VANCOUVER - The Manitoba Bisons (4-3) ended the UBC Thunderbirds (2-6) season on a losing note, earning a 25-17 victory at a gusty Thunderbird Stadium on Friday night.
The win means Manitoba controls their own fate in the Canada West playoff race with a victory next weekend against SFU guaranteeing the Bisons a spot in the post season while UBC goes without a playoff berth for a third straight season.
"I thought our defence played outstanding throughout the whole game and I am proud of their effort," said UBC head coach Ted Goveia. "It's always disappointing to lose but we lost to a pretty good football team tonight."
After nickel and diming their way to a 9-3 half-time lead, the Bisons saw their advantage quickly disappear as the T-Birds scored the first major of the evening just 1:46 into the third quarter.
After a two and out start to the second half for UBC,
Scott Thiessen made a big play on special teams forcing a turnover for the T-Birds. Manitoba's Jeremy Botelho bobbled the return at his own 21-yard line and Thiessen made a spectacular play by simultaneously knocking Botelho away from the ball and recovering the fumble.
On the ensuing play,
Billy Greene found
Spencer Betts in the corner of the end zone to put UBC for the first time 10-9. It was the duo's fourth TD connection on the season and it gave the T-Birds their first, and only, lead of the day.
With the increasingly vicious wind at their back, UBC continued to press in the third quarter but it looked like the Bisons had a chance for the lead midway through the quarter with a drive deep into T-Bird territory.
Manitoba QB Nathan Friesen took a shot to the end zone but was picked off by standout UBC safety
Alex Babalos. UBC couldn't make much out of the swing in momentum, however, as Everton Black came up with a huge stop for the Bisons on third and one as he stuffed
Billy Greene short of the first down to get the ball back.
The Bisons took advantage and Scott Dixon's 22-yard field goal at the 10:08 mark of the third frame put Manitoba up for good.
Manitoba then turned to their power running game to shut the door on any UBC comeback attempts and Chad Young put the Bisons ahead 19-10 just before the end of the third quarter with a two-yard plunge. Young carried the ball on five of the six plays on the drive, gaining all 40 yards as Manitoba punished UBC up the middle.
The T-Birds made it interesting with a
Dave Boyd touchdown three minutes into the fourth quarter, but the Bisons used the wind to their advantage late, turning a couple short fields into a pair of Dixon field goals to seal the win.
Matt Henry led the Bisons offence with 30 carries for 150 yards with Young adding 47 and Friesen 45 as Manitoba amassed 273 yards on the ground.
Boyd picked up all 74 of his rushing yards in the fourth quarter as UBC worked a lot through the air as they were playing catch up most of the game. Greene ended the day 15-of-33 for 188 yards with one score and one interception.
The game got off to slow start as a 50 minute injury delay early in the first quarter kept both teams out of synch in the first half.
UBC receiver
Brent Borthistle went down with a leg injury that stopped play and sent both teams back to their dressing rooms just under four minutes into the game.
When play resumed,
Michael Guidi converted on a 31-yard field goal to knot the score at 3-3. Dixon had put the Bisons up 3-0 with a 10-yard field goal on Manitoba's opening drive. Manitoba added a pair of rouges and safeties in the second quarter as both offences sputtered with the wind pinning UBC deep in their territory.
Babalos capped off an outstanding second CIS season with 15.5 tackles and the one interception. The UBC safety all but wrapped up top spot in CW tackles this season as he leads the league with 65. Alberta's Jean-Marc Jones currently sits second overall with 45.5.
