SASKATOON, Sask. – Ryker Frank and Daniel Wiebe combined for 256 total yards while the Huskie defence held the visiting Thunderbirds to just 258, as the University of Saskatchewan defeated the T-Birds 26-7 to advance to their second consecutive Hardy Cup title game.

The victory also marked Saskatchewan's fifth consecutive postseason win over UBC and 13th all-time between the two storied rivals.

"We just couldn't get on track offensively. I thought defensively we gave our team an opportunity at different times in the game to take some momentum, but we were just never able to capitalize on turnovers, on field position and consequently, we seemed out of rhythm most of the game," said UBC head coach, Blake Nill, after his team's season ended at the hands of the Huskies for a second straight year. "You got to give Saskatchewan credit for being aggressive up front. Their athletes just had a good game vs ours."



The Huskies got off to a promising start in Saturday's semifinal. Second-year pivot Jake Farrell, making his fourth consecutive start, picked up two first downs with his legs before the drive stalled just past midfield and the Dogs were forced to punt.

UBC, receiving the ball in the shadow of their own endzone, would then concede the game's first points, surrendering a safety from their own 10-yard line.

A short Huskie punt would set the T-Birds up with great field position, but after just two first downs, All-Star returner Daniel Kubongo would take a missed field goal 51 yards and out to the Huskies' own 35.

Early in the second, the Huskies recorded the game's first major when Farrell found Wiebe from 27-yards out, giving Saskatchewan an 11-0 advantage.

The next few possessions saw defence take over for both sides, with the Huskies forcing a third UBC safety before Lukas Scott connected on a 27-yard attempt to send the Huskies into the locker room up 16-0.



It was a dominant first half for the Huskie defence which saw the unit hold UBC to just 39 total yards on 22 plays through 30 minutes of action.

"I thought for the first time in maybe four years, our offensive line showed its youth," Nill said. "We just didn't compete as usual on the offensive line today."

Saskatchewan's first drive of the second half would end with the game's first turnover after a fumbled handoff between Farrell and Wiebe was pounced on by Aaron Parker. The Huskie defence would stand tall though, forcing the T-Birds to punt.

On the ensuring kick, a pair of penalties would set the Huskies up in plus territory, but Farrell's first interception of the game, secured by Maka Bangura, would see UBC take over inside their own 20-yard line.

Just two plays later, Saskatchewan came up with their first turnover of the game when Ethan Laing intercepted a Drew Viotto pass.

Once again though, possession changed hands as Farrell took off and had the yards to gain but was stripped from behind by Parker before Ben Sangmuah recovered the loose ball.



Neither team seemed to want the football as eight plays later a fourth consecutive turnover saw Laing record his second pick of the game before the third quarter came to a close with no scoring.

After the Laing turnover, the Farrell-Wiebe connection would strike again for 55 yards, setting up another Scott field goal from inside the redzone.

A quick two-and-out would then see the Huskies find the endzone again, with Farrell tossing his second touchdown of the game to Dawson Lennea at the pylon.

Two possessions later the Thunderbirds finally broke the Saskatchewan shutout, needing a 13-play, 107-yard drive to do so, culminating with Viotto finding Shemar McBean in the corner of the endzone.

After the Huskies took 1:24 off the clock, UBC was back on offence, but Viotto's third interception of the game, this one caught by defensive back Anesu Latmore, would seal the game and advance Saskatchewan to the 2025 Hardy Cup where they'll face the Regina Rams who advanced with a 32-29 overtime win over Manitoba.