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REGINA, Sask. – Battling back from a halftime deficit, the UBC Thunderbirds put together a gutsy road effort in tough, prairie conditions to earn a 21-17 win over the Regina Rams Friday night, securing a home playoff berth for the first time in two years.
Trailing 17-14 with less than five minutes to play,
Drew Viotto and the UBC offence engineered a late touchdown drive capped off by a
Riley Michaud leap into the end zone to re-take the lead with 61 seconds on the game clock.
Needing a major score, the Rams managed to get across midfield only to have rookie linebacker
Derek Durand pick off Owen Sieben, sealing UBC's second straight victory, sweeping the season series with the Rams.
"It's a gutsy win by this group of young men," said UBC head coach,
Blake Nill, who's secured a winning regular season for the third time in the last four years. "We had to go against the wind in the fourth quarter, coming back from behind – there's a lot of things to be proud of with this group. What stood out to me was the emotion on the sideline, you could tell the kids were fighting for one another and that's what I really take out of this game."
It was a wet, cold, rainy night at Leibel field and the elements certainly played a role throughout.
The 'Birds took a 6-2 lead midway through the second quarter on
Alexander Hillyard's second field goal of the game as UBC earned the eventual three points off a Rams punt return fumble.
Regina managed to take their first lead of the night late in the second when a wide open Kaiden Banfield caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Owen Sieben, capping off a 2:13 drive.
The Rams added another five points in the remaining 2:47 of the quarter thanks to a UBC conceded safety and a 33-yard Ty Gorniak field goal to carry a 14-6 lead into the halftime break.
As has so often been the case this Canada West campaign, the second half belonged to the Thunderbirds with rookie
Damian Dumas getting the party started with his first career interception, picking off Sieben in the end zone on Regina's first possession of the third quarter.
The 'Birds weren't able to take advantage, giving Regina the ball back with terrific field position after a botched punt snap, but the aforementioned weather was indiscriminate in its impact as the Rams returned the favour three plays later. Forced into a punt of their own, a Regina high snap saw the ball slip all the way back to the Rams own 26, a loss of 42 yards.
Viotto and UBC's offence went back to work and needed just four plays to get their first touchdown of the game, a four-yard toss to
Ben Gutek, cutting the deficit to 14-12 after a two-point conversion failed.
After missing an 18-yard chip shot in Paul McCallum's former backyard, Gorniak nailed a 44-yard attempt to put the Rams back ahead, 17-14 with 5:25 left in the fourth – the only points Regina managed to put up in the final 30 minutes, setting up UBC's triumphal finish.
It was Michaud who earned his first touchdown of the season on what turned out to be the game winning drive after
Marvyn Larozar left with an apparent injury earlier in the fourth, the veteran back proving a major late-game contributor for the second straight week.
Critical to that drive was a second and long conversion from Viotto to
Trey Montour, one of the third-year receiver's game-leading eight catches. Montour finished the night with 100 yards even, his fourth triple digit game of the season.
"I realize there's some bias, but all year I've been telling anyone who would listen that
Trey Montour is the best, most clutch receiver in our conference," said Nill of his exceptional wideout. "I know there are other spectacular players, but a head coach has to be able to brag about his guys and it's easy to brag about
Trey Montour."
Despite leaving the game early, Larozar still managed 110 yards rushing on the night.
Viotto went 21-of-30 for 152 yards, the touchdown to Gutek and a first quarter interception. Sieben threw for 153 yards, one touchdown and three picks, the last of which sealed the game with just two seconds remaining.
"To be able to put back-to-back wins together coming out of the bye week is an important step forward. I would argue with anyone we have the most formidable schedule in the conference. Coming into the season we said we have to go .500 against Regina and Saskatchewan, and now we've been able to do at least that."
After the Huskies earned a 21-19 final second victory over the Golden Bears Friday night, the 'Birds still have a shot at first place overall as UBC hosts Saskatchewan for the final regular season contest next Friday night at Thunderbird Stadium, needing a win by 11 points or more.
"We still have an opportunity to finish first and when you go into the last game with an opportunity like that, it's all you can really ask for."
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