By Todd Penney
The Dinos sure know how to ruin a good party.
On Fri., Sept. 5, the Dinos football team was on the West Coast to face the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the T-Birds’ home opener. The Dinos were coming off a dramatic one point win over arch rival University of Alberta Golden Bears while UBC was looking to start the season on a positive note with a W.
In the end, the Dinos took it to UBC, walking away with a 17-8 win in a penalty-riddled, low-scoring, defensive match.
The Dinos played a different style than they are known for, coming out strong at the beginning of the game rather than pouring it on at the end. Calgary running back Jeff Williams opened the scoring on a four-yard run early in the first, one of the fourth-year player’s many carries of the night.
The Dinos put up an impressive 132 yards on the ground, utilizing several players out of the backfield, including quarterback Charles Guedo. Their passing attack was workmanlike, as the Dinos only earned 120 yards, spreading it around to several receivers and backs. The Dinos’ offense also had some trouble holding onto the pigskin, as they fumbled a whopping five times over the course of the night.
However, the story of the game was Calgary’s defense, maintaining the lead by not allowing UBC any points for three quarters of play. Several defensive players were laying out bodies all night, including Agustin "Goose" Barrenechea, Ryan Folk and Damony Simmonds.
Calgary completely stuffed UBC’s running game, allowing only 32 yards on 22 attempts and forcing three UBC fumbles.
Dinos’ defensive back Richard Fowlstone, in his first year with the squad, had an interception, bringing UBC’s decision to start rookie quarterback Blake Smelser into question as veteran QB Rob Kenney was dressed and saw action late in the game.
Smelser played well in his first game, passing for 259 yards, but when playing the first game of the season against the eighth ranked team in the country, starting a rookie quarterback may not be the way to go.
The third quarter saw Dinos quarterback Charles Guedo take a big step past the line of scrimmage for another Calgary score and Guedo’s second rushing touchdown of the season, putting Calgary up 17-0.
The Thunderbirds finally answered in the fourth quarter with a safety and a touchdown followed by a failed two-point conversion attempt. In other words, it was too little, too late for the T-Birds.
The Dinos, now #6 in the country, play host to the #8 University of Manitoba Bisons Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. at McMahon Stadium.