By Todd Penney
The Battle of Alberta, a claim to our fair province’s throne and until-we-meet-again bragging rights were on the line once again Fri., Aug. 29. The University of Alberta Golden Bears football squad rolled into town to clash with our University of Calgary Dinos at McMahon Stadium, but they came up just short.
The game was a nail-biter as the Dinos managed to pull out a last minute scoring drive, then barely hold onto it to defeat the Bears 31-30.
The Dinos have a lot of new faces on the turf this year as a result of a flurry of off-season activity involving both players and personnel.
Star quarterback and Russ Jackson Award winner Lincoln Blumell finished his tenure at the U of C and is off to merry old England to pursue a PhD in religious studies at Oxford. Taking his place is third-year pivot Charles Guedo who saw limited action last year, most notably against the powerhouse Manitoba Bisons.
Receivers Jamie Elliott and Blake Machan, who both had outstanding seasons last year, have moved on as well. Machan is still in town though, he is on the roster for the struggling Calgary Stampeders.
Defensive Coordinator Dave Johnson also left town, accepting a coaching position in Arizona. Former Dinos Head Coach Peter Connellan came out of retirement to serve as the Dinos new Offensive Coordinator. Connellan has an extremely impressive resume leading the Dinos to four Vanier Cup championships before current head coach Tony Fasano took over in 1996.
The Dinos looked shaky early in this one, perhaps due to the changes, and fell behind 13-0 after the first quarter. Quarterback Charles Guedo needed some time to get rid of the off-season rust as he threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball in the opening frame. Turnovers alone led to 10 U of A points in the opening frame.
Calgary struck back with a 41-yard score when Guedo hooked up with receiver Ahmed Marshall early in the second quarter, however the Golden Bears answered right back when QB Darryl Salmon threw a 67-yard strike to Dustin Ralph 41 seconds later. The Golden Bears added a field goal to end the half and walked away with a commanding 23-7 lead.
At the start of the second half, Guedo took the turf wearing number 12 instead of the number 14 jersey he was sporting to open the game, determined to stop what looked like a cursed contest for him. It seemed to work as Calgary put together some impressive scoring drives, resulting in a touchdown from receiver Drew Carpenter and a pair of field goals and a single from kicker Matt Nimik.
The defense also came alive in the third quarter, stuffing any march from the Bears.
Suddenly, it was a football game as Calgary only trailed 23-21 at the end of the third.
However, Calgary was caught deep in their own zone to open the fourth and saw a solid, 40-yard third down punt from Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week Stephen Hughes returned for a touchdown by Alberta’s Kendall Jeske. Special teams were a weakness for the Dinos most of the night, as Bears returners Kendall Jeske and Mike Potter racked up a total of 167 yards on eight carries.
In the dying seconds, Calgary put together an unbelievable drive, culminating in a two-yard rushing score from Guedo. Alberta tried to retaliate with a last minute 42-yard field goal attempt from kicker Mark Wojcichowsky, but it missed by only a few feet. Dinos kick returner Stephen Hughes mishandled the errant kick in the end zone, adding more drama to the finale as the crowd gasped in excitement. Hughes managed to get the ball out of the danger zone, preventing overtime and making sure Calgary squeaked through with the victory.
The Dinos style of second half, come-from-behind football was all too familiar as they continue the trend from the 2002 season. Guedo has the potential to become a strong quarterback, showing some brilliant flashes during the game, but a little more experience reading the defense will put him in good standing.
The Dinos running game was flat though, and no receiver appeared to clearly stand out–a major difference from the 2002 campaign. Several receivers and backs made good catches but no one was a go-to guy for Guedo to rely on.
The defense looked great in the second half not allowing a score on any of the Alberta series’. Linebacker Ryan Folk had a strong game with 10 tackles while Agustin Barrenchea and Ryan Saurette also put forth notable performances. This stifling effort came after a very weak first half, however, as the Dinos had trouble stopping the rush from Alberta back Jarred Winkel and the Bears impressive kick returns.