Young Dinos kickoff Saturday in Vancouver

CALGARY – A brand new offensive line, overhauled personnel on defence, youth, speed, and the same expectations for a successful season carry the University of Calgary Dinos into the 2013 CIS football season – and it all starts Saturday afternoon at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver.

Kickoff goes at 2 p.m. local (3 p.m. MT), live on CanadaWest.tv and CiTR radio Vancouver.

Despite losing 10 of 12 starters on defence, their All-Canadian tailback, three of the starting offensive line, and their top six defensive linemen from the 2012 Hardy Cup championship team, the five-time defending Canada West champion Dinos are still considered the team to beat in the conference, taking the No. 3 national ranking and finding themselves No. 1 in the conference coaches’ poll this week. Entering his eighth season as the Dinos’ head coach, Blake Nill has one of the youngest teams of his career – and he’s not ready to give up his team’s position atop the conference without a fight.

“The consensus around the country and in the conference is that because of our heavy graduation, we’re not going to be at the same level as we have been,” said Nill. “Objectively, I can understand where those thoughts come from – but I don’t want to concede that. If teams are going to beat us, I want them to have to bring their ‘A’ game and prepare accordingly.

“My approach so far has been to try to install that kind of attitude in the players. Yes, some of us may be inexperienced, and there’s no question that our defensive line is initially not going to be at the same calibre as it was last year – but we’re going to come off the ball, work hard, play with aggression and intensity.”

Calgary has had significant success against UBC of late, with the Dinos currently riding a nine-game win streak over the Thunderbirds (including a UBC forfeit in 2011). The last official UBC win over Calgary came in the opener of the 2006 season –Nill’s first game as head coach of the Dinos.

The Dinos begin their quest for a sixth straight conference title Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. PT at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver. Here’s a look at the two teams:

No. 3 Calgary Dinos (0-0)
Last week: lost at Laval 32-3 (non-conference)
Canada West Coaches’ Poll: No. 1

The Dinos battled No. 1 Laval in Quebec City last weekend in non-conference play, providing a significant opportunity to gain experience for many of the young Dinos. Despite losing 32-3 in the game, on the whole Nill was impressed with his squad’s effort.

“When you look at the first half, and more specifically the first quarter, I was thrilled at the way we competed both offensively and defensively,” said Nill. “One thing we learned is that while we can at times play at their level, we need to be able to do it consistently.”

 

Nill singled out his two new starting offensive tackles, Jordan Filippelli and Braden Schram, who between them had one game of CIS experience heading into last week and acquitted themselves very well. They join Sukh Chungh, Sean McEwen, and Branden Stevens along the line in front of reigning Canada West MVP Eric Dzwilewski, who completed a school-record 70.6 per cent of his passes last season. The former CIS rookie of the year is now in his fourth season as signal-caller for the Dinos.

Dzwilewski’s favourite target Chris Dobko, one of just two fifth-year players on the team, leads a deep and speedy receiving corps. With 56 and 53 catches in each of the past two seasons, Dobko has placed himself within striking distance of Don Blair’s school record 138 career catches. Entering the 2013 season, Dobko has 122 receptions and needs just 16 to tie the 1995 Hec Crighton winner’s career total. Dobko is one of two returning All-Canadians for the Dinos, joining placekicker Johnny Mark on the second national all-star team a year ago.

Defensively, the Dinos have shifted halfback Doctor Cassama into the weak-side linebacker spot last occupied by Mike Edem, the 2012 Canada West defensive MVP who is now a regular with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. He’s joined at the rover spot by CFL pick Thomas Spoletini, who returns to the Dinos after attending the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ training camp.

The defensive line and secondary were hit hard by graduation and losses to the CFL, to the point that the only returning defensive starters from last November’s Mitchell Bowl loss to McMaster are halfback Cyril Iwanegbe and safety Hunter Turnbull – and that game was Turnbull’s first career start, in place of the injured Wyatt Getty. Still, the defence was able to hold Laval to just 36 yards offence in the first quarter last week when the starters on both sides were still in the game.

Saturday’s game in Vancouver is the second in a stretch of four games in four different provinces to open the season for the Dinos. After Laval last week and UBC this week, the Dinos head to Regina to face the Rams before opening their home schedule against the Saskatchewan Huskies Sept. 14 at McMahon Stadium.

UBC Thunderbirds (0-0)
Last week: lost to Saskatchewan 28-5 (non-conference)
Canada West Coaches’ Poll: No. 5

UBC was hampered by injuries throughout the season last year and limped to a 2-6 record, with one of those losses a 62-7 setback to the Dinos in the teams’ only meeting of the season.

The Thunderbirds are projected to finish fifth in the conference in the coaches’ poll, and they dropped a 28-5 decision to the Saskatchewan Huskies in non-conference action last Friday night in Saskatoon.

And the Thunderbirds have had losses too. Hec Crighton-winning quarterback Billy Greene has graduated, along with veteran receiver Jordan Grieve. The tandem of Carson Williams and Greg Bowcott split the playing time behind centre in the Saskatchewan game, with the two combining to go 12-for-28 for 175 yards in the contest. Fifth-year ball-catcher Micha Theil is back to lead the receiving corps;

however, while last year’s conference rushing leader Brandon Deschamps will look to repeat and even add to his 785-yard season from 2012 on what should be a run-first offence for UBC.

UBC made some significant coaching changes in the off-season, with longtime CFLer Jamie Stoddard taking over as offensive coordinator as head coach Shawn Olson takes a step back from that role. On the other side of the ball, the Thunderbirds brought in former Dinos defensive coordinator and 10-year Alberta head coach Jerry Friesen to take over the defence – bringing in some solid athletes on defence including transfer linemen Boyd Richardson and Donovan Dale from Regina and Saskatoon, respectively, of the CJFL.

UBC heads to Edmonton next weekend to face the Alberta Golden Bears.

Photo credit:  David Moll