UBC records its most lopsided win ever (VIDEO)

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds came into Saturday with a playoff spot locked up but still seeking their first home win of the season, and they got it in emphatic fashion with a 60-0 shutout of the Alberta Golden Bears on David Sidoo Field for the biggest margin of victory ever for UBC football.

BOXSCORE

Points differential could end up playing a big part in deciding playoff seeding for the ‘Birds, who can still finish anywhere from second to fourth in the conference depending on how things play out in the final week of the regular season. But head coach Shawn Olson said Saturday’s big win was just about playing good football and staying focused on their ultimate objectives.

We weren’t really focused on any of the tiebreaker stuff,” Olson said. “We just wanted to come out and prove to ourselves that we could win two games in a row. Our aspirations from day one have been to be something more than just a playoff team, and to do that we’re going to have to string together some wins.”

Greg Bowcott finished 20-for-26 for 262 yards and two touchdowns, adding a pair of rushing touchdowns and 72 yards on the ground for his best performance of the season. He got the bulk of the snaps, with starter Carson Williams throwing just seven passes on the day, but Olson remained confident in the two-quarterback system he has employed all season long, and says he will continue to use both and go with the hot hand on any given day.

“My philosophy is a big point of contention amongst many people, I know. But I believe in both of those young men. I think they are both good and both get hot and cold at times. Our team reacts well to both of them and there’s no competition there. They both come out and try to help us win.”

Bowcott’s favourite target was fifth-year receiver David Scott, who hauled in 11 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Alex Morrison also had a huge game with three catches for 40 yards to go with his massive punt return day. He earned 134 yards on four attempts, just missing out on two touchdowns.

“We’re trying to get him involved and use his athleticism without using him too much,” Olson said of his rookie receiver. “The return game has been the window that’s allowed us to get that athleticism on display and allowed him to help us, and he’s done that in large quantities this year.”

Running back Brandon Deschamps gained 82 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries before being rested later in the game. He is coming off a knee injury that forced him to miss about a game and a half of action, knocking him out of the Canada West rushing lead.

Defence and special teams combined to get UBC on the board, as Quinn Van Gylswyk pinned Alberta inside their own five with a punt, and Kareem Ba came up with a key sack to push the Golden Bears right up against their own goal line. Alberta conceded a safety on third down to put the ‘Birds up 2-0 with five minutes to go in the first quarter.

That seemed to spark the UBC offence, which picked up what was the only first down for either offence at the time on their ensuing drive to get the ball rolling. Then Greg Bowcott kicked things into another gear, finding David Scott deep in single coverage for a 40-yard pickup to move into scoring range. Scott eventually finished off the drive with a touchdown grab on a short crossing route.

Special teams also helped set up UBC’s next score, as Morrison narrowly missed out on a punt return touchdown when he stepped out at the Alberta two after a 48-yard runback. Deschamps punched it in from there to make it 16-0 UBC in the second quarter. Van Gylswyk added a field goal to make it 19-0 at halftime.

In the second half the floodgates were fully open, and the ‘Birds kept the offence flowing. Bowcott hit Morrison deep down the field to set up an 11-yard keeper for his first of two rushing scores on the day to make it 26-0. And after another deep punt return by Morrison to give the ‘Birds another short field, Bowcott connected with Scott for his second touchdown grab of the game to go up 33-0.

Bowcott’s second rushing touchdown made it 40-0. A pair of Van Gylswyk field goals got UBC’s total up to 46, and Ross Hilliam‘s first catch of the year went for a touchdown to make it 53-0. Then Liam Mahara ran for 18 yards and his first CIS touchdown for a 60-0 final score.

Nik Termansen and Bryan Rideout had interceptions for the UBC defence.

The T-Birds improve to 4-3 with the win, moving into a three-way tie for second with Saskatchewan and Manitoba. If all three teams finish the season tied, Saskatchewan will take the spot by virtue of their 2-1 record heads-up against the Bisons and T-Birds. Manitoba would finish third, and UBC fourth.

But if Saskatchewan loses next week and UBC wins, they can still grab the third or even second seed and a home playoff game depending on what happens with Manitoba. If they finish tied in the standings with only Manitoba, the tiebreaker will come down to the teams’ points differential for the entire conference season, since their records and points differential in head-to-head games is even.

UBC finishes the regular season at undefeated Calgary next weekend. Saskatchewan wraps up against the Regina Cougars, and Manitoba will be up against Alberta.

Photo credit:  Rich Lam

Source:  Lee Domer, UBC Thunderbirds Sports Information

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