GAME INFORMATION

Date: Saturday, Nov. 6
Time: 2 p.m.
Opponent: Calgary Dinos
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Griffiths Stadium
Watch: Canadawest.tv

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Get ready Huskie nation.

This team will be hanging around Griffiths for at least the next two weeks.

The Huskies wrap up their regular-season this Saturday afternoon at Griffiths, which is where they will ultimately play their Canada West semifinal next weekend. Should Saskatchewan get back to their third-straight Hardy Cup, the conference championship would be contested on home soil for the first time since 2009.

That is all thanks to the Huskies dominant performance on the road last weekend, defeating the Manitoba Bisons 41-12  to clinch first-place in the Canada West.

But before playoffs, the Huskies have the Dinos on deck.

Calgary, the defending Vanier Cup champion, enters town needing a win or a loss from the UBC Thunderbirds in order to reach the postseason.

They are the only program yet to defeat the Huskies this season and there is no question this Saskatchewan program would love to play spoiler on Saturday afternoon and send home the team that dashed their Hardy Cup dreams back in 2019.

Despite their 2-3 record, the Dinos appear to be back on brand. Fifth-year quarterback Josiah Joseph was spectacular last week in Calgary, totalling 350 yards and four touchdowns on 16-18 passing.

Jalen and Tyson Philpot, arguably the conference's two most explosive players, combined for 383 total yards in the win and it's clear shutting down the pair of talented pass-catchers will be top of mind for Huskies defensive coordinator Warren Muzika this weekend.

The Philpot's torched a Saskatchewan secondary back in week one, as they combined for 21 receptions for 401 yards and three touchdowns.

Count on them to be relied on heavily once again come Saturday. 

This matchup is one Calgary has dominated since the 2010's. The Dinos have won six of the last eight games at Griffiths dating back to 2010. But they have split the last four meetings 2-2, which includes Saskatchewan's 2018 Hardy Cup win and their 29-15 victory on home field back in 2019, the last game between the two programs at Griffiths.

While Saskatchewan doesn't necessarily have anything to play for in the standings, there is no doubt this game means something to the program. Calgary has developed into their rival. And they'll have the chance to play a role in the demise of said rivals on Saturday on home field.

Head-to-head vs. Calgary:

• All-time vs. Calgary: Saskatchewan is 34-56-2
• Last 10 meetings: Saskatchewan is 3-7
• Huskies 2019 regular-season record vs. Calgary: 1-0
• Last regular season meeting: 34-20 Dinos win on Sept. 25, 2021 in Calgary

5ish Things:

1. Thanks to the Huskies 29-point victory last week, Saskatchewan climbed to number-four in the nation, their highest billing of 2021.
2. For the third-straight week, Saskatchewan plays a top-ranked team, as Calgary comes to town with the number-eight beside their name.
3. Saturday will serve as the final opportunity for a group of fifth-years to play the final regular-season game of their Huskies careers. Colton Klassen, Kyle Newton, Carter Dahl, Finley Easton, Clovis Lumeka, Nicholas Summach and Yol Piok will all be honoured prior to the game for their commitments to the Huskies program.
4. Mason Nyhus enters the final week of regular-season third in the country in passing yards per-game with 306. With that mark, Nyhus would slide into third in the single-season program record. Kyle Siemens holds the Huskies record with 321.2 passing yards per-game, a mark set back in 2017.
5. Nyhus remains a clear-cut candidate for the Canada West Player of the Year award, which would mark the second-straight season the award was handed out to a Huskie. Only six players in program history have received the honour, including Dave Pickett the lone Huskie to ever win the Hec Crighton Trophy back in 1973.
6. It was an eventful week for David Solie. The fourth-year Holy Cross product re-took the nation's lead with 43.5 average yards-per-punt. Solie was named the Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week in week five, going 3-3 on field goal attempts.

Scouting the Dinos:

Dinos head coach Wayne Harris began the season with a 35-5 regular-season record since he took over the team's head coaching job in 2015, but with their 2-3 record, Calgary is in danger of missing the postseason for the first-time since 2006.

As alluded to, Tyson and Jalen Philpot have been dynamite. They sit first and second in the country in receiving yards per game, with 127.6 and 116.4 respectively. Tyson's seven receiving touchdowns is also tied for the country's best.

Josiah Joseph has benefited greatly from the pair of standout pass catchers, with Joseph leading the country in passing yards-per-game with 314.6. The fifth-year quarterback has 11 touchdowns to his four interceptions this season.

Tyreese Bristol enters the weekend with interceptions in back-to-back games. The defensive back is tied for eighth in the nation with his two interceptions this season. 
Making their returns to Saskatoon is running back Ben Abrook, who spent time with the Saskatoon Hilltops. Abrook, who was an Aden Bowman grad, was the 2019 Canadian Bowl MVP and rushed for 1215 yards in his final season with the Toppers. Abrook has 16 carries for 97 yards on the season, as well as a forced fumble on special teams.

Elsewhere in the Canada West:

Manitoba at Regina, Saturday, Nov, 6 at 2:00 p.m.
Alberta at UBC, Saturday, Nov, 6 at 2:00 p.m.

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