UBC gets ready for rematch with Regina

VANCOUVER – The No. 9 UBC Thunderbirds football team will host the Regina Rams on Saturday afternoon at Thunderbird Stadium with an eye on clinching the squad’s first playoff berth since 2006.

Kickoff between 3-2 UBC and 2-3 Regina is set for 2:00. The game is being broadcast live on Shaw TV and CiTR 101.9 FM.

Every team in the Canada West had a bye last week. UBC’s last game was a 36-33 loss at Saskatchewan in week five. In its last game, Regina secured a 26-18 home victory over Manitoba. In the span of a week, Regina ascended from the conference cellar to fourth place in the conference standings after back-to-back wins over Alberta and Manitoba.

The Thunderbirds are powered by a potent offence, which ranks second in the Canada West conference. UBC averages 29.6 points and 496 yards per game.

Quarterback Billy Greene (4th, Surrey, BC) can hurt teams with his arm and his legs. He leads the conference in all major passing categories, throwing for 1555 yards for an average of 311 yards a game. Greene also ranks fourth in the conference in rushing yards (388). He was a part of four UBC touchdowns against Saskatchewan, with three of them coming on runs.

Jordan Grieve (4th, Salmon Arm, BC) has been Greene’s favourite target so far this season. He is currently second in the Canada West in receptions (29), receiving yards (559), and touchdown catches (four).

The Thunderbird defence has a ‘bend but don’t break’ characteristic. It has given up an average of 531 yards per game and teams have scored 25.8 points per game against team.

Teams have put up gaudy rushing totals against UBC as six tailbacks have gone over 100 yards in the five games against UBC, including Saskatchewan’s Ben Coakwell, who carved the T-Birds for 205 of his 259 total rushing yards this year and Calgary’s Stephen Lumbala, who ran for 204 yards in a week two Dinos win.

The rushing defence has given up 263 yards a game, and sits sixth in the conference. The team’s total defence is also sixth in the Canada West.

The Rams’ ground game is led by fifth-year running back Adrian Charles, who leads the nation in rushing yards per game and is fresh off setting the school’s single-game rushes record in the Week 5 win over Manitoba (more below). Zach Oleynik will get his third consecutive start at quarterback for the Rams, as the second-year converted slotback has thrown for 433 yards and five touchdowns in his two starts under centre.

Second-year slotback Jared Janotta leads the Rams in receptions (23), receiving yards (340), and touchdown catches (3), while Mark McConkey (13) and Brenden Owens (11) have also broken into double figures in receptions for the season.

Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks continues to have a monster season for the Rams, as he leads the team with 251Ž2 tackles as well as registering 31Ž2 sacks on the season. Cornerback Jamir Walker is tied for second in the conference in both interceptions (2) and passes defended (5), while dimeback Steve Famulak is the reigning Canada West Defensive Player of the Week.

UBC beat Regina 21-10 in a clash that opened the 2011 season. The Thunderbirds knocked Rams’ star quarterback and Marc Mueller out for the rest of the year in that game, while Greene threw for 262 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Grieve was top target with 3 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. Adrian Charles led the way for Regina with 192 rushing yards.

– with files from Braden Konschuh (Regina Sports Information Director)