The third contest of the season is rarely a must-win game. Yet, for an 0–2 Thunderbirds football team, Saturday’s match against the undefeated University of Regina Rams was crucial to picking up any sort of positive momentum in a competitive Canada West. While it wasn’t pretty, UBC’s defence came through in the fourth quarter, forcing two fumbles to scrape by with a 14–12 win.
Prior concern with the team revolved around UBC’s offence, particularly after their five-turnover performance against Manitoba. But, on the opening drive, they looked poised to change that narrative.
With a 25-yard Shemar McBean catch-and-run and a 38-yard Isaiah Knight rush in the first two offensive snaps, UBC capped off an excellent starting drive with a touchdown.
But UBC’s lead didn’t last long. On the ensuing Rams drive, UBC struggled to get a stop, allowing Regina to convert on three third downs — the last of which resulted in a touchdown by quarterback Noah Pelletier. Tacking on two Regina rouges put the Rams up 9–7.
But after a high-scoring start, both UBC and Regina couldn’t continue that momentum. Both teams failed to convert 42-yard field goal attempts, with Regina’s kick being blocked and UBC’s kick going wide left.
UBC got the ball after Rams punter Isaac Wegner fumbled the snap, picked it back up and almost ran for a first down, before fumbling again into the hands of a T-Birds defender. However, UBC couldn’t capitalize, turning the ball over on downs.
Regina eventually snapped the scoreless streak in the third quarter, going up 12–7 with a 20-yard field goal. Yet, it was UBC who looked to break the game open. In their most promising drive since the first quarter, UBC advanced to the Regina 21-yard line before quarterback Garrett Rooker threw a back-breaking interception in the endzone.
Thankfully for the ‘Birds, Rooker shrugged off the interception easily. On the next drive, Rooker passed for 61 yards in 3 plays to set up a 7-yard Dane Kapler touchdown run. A UBC rouge on the ensuing kickoff compensated for a missed two-point conversion attempt, putting the T-Birds up 14–12.
After another missed UBC field goal, the Rams gained possession with over six minutes left in the game. Driving all the way to the UBC 36-yard line, Regina looked close to completing a comeback. Instead, UBC forced an opportune fumble, recovered by linebacker Jaxon Ciraolo-Brown. When Regina got the ball back, they fumbled again two plays into the drive, sealing a ‘Birds victory.
While this team is still plagued with issues, particularly offensively, defeating one of the conference’s top teams is an effective way to get back on track.
The ‘Birds look to continue their momentum on Friday, with the Homecoming game at Thunderbird Stadium against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies at 6 p.m.
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