CALGARY – It just wasn't the UBC Thunderbirds' night as they dropped a 57-7 decision to the Calgary Dinos in a Hardy Cup rematch Friday night at McMahon Stadium.
The No. 5 Dinos (2-0) took an 18-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back as they handed the Thunderbirds (1-1) their first loss of the season, keeping them off the scoreboard in the second half.
UBC's lone score came via a 25-yard
Michael O'Connor rush early in the second which pulled the T-Birds within 11 points of the host Dinos. But Calgary then put up 39 unanswered points the rest of the way with a total of 544 yards of offence to UBC's 289.
Rookie Tyson Philpot scored two touchdowns for Calgary, including a school-record 107-yard effort.
"Nobody expects a result like this," said Dinos Head Coach Wayne Harris. "UBC is a good football team and they'll bounce back from this and be a formidable opponent – we have to play them again in two weeks and it's going to be a really tight, tough game. It still wasn't perfect – it never is, but that's what you work towards."
The game's turning point came late in the second quarter. With just over a minute left and the Thunderbirds holding the ball on the Dinos' 38-yard line, UBC elected to go for it on third down.
O'Connor's pass fell incomplete and the Dinos marched down the field in just four plays, a drive capped off by a 37-yard Adam Sinagra touchdown pass to Hunter Karl. That made the score 31-7 at half time.
Hunter Karl was the recipient of two of Sinagra's five touchdown passes, with Justin Julien on the receiving end of the fifth. Defensive back Joe Cant picked off UBC backup pivot
Cole Meyer for a 24-yard pick-six to round out the Dinos' major scores.
O'Connor finished 17-for-30 for 206 yards and one interception, while Sinagra tossed for 372 yards and five touchdowns – all on just 15 completions.
The Dinos head to Saskatoon for a date with the Saskatchewan Huskies (2-0) next Friday night in a first-place battle, while UBC heads to Regina to face the Rams in a battle of 1-1 teams.
