GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Nov. 20
Time: 1 p.m.
Opponent: Manitoba Bisons
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park
Watch: SaskTel 49/349 & Canadawest.tv
Listen: HuskieFAN
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It's not everyday a team has the chance to host a conference championship at home.
The Saskatchewan Huskies football team is a prime example of that. It's been 12 years since the Huskies last hosted the Hardy Cup at Griffiths.
That's set to change this weekend, with the Huskies set to play host to the Manitoba Bisons for the right to hoist the 84th Hardy Cup.
Scott Flory knows the rare opportunity of said title on home field. He was a player during two of the last four opportunities the Huskies had to close it out at Griffiths (1994 & 98).
Now it's up to Flory and company to continue the team's dominance on home field.
Saskatchewan will take the field on Saturday afternoon not having lost a game on home turf in 1,163 days. Mason Nyhus has yet to lose at Griffiths as the team's starting quarterback.
They earned the right to play host throughout the entirety of the Canada West postseason with their 5-1 regular-season record and their week five win in Winnipeg over the Bisons.
That was the Huskies biggest game to date at the time of kick off. But as football seems to work, last week was more significant, and now Saturday even more so.
Saturday presents Saskatchewan with an opportunity to etch their names in the record books as the 20th Hardy Cup champions in program history and put a bow on what was a textbook conference season.
The Huskies looked unfazed in their semifinal win. Leading from start-to-finish against the Thunderbirds off the backs of Mason Nyhus, Sam Baker and Daniel Perry.
Saskatchewan knows about the reputation of Griffiths. It's tough for visitors to win in. The stats don't lie and neither does the Dogs confidence and swagger when they run out of the dog.
The Huskies will run out of that famed dog for the final time this season on Saturday, with the goal of walking back into the clubhouse as Hardy Cup Champions in three hours time.
Quotables:
Nick Wiebe on getting the chance to play in the Hardy Cup:
"It's awesome. It's hard to put into words. All the work we've put in over the off season, you see the faces in there, the guys who were grinding all year and then didn't get to play last year, unfortunately. You can tell, it just means the world to these guys and I'm super fired up for them."
Wiebe on the 11-game winning-streak at Griffiths:
"We have a reputation at Griffiths to play some pretty good football. So I think every team that'll come in here will know that."
Sam Baker on moving on to the Hardy Cup:
"It feels pretty great. In this state of playoff football, it's week-by-week. We're just thankful we're here and that we're playing another week of football."
Baker on his rapport with Nyhus:
"Mason's my guy. Ever since year one when we came here, we were roommates together. That connection has been building for the last five or six years."
Head-to-head vs. Manitoba:
- All-time vs. Manitoba: Saskatchewan is 46-45
- Last 10 meetings: Saskatchewan is 5-5
- Huskies 2021 regular-season record vs. Manitoba: 1-0
- Last regular season meeting: 41-12 Huskies win on Oct. 30, 2021 in Winnipeg
5ish Things:
- Saskatchewan's pursuit of their 20th Hardy Cup in program history comes to a peak this weekend. Meanwhile, Manitoba enters the weekend with 11 program titles to their name.
- The Huskies enter this weekend's matchup riding a six-game win streak, their longest since 2009.
- This is the first Hardy Cup since 2007 that the Calgary Dinos have not been inolved in.
- The winner of the Hardy Cup advances to the Uteck Bowl, which serves as the national semi-final, in Montreal against the Montreal Carabins.
- According to points against, these are the two best defensive units in the Canada West. Manitoba's and Saskatchewan's 20.7 and 21.3 points allowed-per-game ranked first and second in the conference.
- With Scott Flory and Brock Gowanlcok earning Canada West Coach and Linemen of the Year Awards, as well as Vaughan Mitchell being nominated for the Gino Fracas Award — the top volunteer coach in U SPORTS — there will be three national award nominees in the Hardy Cup.
By The Numbers:
-4° - As of Thursday, the forecast is -4° for the 1:00 p.m. kick off — not bad for a late November day in Saskatoon.
31 - 31 players remain on this year's roster that were a part of the Huskies 2018 Hardy Cup winning team
271 - Manitoba is here because of their dominant day on the ground on Saturday. The Bisons ripped off 271 rushing yards, powering them to their semifinal victory.
73 - While the snowy conditions were far from optimal — Jackson Tachisnki was limited to just 73 yards through the air in the win. The first-year quarterback's season-high of 180 passing yards leaves an impression Warren Muzika and company will force the Bisons to beat them through the air.
2014 - Manitoba's last Hardy Cup win came back in 2014, which was also the last meeting between the Bisons and Huskies in the postseason.
Scouting the Bisons:
Brian Dobie is the head coach of the Bisons and enters the matchup looking for his third Hardy Cup as the leader of the program. He is the winningest coach in program history.
Jackson Tachinski is slated to get the start under centre for Dobie's Bisons. Tachinski was a high-profile recruit to the Manitoba program from Vincent Massey Collegiate in Winnipeg. The dual-threat quarterback is also a member of the Bisons basketball team, and is listed as a six-foot-four guard.
Tachinski began the season as a backup behind Des Catellier, who started the matchup between the Huskies and Bisons back in the preseason. But a season-ending injury opened the door in week-one for Tachinski. However, Tachinski missed the team's week-five contest against Saskatchewan, meaning this coming Saturday will be his first-career start against the Dogs.
While his stats haven't necessarily shown it, Macho Bockru is one of the conference's best. Bockru, who had three touchdowns in 2019 in Manitoba's season-opener against the Huskies, finished his fourth-year campaign with 41 receptions for 590 yards. But Bockru had a quiet 2021, catching just 22 passes for 280 yards in six games.
Bockru had one reception for nine yards and a touchdown against Alberta last week.
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