Huskies cap off season with win over Golden Bears at home

Daniel Herrick, University of Saskatchewan

SASKATOON – The No. 9 ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies capped off the 2016 regular season with a 48-9 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears Friday night at Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park.

The Huskies finish the Canada West schedule with a 5-3, having won their last three games of the season. The three game win streak is the longest for the green and white since 2012.

Saskatchewan will face the Calgary Dinos in the Hardy Cup semifinal next Saturday, but will have to wait until Saturday to find out whether the game will be played in Calgary or Saskatoon. The Dinos visit the UBC Thunderbirds to close their campaign. A Calgary loss would mean that Canada West post-season football would return to Saskatoon.

The Huskies dominated from the get go on Friday night. Chad Braun sparked the Huskies with a 58-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter. Sean Stenger added his first of five field goals on the night to put the Huskies up 10.

The defence made its presence felt in the second quarter. Brooks Falloon scooped up a fumble on the first of back-to-back turnovers created by the defence. The Huskies stopped Alberta short on third down on its next possession. The offence went back to work with a touchdown plunge by Kolton Klassen and a pair of Stenger field goals to take a 23-0 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Saskatchewan went back to work with an opening drive field goal in the third followed by a 14-yard Tyler Chow scamper to lead by 33.

The Golden Bears would get on the board in the third when a low snap on a Huskies punt forced the hosts to concede a safety.

Alberta would find the endzone for the first time in the game with less than three minutes to go in the third quarter. Ben Kopcyznski scrambled a number of times to keep the Golden Bear drive alive, capping it off with a five-yard run.

The Huskies continued to pour it on in the fourth with two more Stenger field goals and another Klassen touchdown run.

Stenger was one make shy of a Huskie and Canada West record for field goals in a game, finishing the night with six. His six-for-six performance helped him finish the year 22-for-26. It was the second this season he has hit six in a game. The 22 made field goals sets a new program record, breaking Grant Shaw's record of 19 set in 2009.

Kyle Siemens finished the night 13-of-25 for 188 yards passing. Fifth-year Drew Burko came into the game in the second half completing 10-of-14 passes for 90 yards.

Tyler Chow ran for 79 yards in the game, with Klassen rushing for another 78.

Ben Kopczynski completed 17-of-36 passes for 170 yards. The Golden Bears pivot also led the team in rushing with 72 yards on 10 carries.

The Huskies will wait to find out their post-season schedule once the final Canada West games of the season are completed. Alberta was eliminated from the playoffs in Week 7.