VANCOUVER – With the mid-season Thanksgiving weekend bye now behind them, it's a sprint to the finish line for the UBC Thunderbirds who resume Canada West action against the Dinos Saturday, October 14 at Calgary's McMahon Stadium.
Enjoying a 4-1 start to the season, the No. 7-ranked T-Birds have had extra time to reflect on their lone loss to this point which came in their last game, a 34-31 decision in favour of the two-time defending Hardy Cup champion Saskatchewan Huskies back on September 29.
In addition to looking back at that game and preparing for their second battle of the season against the Dinos, the bye week provided a much needed break both physically and mentally.
"The bye week in Canada West is a big part of the season, it enables us to get athletes some rest, maybe work individually with other athletes for the second half of the season," said UBC head coach
Blake Nill who aims to guide his team to their first 5-1 start since 1999. "We're not going into Calgary with any expectations other than we're playing a football team with a strong culture and championship history. They're a team that works hard, the effort is there and I know they're well coached. We need to go in there with the understanding we have to play our best football."
The last time these two teams met, UBC was close to playing their best, and it resulted in a convincing 45-15 win in week two. The only glaring error by the T-Birds in that game was on the final play of the first half where the Dinos converted an 85-yard touchdown pass from Dom Britton to Gob Deng, their only major score of the afternoon.
"We're working hard to eliminate what we're calling explosive plays against us," said Nill. "They've been dealt with straight on. We feel that's one area of the program we have to have a solution for. We worked at it during the bye and all week and now we have to implement it as we prepare for Calgary."
That week two win over the Dinos was a coming out party for what's quite possibly the most dynamic offence in the country. Five different receivers scored a touchdown while
Garrett Rooker passed for 351 yards and an 83.3 percent completion rate.
Now through five games of the season, Rooker continues to lead the conference in passing yards (1555), touchdowns (11 – tied with Saskatchewan's Anton Amundrud), and completion percentage (72.5).
UBC's passing offence as a whole leads the entire country as Rooker and
Derek Engel have combined for an average of 354.8 yards per game while transfer receiver
Sam Davenport leads U SPORTS with 92.8 yards per game.
While Rooker continues to get the Lion's share of snaps and attention, Engel's contributions to UBC's success cannot be underestimated. Two of his three rushing touchdowns this season came in week five against the Huskies, and he's been a key cog in UBC's success on special teams fakes.
"Engel is a very good athlete and as he's maturing as a young man he's becoming more and more trustworthy, so consequently he's able to shoulder a bigger load," said Nill of his backup quarterback. "I have so much appreciation for him. He's a great team guy, he does what he's asked to do and he's going to be asked to do more and more."
As for those special teams fakes, as the Thunderbirds continue to grow more experienced – and more confident – it's a part of their game they take great pride in. Week three against the Golden Bears, UBC executed a fake punt that two plays later saw them score a key third quarter touchdown.
In week five, one of Engel's rushing touchdowns against the Huskies came on a fake field goal.
"We want teams to recognize the fact we have scouted their program, we know their personnel, and we don't take anyone for granted. With that reputation what you're going to find is teams are going to be less aggressive on special teams. Everyone has these type of plays in their arsenal, but it's whether you have the courage to use them. They can backfire on you but what (Special Teams Coordinator, Pete Buckley) has been able to do is make me feel comfortable calling them because there's a real chance of success. But also, if it's not successful, we're not selling the farm."
A win Saturday in Calgary would not only cripple the Dinos' playoff hopes but also clinch a berth in the 2023 Hardy Cup playoffs for the T-Birds.
Kickoff at McMahon Stadium is set for 1:00 p.m. PT. The game will be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
