This article is proudly presented by Navacord. Your partner in insurance, benefits, and wealth. Learn more at navacord.com.

VANCOUVER – With just two weeks remaining in the 2026 Canada West regular season, the No. 9 UBC Thunderbirds (4-2) face their biggest road battle in nearly a full calendar year as they pay a visit to the No. 10 Regina Rams (3-3) this Friday, October 23.

Currently sitting alone in second place in the conference, the T-Birds hold fate in their own hands as a win would clinch a coveted home playoff berth along with the opportunity to battle for first overall in the following week's season finale vs the Huskies.

But a hungry Rams team – intent on avenging their week three loss in Vancouver – faces an equally pivotal situation, currently tied with the Manitoba Bisons for the final two conference playoff spots, still with almost everything to be decided over the coming 10 days.

"There's a lot of pressure on our program right now. We have to approach each week like it's a must-win because it almost is exactly that," said UBC head coach, Blake Nill. "Yes, there are other factors at play, but you want to keep control of your destiny. There may be a weather issue, there's always a few bounces, but ultimately it's your ability to limit mistakes – we discuss that daily here. We're going to have to go out, play as error-free as possible, play as physical as possible and hope we get enough breaks to have one more point on the scoreboard at the end."



It was nearly a year to the day when UBC went into Regina and shocked the Rams by overcoming a 28-13 late fourth quarter deficit to clinch the final 2025 conference playoff spot. It was a game which could be looked at as a turning point for a T-Birds program which now expects to win and be playing deep into November.

But standing in UBC's immediate path is a confident Regina program which is coming off a resounding 43-17 home field win over Alberta. The Rams also need the victory Friday to avoid a true must-win situation in their season finale vs the Bisons.

"They're very physical and very scheme-oriented," Nill said, describing Regina's style of football. "I've been impressed with the job coach (Mark) McConkey's done with that program since taking over – they're as good as any team in the country.

"We know who their go-to guys are and we know the quality of their line play. There are no surprises, it's just matching up as best we can and then hoping that our athletes can make more plays than their athletes."



While both programs boast impressive offensive weapons, including the conference's two most prolific running backs in Marvyn Larozar and Carter Ashman (the latter of which put up over 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns in week six), Friday night will see the Canada West's two best defences go toe-to-toe.

The 'Birds are also expecting a big boost with the return of fourth-year defensive lineman Malcolm Fraser who did get a limited number of snaps last week after missing almost a full year to injury.

"It's a big addition to the program. He's one of the best in the country at his position and now he's a little bit fresher than the other guys. He's motivated and excited to be back on the field and he can make plays. It's a big deal for us to have him in there and hopefully we can get a few more guys back and peak at the right time."



Returning to winning form in last week's home victory over the Dinos, the 'Birds will need to heed their head coach's words and limit self-inflicted wounds Friday night if they intend to complete the season series sweep of the Rams. UBC currently leads the Canada West in penalty yards, averaging 91 per game while the Rams have thus far proved to be the most disciplined side in the conference.

Kickoff for UBC's final road game of the season – and a shot at securing the team's first home playoff game in two years – is set for 6:00 p.m. PT Friday night at Regina's Leibel Field. The game will be available live on Canada West TV.