VANCOUVER – On to Calgary.
 
The No. 6-ranked UBC Thunderbirds were dominant from the opening kickoff to the final whistle on Saturday afternoon, as they dismantled the No. 8-ranked Manitoba Bisons 52-10 in the Canada West playoff semi-final.
 
With the win, the 'Birds earned the right to square off against the Calgary Dinos next week in the 2015 Hardy Cup for Canada West supremacy, as the Dinos topped the Saskatchewan Huskies 37-29 in the other semi-final.
 
As solid as the 'Birds offense was on the afternoon, it was the Blue and Gold defense that ruled the day. Linebacker Terrell Davis (Victoria, BC) was everywhere, as he racked up nine total tackles, a sack, and three tackles-for-loss. Fellow linebacker Mitchell Barnett (North Vancouver) was a game-changer, as he nabbed two interceptions, including one that he returned for a 55-yard score, to go along with four total tackles.
 
On offensive side of the ball, UBC quarterback Michael O'Connor (Orleans, Ont.) had a solid outing, completing 19-of-34 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Tailback Brandon Deschamps (Prince George, B.C.) was a constant two-way threat, picking up 124 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, adding two receptions for 39 yards. Receiver Trivel Pinto was O'Connor's go-to man in the air, as the Brampton, Ontario native finished with six catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
 
UBC Kicker Quin van Gylswyk was his usual efficient self, as he made 5-of-6 field goals on the afternoon, with his longest of the contest coming from 42 yards out.
 
On the Manitoba side, Theo Deezar was held in check by that dominant UBC stop unit. The Bisons quarterback finished with a 15-of-34 rate for 158 yards, a late touchdown, and four interceptions. Manitoba running backs Andrew Barry and Jamel Lyles were limited to just 82 total yards on a combined 14 carries.
 
UBC linebacker Yianni Cabyllis (Regina) got the party started early, as he opened the game with a pick on Deezar's second play from scrimmage. The third-year linebacker jumped a quick pass from the Bisons quarterback and snagged it at the Manitoba 38-yard line.   
 
Though the T-Birds weren't able to convert the turnover into points, the pick set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
 
Deezar threw his second interception of the game just three plays into his next series, as Barnett made a great read on the quarterback and picked him off at the Manitoba 37-yard line, returning it to the 35.
 
O'Connor didn't squander the second gift from his defense, as the 6-foot-5 pivot hit William Watson (Surrey, B.C.), Ben Cummings (Abbotsford, B.C.), and Pinto on three short throws to put the 'Birds at the Bisons 8-yard line. Next, O'Connor found Pinto yet again on a quick-hitter, and the receiver laid out to break the plane, giving UBC a 7-0 lead.
 
The UBC defense forced a two-and-out on the next play, with an eight-yard tackle-for-loss from Barnett doing most of the damage.
 
The next offensive series for the 'Birds was all Deschamps.
 
After a holding call put the T-Birds into a second-and-20 situation, the big tailback took a quick screen pass from O'Connor, then rumbled for a total gain of 24 yards before being brought down at the Manitoba 48-yard line
 
Deschamps capped off the drive just two plays later, as he took a handoff and burst through the Bisons' defensive line, breaking tackles through the middle of the field en route to a 38-yard touchdown run.
 
With just under a minute left in the opening quarter, a botched Manitoba punt return forced the Bisons' offense to start on their own territory. Unable to get anything going against the 'Birds front seven, the Bisons conceded a safety on third down, extending UBC's lead once again, this time to 16-0.
 
Four minutes into the second quarter, the 'Birds nearly stretched their lead again. First, O'Connor and Pinto connected on a 47-yard bomb thanks to a busted coverage in the Manitoba secondary.
 
O'Connor was looking for Pinto in the end zone two plays later, but Bisons defensive back Houston Rennie was called on a pass interference penalty, setting up a run for tailback Marcus Davis (Victoria, B.C.) from the 5-yard line.
 
As the Davis darted into the middle of the field, the ball was popped loose by Bisons linebacker Derek Dufault just before Davis could cross the goal line. The Bisons' recovered, keeping their deficit to just two possessions.
 
That didn't last for long, as the UBC defense continued to absolutely shut down the Manitoba attack. van Gyslwyk added to the T-Birds' lead with just under six minutes left in the first half, drilling a 37-yard field goal to increase UBC's advantage to 19-0.
 
The Bisons managed to cross midfield for the first time in the half on their next possession, as wide receiver Dustin Pedersen took the snap and hit fellow wideout Bryden Bone on a 29-yard pass that took them to the UBC 46-yard line.
 
That success didn't last long, as Deezar went for it all on the next play. Looking for receiver Alex Vitt in the end zone, Deezar launched a bomb. Vitt got his hands on it, but tipped it into the air, where UBC defensive back Stavros Katsantonis made a heads-up play to get snatch the ball up and take it back to the T-Birds 25-yard line (it was called back to the 15 on a holding call).
 
There was nearly another turnover on UBC's ensuing drive, as O'Connor scrambled on a designed quarterback run play. The pivot had the ball knocked out of his hands near midfield, but the T-Birds recovered on their own 50-yard line to maintain possession.
 
Two plays later, on third down, UBC's running back-turned-linebacker Terrell Davis took a direct snap on the fake punt, and caught the defense off-guard racing down the left sideline for 22 yards.
 
O'Connor was unable to push the offense any further, and van Gylswyk booted a 38-yarder down the middle to increase the T-Birds' lead to 22-0.
 
After UBC's defence forced yet another punt (Manitoba punter Ryan Jones ended the day with 12), O'Connor took over again.
 
Starting the drive at his own 50, the quarterback targeted five different receivers on his five next attempts, competing four of them and earning a pass interference call. The final one was a beautiful lob into the back corner of the end zone, where Pinto was waiting to make his second touchdown grab of the afternoon, a 10-yarder.
 
With the score, UBC sailed into the break up 29-0.
 
After another van Gylswyk field goal midway through the third quarter made it 32-0 for the home side, UBC's ferocious went back to work.
 
First, defensive end Connor Griffiths put Deezar onto the turf on an 8-yard sack. On the next play, the freshman showed his pursuit ability, as he chased down running back Alex Christie for a 4-yard loss.
 
Davis made his impact felt on the subsequent punt return, as the UBC playmaker took the punt back from the UBC 53-yard line and turned on the jets, racing down the left sideline to the Manitoba 15-yard line before getting hauled down.
 
O'Connor wasted no time whatsoever, hitting receiver Alex Morrison for the touchdown on the first play of the possession. van Gyslwyk sailed the extra point through, and the 'Birds took a 39-0 lead.
 
Manitoba finally got on the board early in the final frame, but probably not in the way they were hoping. Pinned deep in their own end, UBC decided to give up a safety for the sake of field position, giving the Bisons their first two points of the contest.
 
It turned out to be a good decision, as Barnett re-entered Deezar's nightmares on the next drive. On Deezar's first throw of the possession, a deep shot over the middle, the fourth-year linebacker leapt, reached up and bought down a one-handed interception against his helmet. Barnett, not satisfied with just bringing down a David Tyree-esque pick, ran the ball back 55 yards to the house, blowing by a stunned Manitoba offense.
 
Up 46-2 with 11 minutes left in the contest, UBC backup quarterback Trevor Casey relieved O'Connor. A 33-yard run from Deschamps set up another field goal attempt for van Gylswyk, and the Canada West All-Star (as a punter) nailed the 42-yard shot through the uprights.
 
A 29-yard van Gylswyk field goal with three minutes to go capped off UBC's scoring for the afternoon, before Deezar finally solved UBC's defense with less than 20 seconds left on the clock, as he hit Pedersen on a 14-yard score.
 
The late touchdown, with a successful two-point conversion, closed out the scoring at 52-10 for the 'Birds.
 
The win marks the largest margin of victory in a UBC playoff game since the 1986 Hardy Cup, where the T-Birds topped the Dinos 49-3.
 
After the contest, UBC head coach Blake Nill pointed to Barnett's second interception as a shining example of the effort that his team will need heading into Calgary.
 
"What that showed it that we have to lay for 60 minutes," said Nill. "Barnett made an exceptional effort to make that play. At that point in the game, he could have just as easily allowed the reception or just knocked the ball down, but he made an incredible effort, and that's the kind of attitude we need on this team."
 
The 2015 edition of the Hardy Cup is set for an 11:00 a.m. (PT) start time next Saturday, November 14 at Calgary's McMahon. For anyone that can't make the trek to Cowtown, the game will be broadcast on Global.
 
"What we showed today – that's the kind of attitude we need for 60 minutes. When we do that, we're a pretty formidable group."