Mason Nyhus threw for three touchdowns, helping the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team march to a 28-17 win over the provincial rival Regina Rams at Griffiths Stadium.
Despite the Huskies holding a 395 to 126 advantage in total yards, the Rams hung around. They tied the contest with 12:35 remaining, but Sam Baker's 16-yard receiving touchdown at the 6:29 mark of the fourth gave the Huskies a 24-17 lead. David Solie's 42-yard field goal extended the Saskatchewan advantage, proving to be all they needed to get the win.
It was an ugly day weather wise in Saskatoon, with a gutsy southwest breeze and it definitely played a factor throughout the contest.
"We took a look at the long-term forecast. I anticipated some rain and wet conditions, but I wasn't anticipating wind like this," said Huskies head coach Scott Flory.
"I said at halftime, it's got its own issues going into the win for sure, but it wasn't easy going with it as well. It was a factor, especially in the kicking game, but even just throwing the ball, with it or against it, it was just so strong. It's going to move the football and it created its own set of challenges."
Despite the wind, Nyhus didn't seem to be phased. The fourth-year quarterback threw for 301 yards on 22-32 passing along with three touchdowns.
"He's been dialled in, man," said Flory.
"I guess I was pretty fortunate. We got a ton of yards-after-catch. Klassen had an unreal game, but nothing new there. Baker had a solid day. I thought today we had our best players to be our best players, especially in our receiving core and that's what we need to be successful for sure," said Nyhus.
As Nyhus alluded to, it was a big day for Colton Klassen, who caught two of Nyhus' three majors. The fifth-year pass-catcher caught eight passes for 135 yards.
Running back Adam Machart did his thing, racking up 98 yards on 19 carries, while Sam Baker finished his day with four receptions for 54 yards, including the all-important go-ahead score.
On the Regina side, an injury that forced quarterback Sawyer Buettner out of the game, who received the start with Josh Donnelly unavailable, proved to be costly for the visitors, who were forced to rely on Braydan O'Flaherty.
"That was tough, even coming into the game short-handed without Donnelly. And then now you go down to quarterback three. That always makes things a little tougher. But I think they both did well," said Rams head coach Mark McConkey.
"We just weren't able to run the ball very effectively and when we needed to throw it, we just didn't make the throws and had some dropped passes. It seemed to be one thing on every play and obviously that adds up against a good team like the Huskies."
A Rams punt block, scooped up by Jackson Sombach and a D'Sean Mimbs four-yard reception from O'Flaherty came as the two scores on the day for the visitors, whose inability to move the chains at critical times in the fourth quarter was likely the difference.
The Regina loss moves them Rams to 1-3 and they'll be looking to get back in the win column next weekend in Edmonton against the Alberta Golden Bears.
The Saskatchewan win, paired with a Manitoba Bisons loss, moves them into a tie for top-spot in the Canada West with a 3-1 record.
And next up for the Huskies? It's a date with the aforementioned Bisons in Winnipeg with first-place on the line.
"We know we're going to have a tough test for sure. Every game in the Canada West is a dogfight. You've seen that the past few weeks that nothing's guaranteed and we know we have to come to battle every day at practice and the games. We're going to be in a dog fight every week," said Nyhus.
Quotables:
Nyhus on getting the win against his hometown program:
"It's pretty awesome. Obviously I have a lot of friends out there. (Kyle) Borsa is one of my best friends. I played high school football with him, played Regina Minor Football with him, so I had a good little chat before and after the game with him and wished him well and it's obviously just great to get a win against those guys. Like you said, just a ton of friends over there, so it's pretty awesome."
Flory on the impending first-place showdown against the Bisons:
"That's a beast in itself, right? We'll worry about that tomorrow; watch the film and clean up things, and then we'll get into Manitoba starting on Monday."
Nyhus on Klassen's importance to the team:
"I love CK, as a leader in the locker room alone, but obviously on the football field. When you get him the ball, he makes plays. He's a running back in space for us at receiver. It's been awesome to have both him and baker, uh, rocking that receiver right now."
