FB: Philpots shine in return to the gridiron
September 25, 2021
CALGARY - The University of Calgary Dinos football team made their triumphant return to the field with a 34-20 win over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Saturday night at McMahon Stadium.
It was the first weekend of Canada West football action in nearly two years, and there was no shortage of offensive highlights. Especially if your last name is Philpot.
The Dinos' dynamic receiving duo of Jalen and Tyson Philpot terrorized the Huskies' defence all game, combining for 401 yards and three touchdowns.
They were so dominant, they earned themselves quite the comparison from their head coach after the game.
"I could see from Day 1 when they stepped into camp they were just operating on a different level," said Dinos head coach Wayne Harris. "It reminded me of Don Blair back in 1995 when he was playing at a different level than most everybody else."
Jalen, who had 246 yards and two touchdowns himself, was understandably pleased with his team's performance but knows there is still room to improve.
"It was awesome to be back," Jalen said. "I think that we haven't even been close to our ceiling and we got lots left to do and lots left to prove that's for sure."
It may not show in the final offensive numbers for the teams, but there was a bit of rust to begin the game. Saskatchewan scored the only points of the first quarter with a 14-yard David Solie field goal.
Things would begin to pick up in the second, sparked by a Josiah Joseph 13-yard pass to Jalen Philpot in a sign of things to come.
The Huskies countered with a Colton Klassen touchdown of their own, before the dynamic duo of Jalen and Joseph connected once again for a 24-yard touchdown just before the half, and the Dinos took a 14-11 lead into the break.
Leading 20-12 in the fourth, Calgary's Javier Williams would pound one in from three yards out to extend the Dinos' lead to 27-12.
Saskatchewan made it a one-score game with 1:21 remaining, after another Colton Klassen touchdown from quarterback Mason Nyhus.
However, it wouldn't take long for Calgary to answer back, and this time it was Tyson's turn. He took a pass from Joseph for a 53-yard score with just 36 seconds remaining, giving the Dinos a 34-20 lead.
That would be all the defending Vanier Cup champions needed, hanging on for the 34-20 victory.
In his first game as the day-one starter, Joseph was flawless. He threw for 451 yards and three touchdowns, completing 29 of 34 passes.
Klassen was a standout for the Huskies, catching seven passes for 107 yards to go along with the two touchdowns.
Defensively, the Dinos were led by Daniel Flanagan who had six-and-a-half tackles, and Gideon Agyei who had four pass breakups.
The Dinos will take on Regina (0-1) next week in a Saturday afternoon clash at Mosaic Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. on CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op and Telus Optik.
It was the first weekend of Canada West football action in nearly two years, and there was no shortage of offensive highlights. Especially if your last name is Philpot.
The Dinos' dynamic receiving duo of Jalen and Tyson Philpot terrorized the Huskies' defence all game, combining for 401 yards and three touchdowns.
They were so dominant, they earned themselves quite the comparison from their head coach after the game.
"I could see from Day 1 when they stepped into camp they were just operating on a different level," said Dinos head coach Wayne Harris. "It reminded me of Don Blair back in 1995 when he was playing at a different level than most everybody else."
Jalen, who had 246 yards and two touchdowns himself, was understandably pleased with his team's performance but knows there is still room to improve.
"It was awesome to be back," Jalen said. "I think that we haven't even been close to our ceiling and we got lots left to do and lots left to prove that's for sure."
It may not show in the final offensive numbers for the teams, but there was a bit of rust to begin the game. Saskatchewan scored the only points of the first quarter with a 14-yard David Solie field goal.
Things would begin to pick up in the second, sparked by a Josiah Joseph 13-yard pass to Jalen Philpot in a sign of things to come.
The Huskies countered with a Colton Klassen touchdown of their own, before the dynamic duo of Jalen and Joseph connected once again for a 24-yard touchdown just before the half, and the Dinos took a 14-11 lead into the break.
Leading 20-12 in the fourth, Calgary's Javier Williams would pound one in from three yards out to extend the Dinos' lead to 27-12.
Saskatchewan made it a one-score game with 1:21 remaining, after another Colton Klassen touchdown from quarterback Mason Nyhus.
However, it wouldn't take long for Calgary to answer back, and this time it was Tyson's turn. He took a pass from Joseph for a 53-yard score with just 36 seconds remaining, giving the Dinos a 34-20 lead.
That would be all the defending Vanier Cup champions needed, hanging on for the 34-20 victory.
In his first game as the day-one starter, Joseph was flawless. He threw for 451 yards and three touchdowns, completing 29 of 34 passes.
Klassen was a standout for the Huskies, catching seven passes for 107 yards to go along with the two touchdowns.
Defensively, the Dinos were led by Daniel Flanagan who had six-and-a-half tackles, and Gideon Agyei who had four pass breakups.
The Dinos will take on Regina (0-1) next week in a Saturday afternoon clash at Mosaic Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. on CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op and Telus Optik.