SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team remain undefeated on home turf, as they picked up their second-consecutive victory with a convincing 49-21 win over the Manitoba Bisons on Friday, Oct. 4 at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park.
 
As has been the story all season long, Adam Machart was instrumental for Saskatchewan. Machart rumbled his way for 220 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Saskatoon native moved to third in Huskies program history for single-season rushing yards with 932 and now only trails Doug Rozon and David Stephens. Machart's 220 rushing yards are also a new career-high for the Centennial Collegiate graduate.
 
"He's a special young man and obviously, an incredible football talent," said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. "He's such a physical specimen, you just look at how hard that guy works in the offseason, and it shows on game day."
 
Huskies quarterback Mason Nyhus recorded 182 yards through the air and three touchdowns on 16-28 passing, as the pivot remains undefeated in his career as a starter at Griffiths Stadium.
 
Colton Klassen led the Saskatchewan receiving corps with five receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown, while Jesse Kuntz chipped in four receptions for 35 yards.
 
Ben Whiting, continues to enshrine his name into Huskies football history, climbing in the career tackles record book. Whiting, who entered the night with 184 to his name, led Saskatchewan with eight total tackles in the win. First-year linebacker Ramsey Derbas continues his spectacular rookie campaign, with the Holy Cross graduate racking up 7.5 total tackles for the Huskies.
 
Bisons quarterback Des Catellier threw for 271 yards and a touchdown while racking up 67 yards on eight carries on the ground. In his return to his hometown, former Saskatoon Hilltop Logan Fischer ran for 42 yards on 13 carries.
 
Trysten Dyce was Catellier's favourite target through the air, with the fifth-year pass-catcher totalling six receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown.
 
Brock Gowanlock led Manitoba with seven total tackles, including one for a loss.
 
The Huskies moved to 4-2 on the season with the win, while the Bisons fell back to the .500 mark with a 3-3 record. With the 28-point win, Saskatchewan now holds the tiebreaker over Manitoba should it be required, after the Bisons picked up a 24-point victory in week one.
 
It was the Josh Ewanchyna show on Saskatchewan's first possession of the ball game. The second-year running back took the game's opening kickoff and weaved through a herd of Bison for a 67-yard return to set the Huskies up with prime field position. From there, the Saskatoon native finished what he started, as he punched in his second major of the season, and first since week one against Manitoba, to give Saskatchewan an early 7-0 lead.
 
Later in the quarter, the Huskies were able to make the most of a short field. Sam Baker, who was making his return to the lineup after suffering an injury in training camp, wasted little time in getting himself re-climatized to the Huskies high-powered offence. Nyhus, connected with the third-year receiver for a 15-yard major to extend Saskatchewan's lead to 14.
 
"It's good to have (Sam) back out there. He's a confidence booster for all the guys. He's a real good player, and it's good to have him back," Flory said.
 
However, while the Bisons were unable to get much going offensively in the first quarter, their special team's group stepped up. After a Matt Riley rouge, Manitoba was able to create a game-changing play with under a minute remaining in the opening frame. Colby Kyliuk was able to bust through the line and get a hand on David Solie's punt, sending the ball scurrying back into Saskatchewan territory. After a scramble for the rock ensued, Kyliuk was able to come away with it and break the plane for the touchdown to trim the Huskies lead to six.
 
While Machart was bottled up for the majority of the first quarter, you can only keep the nation's leading rusher quiet for so long. The Saskatoon native went to work early in the second, as he took back-to-back consecutive carries for gains of 14 and 21 yards, respectively, setting Huskies up in the red zone. From there, it was who else but Machart, who finished off a four-play 90-yard drive with a punishing 15-yard carry to give Saskatchewan a 21-11 lead.
 
On the ensuing kick-off, Saskatchewan stripped Richott, and Nixen Voll recovered the loose ball deep in Manitoba territory, to set up the offence. On the first play from scrimmage, Nyhus connected with Colton Klassen for a 27-yard reception, setting up the Huskies at the five-yard line. From there, Nyhus spotted Joseph Trumpy, who came up with a big-time toe-tapping grab in the back of the endzone to make the score 28-11 in favour of Saskatchewan with three minutes remaining in the half.
 
But the visitors refused to go away. Manitoba responded with an eight-play, 86-yard drive which was capped by a beautiful 15-yard Dyce reception on a Catellier heave to the back of the endzone to cut the deficit back down to ten at halftime.
 
Early in the third quarter, a Bisons seven-play, 34-yard drive resulted in Riley's 17-yard field goal to trim the Huskies lead to seven, but Saskatchewan responded on the next possession with points of their own. Machart picked up back-to-back first downs, and Kuntz helped moved the chains with an 11-yard reception. From there, it was Klassen who delivered the dagger. Nyhus hit his go-to-target in-stride for a 31-yard major to re-establish the Huskies 14-point lead.
 
Saskatchewan added to their lead in the fourth quarter with two more rushing majors, as they closed the contest on a 21-0 run. Keagan White's first career U SPORTS touchdown with two minutes remaining in the ball game sealed the win and the tiebreak for the Huskies.
 
Following the conference-wide Thanksgiving bye, teams will take the field in week-seven action. Saskatchewan will make the trek out west to take on the UBC Thunderbirds in what will be their final regular season on the road this season. Elsewhere, Manitoba will return home for their last game of the season at Investors Group Field, where they will take on the Calgary Dinos.