CALGARY – In a pair of top-ten ranked programs, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team fell in their season opener against the Calgary Dinos by a score of 34-20 at McMahon Stadium.
Ultimately, the difference in the contest was the performance of Jalen and Tyson Philpot, who the Huskies were unable to slow down. The pair of receivers combined for 401 yards and three touchdowns, and seemed to find their way into open space with ease.
Klassen was a standout for Saskatchewan, catching seven passes for 107 yards to go along with two majors, while Nyhus racked up 238 yards through the air along with the two touchdowns to Nyhus.
Huskies running back Adam Machart was limited to 83 yards on 15 carries, snapping his nine-game streak of recording 100 or more yards on the ground dating back to last season.
The Huskies hopped out to an early lead off the backs of a 14-yard David Solie field goal, but the Dinos had a response.
Jalen Philpot registered his first of two touchdowns on the day off of a 13-yard pass from Josiah Joseph, who finished the contest with 451 yards passing and three touchdowns.
Things would begin to pick up in the second, sparked by a Josiah Joseph 13-yard pass to Jalen Philpot in a sign of things to come.
The Huskies countered with a Colton Klassen touchdown of their own, before the dynamic duo of Jalen and Joseph connected once again for a 24-yard touchdown just before the half, and the Dinos took a 14-11 lead into the break.
Leading 20-12 in the fourth, Calgary's Javier Williams would pound one in from three yards out to extend the Dinos' lead to 27-12.
But just as it appeared the game was all over with 1:35 remaining, a Saskatchewan punt followed by the second Nyhus to Klassen connection resulting in pay dirt made it a one-score game.
However, it wouldn't take long for Calgary to answer back, and this time it was Tyson's turn. He took a pass from Joseph for a 53-yard score with just 36 seconds remaining, giving the Dinos a 34-20 lead, sealing the victory for the home side.
Saskatchewan will look to bounce back next week as they take the flight to the west coast for a Friday night clash against the UBC Thunderbirds (0-1) in Vancouver in a matchup between two programs looking for their first win of the season.
