There will be at least one more football game at Griffiths Stadium in 2019!
David Solie missed his first field goal attempt…and had it returned for a touchdown…but he made it up for it with four field goals after that as the U of S Huskies downed the visiting Alberta Golden Bears 22-9 on the final day of the Canada West University Conference regular-season Saturday. The result gave the defending Conference champions a 5-3 record and a second place finish. It also means the same two teams will meet next Saturday at Griffiths Stadium…this time in a semi-final contest as Alberta finished third with a 4-4 mark. Calgary, who finished first at 6-2 after walloping visiting U-B-C 36-17 in Saturday’s other game, will welcome Manitoba in the other semi next Saturday. The Bisons finished fourth at 4-4.
Wesley Bookland gave the Golden Bears the lead in the first quarter when he returned Solie’s blocked field goal attempt 120 yards for a touchdown. However, Solie recovered for successful boots from 17, 38. 12 and 31 yards, respectively. Add in a one-yard Mason Nyhus touchdown pass to Sam Baker in the third quarter that put the Dogs up by two scores and that warmed the crowd of 1,105 who braved the -2 Celsius temperatures, made colder yet by the 35-kilometre-per-hour north wind. Following is the game recap from Huskie Athletics…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2019
Machart sets program record, Huskies clinch homefield advantage
Huskie Athletics
SASKATOON – It was a record-breaking day for Adam Machart and an important one for the Saskatchewan Huskies as they took down the Alberta Golden Bears by a score of 22-9 on a cold day in Saskatoon. Coming into the game with 1104 rushing yards on the season, Machart needed 163 yards to break the Huskies’ program record of 1267 set by Doug Rozon in 1999. The product of Saskatoon achieved that and then some, rumbling for 227 yards on 29 carries to etch his name into the Huskie record books. “I’m so happy and proud of Adam, he’s just such an awesome young man, you want success for guys like him,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “I got the chance to play for a few guys on that list, including Doug and there are some great running backs that have been through the program and for him to do what he has done is remarkable.” With the win the Huskies clinch second place in the conference and the right to host a playoff game for the first time since 2014. If results around the league hold out, facing them in that playoff game will be these very same Golden Bears who finish the season at 4-4 and are back in the playoffs after missing out in 2018. Buoyed by Machart’s big day the Huskies outgained the Golden Bears 453-134. Mason Nyhus went for 226 yards through the air and the familiar Sam Baker was his favourite target, catching six balls for 68 yards and a touchdown. Alberta quarterback Brad Launhardt threw for 115 yards but the most explosive Golden B ear was Wesley Bookland who returned a missed field goal 120 yards for a touchdown. After the teams exchanged punts early, Alberta got on the board thanks to their special teams. A field goal from Saskatchewan sailed wide, Bookland gathered it deep in his endzone and exploded past the Huskie tacklers for the major. From there on out the Huskies’ defence was dominant in the game, not allowing Alberta to go on any extended drives, that paired with three field goals from David Solie sent the teams into the halftime break with the Huskies up 9-8. The story was more of the same in the third quarter, with a stifling Huskie defence keeping Alberta penned into their own end. The breakthrough came for the Huskies just five minutes into the third quarter. After Alberta’s defence stood strong on the goal line for multiple rushing attempts, Nyhus floated a ball into the endzone that Sam Baker caught for the major. Alberta’s offence was by far their most productive in the fourth quarter, but a dominant Huskie ground game was able to keep the ball out of Alberta’s hands running out the clock to the tune of 38 minutes of possession to Alberta’s 21 en route to the 22-9 victory.
