UPDATE: Alberta defeated Manitoba 46-21 on Saturday to clinch the fourth and final Canada West playoff spot. UBC and Alberta could still finish with 3-5 records but Alberta holds the tiebreaker over UBC since they carry a +4 point differential from the schools two games played during the season.

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds couldn't generate enough offence to hang with the No. 4-ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies, losing 30-9 at Thunderbird Stadium. The 'Birds kept it close for much of the game but a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns by the Huskies put the game well out of reach.

The T-Birds got some big plays from their defence, including two interceptions and a recovered fumble by Jeff Burt but ultimately UBC was unable to capitalize on those turnovers as the offence struggled to make plays against a dominant Huskies defence.

"I thought our defence played well enough to win tonight," said UBC head coach Shawn Olson. "They bent but didn't break and didn't allow any big plays other than one long run. But offensively we couldn't string anything together. We made critical mistakes, critical drops when we needed a catch, couldn't get the run game going. It was one of those days. Saskatchewan didn't do anything special, we just didn't execute."

The T-Birds offence put up just 280 yards compared to the Huskies' 557. Even more telling is the fact that UBC rushed for 42 yards all night compared to 227 for Saskatchewan. But the UBC receiving corps dropped balls all night, too, leaving Olson scratching his head.

"Our guys are great kids. They work hard, but maybe they got a little tight, tried too hard," said Olson. "It's tough to say why it happened tonight. They're usually a pretty reliable group. But it's not just them. There's enough blame to go around."

UBC's first points came on an incredible 48-yard field goal by Billy Pavlopoulos with one second left in the first half.

The Blue and Gold wouldn't register a major until late in the fourth quarter when Billy Greene hit Victor Marshall with a 44-yard touchdown bomb. Greene was 19 for 38 with 242 yards and two interceptions on the night. Micha Theil led UBC receivers with eight catches for 88 yards.

Ben Coakwell scored the first of his two touchdowns on a one-yard run in the second quarter. That score was the result of a UBC turnover that was ruled a fumble when the Huskies were able to strip a UBC receiver after a first down at midfield. Coakwell later drove the final nail on a 47-yard run for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Coakwell finished with 88 yards along the ground.

Saskatchewan's second touchdown came on a two-yard pass from Laurence Nixon to Braeden George deep into the endzone. Nixon went 26 of 40 for 330 yards to avenge a poor performance last time out against UBC that saw him pulled for the fourth quarter. Rory Kohlert was his favorite target, catching nine balls for 120 yards.

The Thunderbirds' playoff hopes are still alive. If the Manitoba Bisons can beat the Alberta Golden Bears on Saturday, then next week's final regular season game, when the 'Birds take on the Bisons, will be a must win if UBC hopes to see post-season action. They need a little help but the 'Birds are still in the picture.

"I wish I knew what it takes to get both the offence and defence going. We're just trying to find ourselves as a team right now," finished Olson. "Hopefully we're going to come back better from this. Sometimes you just have to let a loss affect you and come back stronger."