Vancouver, BC - Fresh off a bye week and with a playoff spot on the line, the UBC Thunderbirds (3-3) play host to the Alberta Golden Bears (0-6) Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm at David Sidoo Field at Thunderbird Stadium.
With a victory the Thunderbirds will punch their ticket to the 2013 post season. They can also secure a spot with a Regina Rams loss. For head coach Shawn Olson, it all comes down to winning back to back games which they haven't done once this year.
"You need to be able to win two games in a row to do something in the playoffs and that is our goal this weekend, win back to back games," said Olson.
UBC is 0-3 at home and 3-0 on the road and have alternated wins and losses all season. As much as the coach would like to mimic conditions on the road here at home, it strictly comes down to staying focused.
"I'm not a slave to superstition and believe if we wear our white uniforms (road uniforms) at home everything will go our way," said Olson. "Our guys have to understand how to handle the distractions of playing at home. Dealing with school, family, and friends is part of the deal. However, if we can remain focused and block out everything for three hours on Saturday, then I think we will be fine."
The Thunderbirds are coming off a huge 28-24 victory over the Manitoba Bisons back on October 5, while the Golden Bears, who haven't won a game since the 2010 season, lost a tough game 25-20 to Regina.
As much as it is expected for UBC to win, these are the type of games that can be very dangerous.
"We can not under estimate this team," said Olson. "They have played everybody tough this season, except for one game. They surprised us when we played them in early September, taking a 29-2 lead. Fortunately we were able to rally and earn the victory, but there is no way we can afford to go down like that again."
After missing last week with a knee injury, third-year running back Brandon Deschamps is expected to be back in the Thunderbirds starting line up. He is second in the Canada West in rushing and ran for 212 yards and two touchdowns the last time these two teams met.Â
Defensively, UBC seems to have gotten a handle on new defensive coordinator Jerry Friesen's system. They have been playing more consistently over the last three weeks and a big key has been the play of their defensive line which recorded five sacks against the Bisons last game. Kareem Ba and Donovan Dale each have four sacks apiece this season.
The 'BIrds should be more prepared for the Golden Bears no huddle offence which caught them on guard in the first half in the first meeting of the season, as well as handling screen passes which Alberta likes to run on a regular basis.
UBC will wrap up the Canada West regular season Friday October 25 in Calgary against the Dinos.
