By Todd Penney
This isn’t 1972, and the weather is much colder than Miami, but the football Dinos are well on their way to a perfect season–well, at least a playoff berth.
On Fri., Sept. 12, the football Dinos were back at home, looking to improve on their 2-0 record and seeking revenge on the Manitoba Bisons whose perfect 8-0 regular season record last year included two wins over the Dinos.
The Bisons were not in perfect form however, star quarterback Shane Munson was out with an injury. Calgary capitalized on this, jumping out to an early lead and hanging on in the fourth quarter to win 17-13.
The first quarter was a see-saw battle until quarterback Charles Guedo threw a 21-yard strike to receiver Ahmed Marshall. Marshall ran untouched to the Manitoba goal line and ploughed over the back of teammate Drew Carpenter for a leaping touchdown.
The Bisons answered early in the second with a field goal from 40 yards out. Later in the quarter, Guedo ran 26 yards to the Manitoba two-yard line but the Dinos failed to capitalize on the ensuing series as the Manitoba defense stuffed three Calgary rushing attempts.
"We are definitely not where we want to be with our rush, but it is improving," said Head Coach Tony Fasano.
Running back Jeff Williams had 10 touches for 30 yards while fellow running back Aneel Brar bullrushed his way to 33 yards on nine carries. Brar was also an animal on special teams, making key tackles against Manitoba’s strong kick and punt return teams.
Speedy Bison returner Mhoudy Halbouni had nearly 250 yards on just 10 returns, raising eyebrows toward Calgary’s coverage teams.
"It’s tough to create a smooth seam on the kick and punt," explained Fasano. "But I’m pleased with the effort our players show and we will continue to get better."
After Matt Nimik’s 42-yard field goal attempt to open second half scoring, Guedo hit slotback Brett Bowron for a 53-yard touchdown to put Calgary up 17-3 late in the third.
The fourth quarter turned ugly as penalty flags flew all over the place. The Manitoba offense earned a few flags for being lippy and Calgary received some questionable calls from the men in stripes. Fasano became increasingly impatient with the referees due to problems communicating calls to the sidelines.
An atrocious pass interference call on Calgary defensive back Damony Simmonds late in the fourth nullifed an excellent defensive play and led to a Manitoba touchdown. Poetic justice was served as one of the officials was later shaken up after getting involved in the play. Bisons receiver Andrew Sharp was also carried off the field on a stretcher with a back injury after Dinos linebacker Agustin Barrenechea laid a monster lick on him. Manitoba could only muster another single however, and the game ended with Calgary on top.
Guedo played another strong game completing 11 of 23 passes for 158 yards. He also took matters into his own hands, rushing for 75 yards on 15 carries.
"One of the most important things for a quarterback to learn is how to make good decisions," explained Fasano. "With more experience each game, Chuck is learning to make good decisions and we are pleased with his progress."
The Calgary defense had yet another great game, shutting down Manitoba’s run and showing improvement at defending passes. Familiar names like Barrenechea, Ryan Folk and Dan Federkeil had excellent games with plenty of tackles. Linebacker Jeff Montgomery also came up big with five tackles, including one huge stop on a Manitoba rushing attempt at the Calgary one-yard line, preventing a Bisons score.
Calgary has the week off from Canada West competition, but will be at Carrol College in Montana to try their hand at some American style football. Fasano will not treat the game any differently and is hoping to make this trip a great learning experience for his players.