WINNIPEG – Facing a 28-3 halftime deficit, the UBC Thunderbirds came out of the locker room a completely different football team, putting together four consecutive touchdown drives to take a fourth-quarter lead.
But veteran Manitoba quarterback, Jackson Tachinski, plunged into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the day, restoring the lead for the Bisons in the dying moments of the fourth while a key interception with less than a minute remaining sealed the deal as the Thunderbirds' valiant comeback attempt ended just short, falling 35-31 in a wild afternoon at Princess Auto Stadium.
"I told the players I thought that was our best second half since week one. I told them I was proud of them for that and congratulated them on that," said UBC head coach,
Blake Nill, shortly after the entertaining yet disappointing finish. "Then I told them despite basically self-destructing in the first half with our same old enemies in penalties and missed assignments, despite the travel and the early start, our guys battled the whole time. We were leaving for the stadium at 7 a.m. our time but the way they came back, it was just too big a hole."
First-year T-Bird quarterback
Drew Viotto was in a word, outstanding, in the second half. The transfer finished the day 26-of-42 and three touchdowns. His 473 yards passing now stands as the third highest single-game total in Thunderbirds history.
But in the end, as his head coach stated, the deficit was simply too large and task a bit too tall to ultimately come away victorious. Despite the loss, the T-Birds (2-4) do end the season with the tie-breaker over the Bisons (3-3), splitting the two-game season series but coming out on top in point differential. It could very well be a key factor in UBC's late push to make the playoffs, the 'Birds heading into the Thanksgiving weekend bye holding down the fourth and final berth.
"We're 2-4 and we need at least a win, probably two wins, against two of the best teams in the country," said Nill whose squad closes out the season with a home game against the 4-1 Saskatchewan Huskies and a road game at the 4-1 Regina Rams. "Are we capable of it? We've shown at times we are, but our record speaks differently."
The first half Saturday was a forgettable one to say the least for UBC as the Bisons had their way with the 'Birds on both sides of the ball. UBC's only points of the first 30 minutes came courtesy of an
Alexander Hillyard 35-yard field goal late in the opening quarter.
UBC's first touchdown of the game came on the T-Birds' first possession of the second half when
Toluwalope Ayedegbe capped off a five play, 57-yard drive with his fifth rushing major of the season, cutting the deficit to 28-10.
After forcing the Bisons to punt, the T-Birds once again methodically moved the ball down the field, back inside the Manitoba 10-yard line. Two plays, an incredible feat of concentration by
Shemar McBean saw the veteran receiver score his second touchdown of the season. The Bisons had forced a fumble at the one yard line with Kaleb Mackie-Mcleod recovering the ball. But McBean was able to steal it out of the defensive lineman's hands and carried it into the end zone as UBC made it a two-possession game after scoring majors on back-to-back drives.
The T-Birds continued their momentum into the fourth with
Trey Montour catching his second touchdown pass of the season, an 11-yard toss from Viotto, to make it three consecutive touchdown drives for UBC getting to within four points after
Alexander Hillyard's convert with the majority of the fourth quarter still to play.
Viotto and the UBC offence wasn't done yet, the first-year pivot engineering a touchdown for a fourth straight possession to give the 'Birds their first lead of the game, 31-28, on a drive highlighted by one of the most remarkable grabs in memory, courtesy of Montour who hauled in a 15-yard Viotto pass for the go-ahead score.
But Jackson Tachinski and the Bisons' offence weren't about to go quietly. Despite failing to do anything in the second half to that point, the veteran pivot connected with Nathan Udoh on a 43-yard bomb down field to the UBC two-yard line. Tachinski called his own number on the next play for his third rushing score of the game, re-taking the lead 35-31 but still with nearly four minutes to play.
Once again, Viotto and the T-Birds' offence marched down the field, back-to-back
Edgerrin Williams-Hernandez catches getting the ball inside Manitoba territory. But with just under a minute on the clock, Viotto was intercepted by Daniel Conway as the hosts were able to run out the clock and hand UBC a second straight loss.
As gut-wrenching a loss as it is, UBC's second half performance is indicative of the potential this group has.
"We dressed a roster of 45 this week, 23 of them were first or second year players. Like other programs in the country, we're paying our dues investing in our youth, we're paying our dues in regards to missed assignments, we're paying our dues with regards to resiliency at times. Despite everything, we had two chances to win the game. Twice we had them second and long and couldn't get off the field on the last drive. We had our chances, we just have to play 60 minutes."
The 'Birds will have two weeks to wait for their next shot at playing a more complete game with the conference entering its Thanksgiving week bye. UBC hosts the Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday, October 17 for the 'Birds' final home game of the season before closing out with a week eight visit to the Rams, at least one of which, as Nill indicated, will have to be a blue and gold win if the team has playoff aspirations.
