A goodbye to Huskie fans from Kevin Jesus

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Dallas

Kevin Jesus, a sports reporter, sports director and producer at Global Saskatoon since 2005, is heading home to become a producer at Global Edmonton.

Kevin has been one of the biggest supporters of Huskie Football and Huskie Athletics in the media, providing ample coverage and producing special features such as In The Pocket with Laurence Nixon and his two-part feature on the twentieth anniversary of the Huskies’ 1990 Vanier Cup championship.

His coverage of the team was important the growth phase over the past five years. He raised the bar and set a new standard of coverage for this team which will be difficult to follow.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Kevin a little bit over the past few years. Standing on the sidelines, watching practice and talking football won’t be the same without him.

Kevin, best of luck in your new position in Bear country. I know you will always be a Huskie at heart.

CIS Football… Vanier Cup… all foreign concepts to an aspiring 21-year old sports broadcaster from Alberta. Who could blame me? Growing up in Edmonton, it was rare to hear about the Alberta Golden Bears or even the Calgary Dinos. I had never experienced CIS Football until one crisp Saturday Afternoon in November 2005.

Jordy Burrows came up with another classic moment in Huskies Football history. More importantly, that game – his play – kick started my passion for the game and for Huskies Football. It was my very first week at Global Saskatoon and I was hooked! I couldn’t wait to cover this team and the Canada West full-time.

Starting in early 2006 – I took on the Huskie Football beat and never looked back. It was more than just a work assignment, it was a passion and in some ways an obsession. I couldn’t wait to head down to practice, to watch scrimmages, Game Days and post-game interviews. I enjoyed watching young guys grow into young men who would either go on to further their football career or become outstanding citizens in society. Read more »

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Heenan’s draft stock rises after dominating Shrine Bowl performance

Posted on January 25, 2012 by The Outsider

University of Saskatchewan Offensive Lineman turned some heads on Saturday due to an impressive performance in the East West Shrine Bowl held in Tampa, Florida. Heenan was one of three current CIS players and five Canadians to compete in the game. Typically players who show well in the game are drafted in the fifth to seventh round of the NFL Draft.

Heenan started and played the entire first quarter, the start of the second quarter, and all of the second half. West Head Coach Brad Childress, who was the Head Coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2010 and the Offensive Co-ordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2005, left Heenan in the game more than some of the other linemen.

“The coaches had a lot of confidence in me,” Heenan said on Sunday night. “I think that is an indication of why I played so much. Overall, they thought that I improved each day and were pleased with my play.”

“I feel as though the game went about as well as it could for me,” Heenan added. “I played three-and-a-half quarters. I was a little nervous at the beginning but I think I had a solid second half.” Read more »

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Catching up with the coach: part four of four

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Dallas

The Huskies 2011 special teams units looked unbeatable one play and frustratingly average the next.

Special teams coach Doug Humbert had challenges early on in the season, when the kick and punt return teams first lost Kit Hillis to injury, followed by 2010 Canada West all-star kick returner Luke Thiel in week three. In addition, the Huskies never did settle on one or two of their three kickers, with each seeing action at both punter and placekicker throughout the season.

DB/Kick Returner Luke Thiel (photo by Liam Richards)

In spite of a rotation of personnel at the returning and kicking positions, the blockers were solid and well coached and that led to all special teams units progressing during the season and turning in a decent showing in the end. The field-goal teams finished tied for second in the conference with 13 of 19 good attempts. Punt returns were also strong, with the team finishing with 920 yards returned (over twice the yards of any other team) and one touchdown, the only team to return a punt for a touchdown. The Huskies were also the top kickoff cover team in the Canada West, with a net average of 34.1 yards per kick.

With the Huskies return game setting up nicely with the return of Hillis, Thiel, Jerit Lambert, Dexter Janke and Garrett Burgess, I skipped that position and went straight to kicking, since that was an area of concern last season. After that, to wrap up the interview, I asked Coach Towriss to comment on what his message is to his team as they work towards the 2012 season. Read more »

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Ben Heenan is ready for the next step

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Dallas

More than any other position, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies are known for their ability to recruit and develop top offensive linemen. Indeed, some of the best offensive linemen in the Canadian Football League over the past 20 years, including eight-time CFL All-Star and 2008 and 2009 Most Outstanding Lineman Scott Flory and five-time CFL All-Star and 2004 and 2005 Most Outstanding Lineman Gene Makowsky, have come from the Huskies.

Little did anyone know that the big kid the Huskies were recruiting out of Regina’s Sheldon Williams Collegiate in 2008 may be the best offensive linemen they’ve ever had on their hands.

Ben Heenan (photo by Derek Mortensen for Liam Richards Photography)

The word is now out on Ben Heenan. Since he came to the Huskies and started as a rookie straight from high school, he has been named a Canada West all-star twice while also being named a first-team all-Canadian at guard in 2010 and a second-team all-Canadian at tackle in 2011. His excellent play, hard work and leadership in the locker room has led to him being named as the top prospect for the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft by the CFL Scouting Bureau.

This weekend, Heenan will get a chance to show his skills and strength in front of an audience of NFL and CFL scouts and coaches in the 2012 East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Florida (the game will be broadcast at 3:00 p.m. on NFL Network). He will be sixth Huskie to be invited to take part in the game.

Heenan has been preparing for this game, where he will get time at guard, since he found out he’d be playing in it last November. “I am very excited for the Shrine Game,” he said prior to his first practice in St. Petersburg. “It is an incredible opportunity to showcase my talent. It’s something that I have been working towards for a few years now and I hope that I can just relax and enjoy it.” Read more »

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Heenan remains top CFL draft prospect; McCall 8th

Posted on January 17, 2012 by The Outsider

The following article is courtesy of cfl.ca:

TORONTO — University of Saskatchewan offensive lineman Ben Heenan continues to be the top ranked prospect for this year’s Canadian Draft, the Canadian Football League Scouting Bureau announced today. Huskies Safety Bruce McCall is currently the eighth top prospect.

But despite Heenan’s hold on top of the ranking, there was plenty of movement below him, including the biggest change, the addition of Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford at the number two spot. Crawford was not included in the first scouting bureau ranking because he had not yet been declared eligible for the upcoming Canadian draft.

Four other players cracked the ranking for the first time, including Wofford defensive end Ameet Pall (7), McMaster offensive lineman and Vanier Cup champion Jason Medeiros (10), Laval defensive end Arnaud Gascon-Nadon (13) and Queen’s receiver Johnny Aprile (14).

The ranking includes five offensive lineman, four receivers, four defensive ends, a linebacker and a defensive back.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders currently hold the top pick in the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft.

The CFL’s Scouting Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league’s eight teams.

HERE IS A LIST OF THE FULL JANUARY 2012 RANKINGS

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Catching up with the coach: Part three of four

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Dallas

The Huskies returned a veteran defensive unit in 2011, one that would finish as the top scoring defence and third-best defence in terms of yardage, in spite of some untimely injuries to the linebackers and in the secondary.

The defensive line will return largely intact, with defensive end Jon DeWitt being the only member who will not return. Sacks leader, nose tackle David Rybinski, is expected to return, as will fellow fifth-year Steve Kovach, while fourth-year veterans Zach Hart, Joel Seutter, Levi Steinhauer and Ben Rush will complete one of the best defensive lines in the CIS. Because there are so many players in their fourth and fifth years, the Huskies will be looking to bring in new players and will likely work a couple into the lineup to give them playing time before taking on starting roles in 2013.

The Huskies celebrate a win (photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

The defensive secondary may also return intact, although that will depend on whether safety Bryce McCall, who is ranked as one of the top ten prospects for this spring’s CFL draft, returns. McCall had three interceptions last season, bringing him within two of tying the CIS record of 21. Interception co-leader, cornerback Mitch Friesen, is expected back for his fifth year, as are fourth-year veteran halfbacks Seamus Neary and Luke Thiel. Cornerbacks Cory Eddington and Andrew Abbs, who split time at the corner opposite Friesen last season, are also expected to return.

It would appear that the greatest need on defence would be at linebacker, with at least two starters, tackles leader Tony Michalchuk and veteran Nico Higgs, graduating. Another veteran who joined the team for his fifth season in 2011, Tommy Lynch, has also exhausted his eligibility, while middle linebacker Peter Thiel, may not return for his fifth season if an opportunity in the CFL comes up. However, the Huskies have plenty of depth at linebacker, with veterans like Charlie Power, Brodie Rothe and Thomas Hilderman showing they are ready for greater roles.

My conversation with Coach Towriss continues below, with questions on the defensive needs answered. Read more »

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Catching up with the coach: Part two of four

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Dallas

Much like the climate of the province they play in, the Huskies’ offence in 2011 was sweltering hot one week and ice-cold the next.

While inconsistent, the new talent in the lineup showed significant promise. The offence finished third in the conference with 238 points scored, and was one touchdown shy of UBC’s prolific offence with 27. In spite of quarterbacks Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren and Trent Peterson trading starts and with injuries to key starters to start the season, the offence still averaged 372 yards per game (which is remarkable, when you consider they produced 177 and 74 net offensive yards in their games against the Calgary Dinos).

Turnovers cost the Huskies dearly last season, often setting the opposition up in immediate scoring position. They fumbled the ball 27 times, losing nine of those, while the recovered fumbles ended up costing yards and killing drives. They added 11 interceptions, for 20 turnovers on the season. While they only turned the ball over two more times than they did the previous season, the 2010 Huskies could afford it, as they were putting up nearly 500 yards of offence per game.

Youth was sprinkled throughout the offensive lineup, with Canada West rookie of the year Jordan Arkko starting all eight regular season games and the Canada West semi-final at offensive guard. Gilbert-Knorren and centre Brad Nehring were both in their second years, while running back Dexter Janke and receiver Jerit Lambert both participated in their first CIS seasons.

Jerit Lambert (photo by Liam Richards)

There are plenty of opportunities for players to join the roster this year, with the loss of veterans such as Peterson, running back Ben Coakwell, receivers Rory Kohlert, Garrett Bolen and Shayne Dueck, and offensive linemen Darren Hinds, Brandon Myre and Ben Heenan (who has eligibility remaining but will surely be playing professional football next season). As we continued our conversation, Coach Towriss made it clear which areas he’s concentrating his recruiting efforts on, and which have good remaining depth. Read more »

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Catching up with the coach: Part one of four

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Dallas

As I arrived at Griffiths Stadium on Tuesday, the lack of snow and mild temperatures made it feel as though I should be walking to the field for a spring camp practice.

Unfortunately, we’re still three-and-a-half months from spring camp. However, that time will be put to good use by Head Coach Brian Towriss and his staff, putting together the 2012 edition of the Huskie football team.

After the graduation of veterans on both sides of the ball, the Huskies have their work cut out for them. Although some positions are deep with game-ready talent and can be filled from within, others will require a greater focus during recruiting, as new starters and developmental players must be brought in.

As coaches Jason Sulz and Doug Humbert worked in the meeting room, I met with Coach Towriss in his office to get his take on his team’s fortunes last season and what the team’s priorities are as recruiting heats up.

Head Coach Brian Towriss and receiver Jerit Lambert (photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

Today, we will focus on the 2011 season and some general questions about recruiting. Friday, we will delve into the needs on offence, with the defensive needs discussed on Monday and the special teams and final comments coming next Wednesday.

Dallas Carpenter: The team had a lot of turnover on offence prior to last season, including the loss of all-Canadian veterans (including receiver Jade Etienne, quarterback Laurence Nixon, and offensive tackle Patrick Neufeld), and players leaving the team or missing the entire season due to injury or eligibility issues. Considering that, do you still feel it was a positive year, since you finished with a winning record and another trip to the playoffs?

Brian Towriss: Yeah, I thought it was. Obviously, we didn’t get as far as we wanted to get – we wanted a shot at the conference title, again, and we came very close to having that shot in the playoff game. Given the fact that we ended up without (running back Jeff) Hassler, when we thought we would have him, that was a big factor.

We knew there was a chance Neufeld wouldn’t be back, but we also thought there was a chance he would be available. You inject three pretty good players into our offence who all had eligibility left, including Etienne, and things might have been different. But, two of those guys had an opportunity to play in the CFL and one of those guys chose to pursue a greater passion, at this point, to play rugby. That’s part of life in this business. I’m happy to see both Etienne and Neufeld back here now, going to school and finishing their degrees.

But, yeah, we took a bit of a blow and were younger than we expected to be on offence, and it showed. I think that being young and inexperienced at quarterback, not as experienced on the offensive line, and then not having as much depth and talent at tailback, when you put all those things together, you know you’re not going to put up the same offensive statistics and points that you had in the past. Read more »

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Gilbert-Knorren named to World Team

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Dallas

Huskie quarterback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren has been named to the World Team roster for the annual International Bowl. The World Team will face the USA’s Under-19 National Team in USA Football’s International Bowl on Wednesday, February 1 in Austin, Texas.

Quarterback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren (photo by David Stobbe for Liam Richards Photography)

Gilbert-Knorren joins Huskie teammates Jordan Arkko, who was named to the roster in December, and quarterback Drew Burko, who was named to the international development team.

This will be Gilbert-Knorren’s second International Bowl, as he played at receiver in last year’s game, scoring the only touchdown for the World Team. He had 916 yards passing and four touchdowns in his first season at quarterback for the Huskies, and added 292 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Read more »

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Canada West sanctions UBC after ineligible player used in 2011

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Dallas

The UBC Thunderbirds have been stripped of all regular season and playoff wins in 2011 after they reported to the Canada West University Athletics Association that they used an ineligible player for all eight regular season games and both playoff games.

This will not change the playoff result for the Huskies, who lost to the Thunderbirds 27-22 in a Canada West semi-final on November 5. The final standings from the 2011 season will now reflect that the Huskies finished second with the same 5-3 record they had prior to the sanctions as they beat UBC in their only regular season meeting. The Calgary Dinos will finish with an undefeated regular season record with their with their week eight loss to the Thunderbirds reversed.

The Regina Rams, who finished in fourth at 3-5, will have two losses against UBC reversed and will be elevated one position in the standings, while the Manitoba Bisons will have officially finished in the final playoff position at 4-4 without the benefit of a playoff game. The Alberta Golden Bears will finish with a 2-6 record, while UBC will finish in last place with an 0-8 record.

This is the third eligibility violation reported by Canada West teams in the past three years. In 2009, both the Manitoba Bisons and Simon Fraser University Clan played games with ineligible players and were sanctioned prior to the playoffs beginning. The Regina Rams made the playoffs thanks to wins being stripped from Manitoba in 2009, while both SFU and Manitoba finished having played just seven games, as one of their games against each other was declared no contest since they both had an ineligible player on their roster. Read more »

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Ben Heenan selected to East-West Shrine Game

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Dallas

Following his all-Canadian selection, first overall ranked Canadian player by the CFL Scouting Bureau is the latest in a long line of Huskies to be named to the West Roster of the East-West Shrine Game. The game will be played on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT, live on the NFL Network.

All-Canadian Ben Heenan

From the CIS news release:

Heenan, who hails from Grand Coulee, Sask., just outside of Regina, is the sixth Huskie invited to the Shrine Game and the first since safety Dylan Barker – currently of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats – in 2008. Saskatchewan ranks second behind Calgary (10) among CIS schools for most Shrine Game invitees.

The 21-year-old, one of the few players to take part in two CIS East-West Bowls (2010, 2011), is the top prospect for next spring’s CFL Canadian Draft according to the list published back in September by the league’s Scouting Bureau.

Despite switching positions from guard to tackle this season, his fourth with the Huskies, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound agriculture and bioresources student earned all-Canadian status for the second straight year, making the second CIS squad after being selected to the first unit in 2010. He was also named the Canada West rookie of the year in 2008. Read more »

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Arkko named to Team World roster

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Dallas

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ left guard and 2011 Canada West rookie of the year Jordan Arkko has been named to the roster of the IFAF (International Federation of American Football) World Team for the 2012 International Bowl, formerly the Team USA vs. The World game.

Jordan Arkko


The International Bowl, which will feature the IFAF World Team against Team USA, will be held on Wednesday, February 1 in Austin, Texas. The game will once again feature the top under-19 players from the United States and American-football playing countries around the world, the majority of which come from Canada.

Arkko will be the latest in a long line of Huskies to represent Canada on the international stage. Arkko’s Huskie teammates Luke Thiel, Ben Heenan, Cam Redl, Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren, Joel Seutter, Jerit Lambert and Levi Steinhauer also played in past games. Read more »

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Post Vanier musings

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Dallas

First of all, congratulations to Ben Heenan for being named a second-team all-Canadian.

Offensive lineman Ben Heenan (Photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

Heenan, who is ranked the first-overall prospect for the 2012 CFL draft, has likely played his final game for the Huskies. If you want to see him and the seventh ranked Bryce McCall in Huskie helmets again, you better plan on attending spring camp, as both of these players are likely to start their professional careers next summer.

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The 47th Vanier Cup was won by the McMaster Marauders, the first national championship in their history. This game also saw the first Vanier Cup loss for the Laval Rouge et Or, who had won the Cup in each of their first six trips. Many believe this game, which featured McMaster taking a big lead into halftime only to have Laval come back, with the lead going back and forth until a McMaster interception and field-goal in the second overtime sealed the victory, was the best Vanier Cup ever. I think the 1994 Saskatchewan Huskies and Western Mustangs can still claim that title.

Leading up to the game, there were a few articles about Laval’s advantage because of their funding. Gerry McGrath, head coach of the Concordia Stingers, complained that Laval, along with the Montreal Carabins and the Sherbrooke Vert et Or, have a distinct advantage because of their private funding, funding that programs like his can’t compete with:

McGrath wants to see all teams compete on a more equal basis, but he doesn’t know what can be done to achieve it at this point.

“I don’t know what the answer is,” he said. “Everywhere you turn (Laval, Montreal and Sherbrooke) have a huge advantage in resources, facilities, financially, and geographically (for recruiting purposes).

“And I don’t know if we share the same values,” McGrath added.

Read more »

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Arkko named Rookie of the Year

Posted on November 21, 2011 by The Outsider

University of Saskatchewan Huskie offensive lineman Jordan Arkko was acknowledged for his season by being handed the Peter Gorman Trophy Thursday given to the Canada West’s rookie of the year.

The 6-2, 295-pound engineering student started in all 10 games the Huskies played this season including an exhibition match against the University of Windsor Lancers and the Canada West semifinal against the UBC Thunderbirds.

Arkko and his line helped the Huskies to the third-best scoring offence scoring 238 points in eight conference games to average 29.8 per game. The Huskies also had the third-best rushing offence with 1,257 yards on the ground in the season.

“Jordan made the difficult but successful transition from high school to college football as an offensive lineman,” said Huskie head coach Brian Towriss. “He has excellent strength and mobility. He was very well coached technically at the high school level. He’s evolved into one of our top offensive lineman over the course of the season.”

Arkko joined an elite group of offensive linemen to start for the Huskies in their freshman year as 18-year-olds. Three of the players who did it before him have all played in the CFL – Jordan Rempel (Hamilton Tiger-Cats/Saskatchewan Roughriders), Gene Makowsky (Saskatchewan Roughriders) and Scott Flory (Montreal Alouettes). Current Huskie offensive guard and top CFL prospect Ben Heenan also started all games as an 18-year-old. Read more »

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Two Huskies named CanWest Allstars

Posted on November 15, 2011 by The Outsider

Two University of Saskatchewan Huskie football players have been honoured for their seasons by being named Canada West All-Stars last week.

Fourth-year offensive linemen Ben Heenan and third-year defensive end Zach Hart have were each given the nod. It is the second straight year that both Heenan and Hart have been named Canada West All-Stars.

Heenan and his line helped the Huskies to the third-best scoring offence scoring 238 points in eight conference games to average 29.8 per game. The Huskies also had the third-best rushing offence with 1,257 yards on the ground in the season.

Hart tallied 32.5 tackles, three sacks for a loss of 16 yards and one force fumble in 2011.

Winners of the Canada West major awards will be announced at 1:30. Mountain Time on Thursday, November 10. Read more »

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Game review: UBC 27, Huskies 22

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Dallas

Yesterday’s Canada West semi-final in Vancouver between the Huskies and the UBC Thunderbirds played out like a microcosm of the entire season.

The Huskies started out well and looked like they would be hard to beat, but inconsistency at quarterback and ill-timed turnovers kept the opponent in the game. The Thunderbirds were able to stay close and put together scoring drives in the second half that stood up in spite of a late Huskie rally. The Huskies were close, but not close enough.

Luke Thiel returns a punt during the Canada West semi-final

In spite of coming into the game relatively healthy, aside from explosive returner and receiver Jerit Lambert, the Huskies couldn’t get over their lack of experience at quarterback, showing how crucial having a veteran signal-caller is in the Canada West. The offence played well, generating 336 yards passing and 143 yards along the ground, but four interceptions and a fumble was too much to overcome.

The Huskies, who came into the game converting 90.6 percent of their trips into the opponent’s red-zone during the season, were only three-for-five on the day. Had they even come away with field goals on the two drives that ended in interceptions, it would have been enough to overcome the five point deficit. But it was not to be on this day, as a determined UBC team too the lead and kept it.

Offensively, the Huskies had several excellent performances on the day, with Ben Coakwell running for 98 yards and receivers Jeff Moore, Garrett Bolen and Garrett Burgess each turning four and five yard gains into first downs numerous times. In fact, the receivers had their best game of the season, breaking tackles and getting open in tight coverage. The time of possession was nearly even and each team had 24 first downs. Read more »

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Semi-Final pre-game live blog

Posted on November 5, 2011 by The Outsider

Hello everyone… the pre-game live blog will start at about 1:00pm Saskatoon time until about 2:20pm Saskatoon time. CK750 will have their pre-game show beginning at 2:30pm. Check back here and hit refresh for the latest updates, news and interviews live from Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver.

2:21pm Check out the twitter feed at #skhuskies during the game for all the updates. Back after the game. We think it is fitting to leave the last word to Huskies Head Coach Brian Towriss. As he walked by us onto the field, he looked over and said, “We are ready.”

2:20pm We have run out of time for our live-blog. The Huskies are on the field warming up. The crowd is filtering in. They expect a crowd of about 1,000 people here today. The Huskies fans are much louder right now, nice to hear!

2:15pm Shaw TV just interviewed Huskies supporter David Dube for their halftime show. They talked about the game day experience at Griffiths Stadium and how other CIS teams should be able to replicate it.

2:10pm The Huskies will be wearing their white jerseys with black pants (with a thin green and wide white stripe) and their new green helmets with the retro white “S” logo and white stripes. UBC is on the field for their warm-ups. They are wearing all blues. Their pants have a white and gold stripe.

2:07pm There is a lot of action on the field right now, with both the Huskies and T-Birds well into their Special Teams warm-up. The Huskies trainers tables are full with players getting taped for the game. We just saw the UBC training room and it looks just like the Huskies. There are a about 100 fans in the stadium already, about 90 of them Huskies fans. The ratio will likely change as game time approaches.

2:05pm Huskies Defensive Coordinator Ed Carleton just me with Shaw TV’s Jim Mullin. to discuss the game.

Ed Carleton talks to Jim Mullin on the sidelines before the game.

2:00pm Huskies linebacker Tom Lynch said he feels good. Lynch was a welcome addition to the team after transferring to the U of S in his final season of eligibility

1:57pm UBC running back David Boyd will not dress today. Boyd has been injured off and on all season, so this is not a big surprise. When he is healthy, he a dominant player though.

1:55pm CK750′s Darryl Skender just did his pre-game interview with quarterback Trent Peterson.

Trent Peterson talks to Darryl Skender prior to a pre-game interview.

1:42pm Defensive Lineman Zach Hart just old us that he thinks the Huskies match up well against the T-Birds. He expects the game to be exciting, and noted that the weather could not be better. He is right. There is almost no wind, it is 10 degrees and it is sunny. Couldn’t be better for a playoff game. Back in a few minutes…

1:40pm Shayne Dueck and Seamus Neary are getting their gear ready…

Shayne Dueck and Seamus Neary prepare for this afternoon's game.

1:35pm Special Teams Coordinator Doug Humbert just stopped by. He said the keys for special teams are to cover and protect during the kicks. He expects the special teams to play with great effort and discipline. Jerit Lambert did not make the trip due to an injury so Luke Thiel, who just had a cast removed will be on the return teams. Also of note, Kit Hillis returns to the line-up after being about for part of the season with an injury. Read more »

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Sound Bite: Dexter Janke

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Tom

Dexter Janke (photo Derek Mortenson for Liam Richards Photography)

Dexter Janke had a very quick chat with Huskie Outsider as he was leaving the field following Thursday’s practice. The 1st year tailback, who averages 5.1 yards/carry, was upbeat about the performance of the Dogs’ Oline, against Alberta, and the positive effect they had on the Huskie offence. “It was a big game for the offence,” commented Janke. “Our Oline really helped out which made things a lot easier. We’re hoping to do the same thing against UBC. Hopefully we can keep the rushing attack going against the TBirds.” There was a significant change made along the Huskies’ OLine last week, with Ben Heenan moving inside to right guard, and Mike Fuller moved out to right tackle. Janke appreciates the change. “I’m liking this combination quite a lot…I think all of us are.”

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Playoff Game Preview: Huskies at UBC

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Dallas

Saturday, November 5, 3:00 p.m.
Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver, BC
Broadcast available at www.ck750.com (pregame show at 2:30 p.m.). The game will also be available on Shaw TV, channel 10 in Saskatoon and channel’s 299 and 407 on Shaw Direct.

Records coming in: UBC 6-2 (ranked sixth in the FRC-CIS Football Top Ten), beat the University of Calgary 36-23 last week; Saskatchewan 5-3 (ranked tenth in the FRC-CIS Football Top Ten), beat the University of Alberta 67-3 last week.

Veterans Bryce McCall (27) and Nico Higgs (26) look to shut down the Thuderbirds offence (photo by Matt Smith for Liam Richards Photography)

Head to head history: Saskatchewan has 13 regular season wins to UBC’s one since 2001. The Huskies are 3-0 in the playoffs against UBC since 2001.

What’s on the line: The Huskies are on the road to begin the playoffs for the first time since 2007, making their first trip of the year to Vancouver. They want to end their streak of playoff futility that last saw them go to the Vanier Cup in 2006 and has seen them go 4-1 since, reaching the Hardy Cup once in spite of finishing first three times. The Huskies last played in a playoff game at Thunderbird Stadium in 1999, when they defeated the Thunderbirds 31-24 to capture the Hardy Cup.

UBC wants to continue their dream season and ride their hot quarterback, Billy Greene, all the way to the Vanier Cup. The Thunderbirds are in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, and their last playoff win was November 5, 1999 in the first Canada West semi-final game, defeating Calgary 27-14.

The winner of this game will travel to Calgary for the Hardy Cup next weekend after Calgary beat Regina 16-4. Read more »

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Live blog: final preparations for playoff game tomorrow

Posted on November 4, 2011 by The Outsider

Hello from sunny Vancouver. We will be live blogging the Huskies final practice as they prepare for their CanadaWest playoff game which takes place at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver on Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm local, 3:00 pm Saskatoon time. Please hit refresh often for the latest updates.

5:20 The Huskies are winding down practice, so we will wind down the pre pre-game blog. We will be back with a game preview and some quotes later. We will also be back about two hours before kickoff tomorrow with a pre-game live blog from Thunderbird Stadium, up until about 30 minutes prior to kick-off when CK750 begins their broadcast. The Huskies look fresh, relaxed and confident today. See you tomorrow!

5:15pm Receiver Rory Kohlert led the team with 28 receptions for 506 yards and two touchdowns. Kohlert is in his final season with the Huskies, as are Tom Lynch, Ben Coakwell, Darren Hinds, Tony Michalchuk and Nicco Higgs. Like every player playing in their final year in the playoffs, there is extra motivation for them to extend the season and keep their CIS career going.

Rory Kohlert, along with five other Huskies, are in their final season with the team.

5:05pm UBC just finished their team meetings and are heading to their locker room to prepare for their pre-game walk through. In the meantime, the Huskies are done their warm-ups and are working on some special teams drills right now.

5:03pm Here is a better shot of the new helmets the Huskies will wear tomorrow…

The Huskies will be wearing their fifth helmet for tomorrow's playoff game.

5:00pm You have to get to a pre-game walk through early to see this, but we will do our best to describe it. Huskies Defensive Coordinator Ed Carleton and Receivers Coach Jason Sulz take on Offensive Coordinator Brent Schneider and Offensive Line Coach Bart Arnold in a game of “Yards.” Yes, the punting version of that game which we all played as kids. We know that these coaches were all great athletes from their playing days with the Huskies. But it is very funny to watch them chasing shanked punts around the endzone. We are not sure who won, but Coach Schneider had the most shanks.

4:50 pm One of the UBC offensive coaches was just doing a radio interview, so we eavesdropped. He said the Huskies defensive front presents a challenge. He said David Rybinski is a big, tough guy that is hard to block. The Thunderbirds are glad to be hosting a playoff game in Vancouver where the weather is expected to be sunny and about 9 degrees. Read more »

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