VANCOUVER – Looking to start the Canada West season 3-0 for the first time in 14 years, the UBC Thunderbirds face what is undoubtedly their biggest test of the season thus far when the Manitoba Bisons head to Thunderbird Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Faced with the prospect of their first 0-3 start since 2017, the Bisons will be coming in with purpose, needing to secure a victory in order to avoid falling into an even deeper hole in a short, eight game season.
"(Head coach Brian) Dobie and his crew are a very physical football program with a tremendous culture," said UBC head coach
Blake Nill of his long-time counterpart. "Every year we see UBC and Manitoba go toe-to-toe. It's usually determined in the last quarter and we're not expecting anything different this week."
Indeed, each of their last three meetings have been decided by six points or less, including their final meeting of 2022 in which the T-Birds earned a 27-21 home win over the Bisons which paved the way for UBC to clinch a playoff berth the following week.
But 2023 is a different year with different expectations at Point Grey. Heading into week three ranked eighth in the country, UBC has the opportunity to stake out a shared spot at the top of the conference with a win on Saturday. Alberta and Saskatchewan – the other two teams to boast a perfect start to the campaign – battle each other this week making for a "show-me" situation of who the contenders truly are.
Through two weeks, UBC has plenty of numbers to indicate their status as one of the top programs in the country. The team is averaging 495 yards of offence per game while allowing just 317, both second best in the Canada West. The 'Birds' 381 yards passing per game is tops in the conference with receiver
Sam Davenport's 171 yards the fourth most on the young season.
UBC's running game hasn't quite returned to its 2022 form, but that's in part due to circumstance.
"I do want to run the football but we also have to be smart enough to implement what teams are giving us," said Nill. "We're just seeing so many defenders in the box now making it tough to run the ball, so consequently we're going out and throwing it. At some point there will be an even-up with the defence where they'll have to respect the pass game more, lighten up the box a bit and then you'll see our run game flourish."
Despite less of a run presence, third-year back
Isaiah Knight sits second in the conference with 112 yards through two games. Manitoba pivot Jackson Tachinksi leads the Bisons with 108 yards on the ground although his starting status for Saturday is in question after he left last week's game against Alberta in the second quarter due to injury.
Regardless of the Bisons' personnel, the Thunderbirds know they need a much better start than was the case in last week's win over the Dinos. Despite the lopsided score in UBC's favour, it was a less than stellar first half which was capped off with an 85-yard Dinos touchdown on the final play before the break.
"That was 100 percent a lack of focus for one play," Nill said. "It allowed Calgary back in the game and it could have had a considerable impact. But that's also why I was so impressed with how we came out in the second half. We wanted to show we're a better football program. I thought we were more physical and I really appreciated the leadership that
Garrett Rooker brought along with the receiving core, I thought they made a huge difference."
A quality start on Saturday could very well be the difference for UBC against a Bisons team which is desperate to get in the win column. Week one saw Manitoba's 25-7 halftime lead over the defending Hardy Cup champions evaporate as the Huskies completed the comeback for a 30-27 win. Last week in Edmonton the Golden Bears handed them a 37-16 loss.
Kickoff Saturday is set for 1:00 p.m. PT at Thunderbird Stadium.
Tickets can be secured online now and the game will also be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
