VANCOUVER – For UBC Football, the time is now. As the 2022 Canada West season opens this weekend, the T-Birds are ready to embark on a campaign they firmly believe has the potential to take them deep into the autumn. But before anyone can set their sights on a Hardy Cup, or even more, the first step is hosting a challenging opponent in the Alberta Golden Bears Saturday, September 3 at Thunderbird Stadium.
So much has changed since this time last year when the youth-filled blue and gold began the 2021 season in Edmonton with a humbling 44-19 loss. But that same group finished the shortened season with three wins in their last four games, earning a matchup with the eventual Vanier Cup finalist Saskatchewan Huskies in a Hardy Cup semifinal.
"Nothing takes the place of experience and physical development in our game," said UBC Head Coach,
Blake Nill who begins his eighth season with the T-Birds. "Our guys not only know the game better, know the opponents better, but they're also better physically prepared, they've had another year in the weight room, another year with (Head Strength and Conditioning) Coach McCullum so it makes it a lot easier."
That steep learning curve saw quarterback
Garrett Rooker earn a unanimous Canada West Rookie of the Year selection while fellow freshman, running back
Isaiah Knight was the conference's top rusher. Consider that both are back for year two, along with other outstanding offensive contributors in the likes of running back
Dane Kapler, and receivers
Edgerrin Williams,
Jason Soriano, and
Robert Lutman, and the T-Birds offence could be a deadly force in 2022.
But, as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, and that starts Saturday night at 7:00.
"My expectations are always to be there at the end, but that's something you got to prove," said Nill whose squad earned a convincing 28-7 preseason victory over the Calgary Dinos in Vernon last week.
UBC enters 2022 third in the Canada West preseason coaches poll while the Bears are pegged fifth. Not unexpectedly, the veteran T-Birds head coach isn't putting an ounce of consideration into this.
"It doesn't matter about opinions, football is a game that's settled on the field. We have to go out, we have to execute and play with the kind of urgency that championship teams do and then hopefully with a little luck when the games are close we're able to find the wherewithal to pull it out. I'm confident in this group but we still haven't proven anything."
The last time the T-Birds and Golden Bears faced each other came in the final week of the 2021 season where UBC took a hard fought battle, 30-27 to clinch a Hardy Cup playoff berth. Saturday night marks the 89
th regular season matchup between the 'Birds and Bears with UBC holding a 49-37-2 advantage. The 2022 version of the Golden Bears will certainly look different, especially to the T-Birds defence, as veteran quarterback Brad Launhardt has passed the reigns after a five-year career in Alberta. But regardless, to a man, UBC knows they're in for a fight – in their last six combined meetings, each team has managed three wins.
"It's going to be a very difficult task," Nill continued. "Coach (Chris) Morris has that program probably at its highest level in the last 40 years."
In addition to the excitement of UBC's home opener, two legendary Vanier Cup championship teams are set to be honoured Saturday as the 1982 and 1997 Thunderbirds will be on hand.
Kickoff at Thunderbird Stadium Saturday for the 2022 Home Opener, presented by Save-On-Foods, is 7:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets are available online, and the game will be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
