011 that a UBC running back has rushed for more than 100 yards.

Alberta made it 25-8 at the half by scoring late in the second quarter when running back Olukayode Sonuga ran in an 11-yard touchdown.

UBC started the third quarter quickly, scoring in on its first possession.

The combination of Greene’s passing and Boyd’s running sparked a 74-yard drive, which was completed when Greene threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Betts (Surrey, BC) to make it 32-8 for the home team.

Greene ended off his day with one final touchdown with two minutes left in the third quarter by running in for a major from a yard out to make it 39-8 for UBC.

A Pavlopolous single in the fourth rounded out the scoring for UBC.

By this time, both teams had gone to their benches but it was Alberta that was able to take advantage, recording three touchdowns in the final quarter of play.

Backup quarterback Curtis Dell threw a 27-yard pass to Jess Valleau at 6:09. Sonuga scored his second major of the day at 12:28 before Brad Quartel caught a short pass from Dell to make it 40-30 after the two-point convert.

Dell finished the game with two touchdown passed and 167 yards on 15 completions on 23 throws. Sonuga was the leading rusher for the Golden Bears with 107 yards and two major scores.

Greene was named player of the game for UBC after completing 21 of 27 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 105 yards on eight carries, including one for a touchdown.

“We put a touchdown up, it felt great,” said Greene talking about his team’s fast start. “Fortunately we got the ball back right away and we made them pay for a turnover. It’s always good to start off 14-0.”

“Our receivers made some big catches for me,” continued Greene. “I put the ball in a position for us to make catches. Our running game was awesome today.”

Greene and UBC head coach Shawn Olson credit the offensive line.

“I don’t think we’ve moved people enough this year and it adds a different dimension because now our play action game becomes more effective,” said Olson. “Today was kind of the first day where I thought that we sort of imposed our will on somebody.”

The home win is the first-ever for Olson as UBC head coach after his team lost all four games at Thunderbird Stadium last year.

It is also the first time UBC has beaten a team in a game at the Point Grey campus in three years.

All that is in the past.

“We talked a lot about our focus and our recent history at home so I was impressed with the way the guys came out,” said Olson.

UBC now improves to 2-1 on the year – tied for second place in the Canada West Conference. The Thunderbirds will host another 2-1 team, the University of Manitoba, next week for Homecoming 2011.

-UBC-
Wilson Wong