Coming off an upset win over Manitoba in their home opener, UBC football hoped to steal another victory as an underdog on Friday, September 5 against the seventh-ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Instead, to the delight of a packed crowd at Saskatchewan’s homecoming game, the ‘Birds were crushed 51–14 in their first away game of the season.
More than any other team in Canada West, Saskatchewan seems to loom large for the T-Birds. Out of the past four seasons, three have ended in a postseason loss to the Huskies.
Last year was especially heartbreaking, with the Huskies stealing the lead in the last minute of the Canada West semifinal, besting UBC 38–33. The loss brought an abrupt end to the careers of several key Thunderbirds, including star running back Isaiah Knight, wideout Sam Davenport and quarterback Garrett Rooker, who had helmed UBC’s offence since 2021.
This ‘Birds’ squad featured a few obvious differences from the last time these two teams met in 2024, with new coordinators on both sides of the ball and first-time starter Drew Viotto at QB after transferring in the offseason. Despite those changes, following their win against Manitoba, UBC entered last Friday’s rematch ranked eighth in the country. The Huskies, ranked seventh in the nation and first in the conference, also featured recent additions. Notably, new Saskatchewan offensive coordinator Mason Nyhus served as UBC’s quarterbacks coach since 2023 — the year UBC advanced to the Vanier Cup with Rooker achieving Canada West all-star status.
Despite being close in the rankings, Saskatchewan emphatically proved to be ahead of UBC by a wide margin — far wider than last year.
With around 10,000 in waiting in anticipation, last Friday’s game began with a long kickoff return by the Huskies, putting Saskatchewan’s first offensive snap close to UBC territory. Despite the unfortunate start — and eventual outcome — the ‘Birds didn’t look too outmatched initially, at least on defence.
UBC held Saskatchewan to two field goals in the first quarter, stopping the Huskies inside the red zone in their opening drive. For both field goals, Saskatchewan was helped by advantageous field position, only needing a single chunk play to put themselves in range for the kick.
While the defence kept it close, UBC’s offence failed to strike back. With little time in the pocket, Viotto struggled to connect with his receivers, resulting in three consecutive two-and-outs for the ‘Birds. A lack of experience may have hindered Viotto’s play. The quarterback — who spent the past couple of years transferring between schools in the NCAA — had not started an away game at the collegiate or university level.
Saskatchewan’s ground game began to gain momentum toward the end of the first, fuelling a ten-play drive to the UBC five-yard-line. Although the ‘Birds prevented a score with a stop on third down, a Huskies touchdown seemed inevitable. They finally struck in the second quarter with a 69-yard touchdown pass, then continued to build their lead with two more field goals before the end of the half.
As the half progressed, Viotto seemed to find his footing, showing flashes of his arm strength. In Viotto’s best sequence of the night, the quarterback connected with Trey Montour for a 42-yard gain, then, on the next play, he delivered a 33-yard touchdown pass to Mark Webb, putting UBC on the board midway through the second quarter. However, with the offensive line struggling to fend off Saskatchewan’s aggressive defence, UBC’s offence could not find a consistent rhythm.
Under pressure, Viotto’s decision-making suffered. In the penultimate minute of the first half, the ‘Birds got the ball back on their own 35, hoping to narrow the Huskies’ lead to one score. Instead, Viotto threw into triple coverage while escaping a collapsing pocket, leading to an interception in UBC territory.
Trailing 19–7 to start the second half, the ‘Birds continued to give ground in the trenches and on special teams, resulting in a voluntary safety to end the team’s first drive of the half, and a sack to kill their next drive. The Huskies scored another touchdown midway through the third quarter, propelled by a contentious pass-interference call and a subsequent penalty on UBC head coach Blake Nill, who was vocal about his dissent.
The game began to spiral out of reach for the Thunderbirds after they failed to convert a third down on the following drive. The Huskies then leaned on their run game, bleeding out the last 5 minutes of the quarter before extending their lead to 35–7.
Fifth-year quarterback Derek Engel came in to replace Viotto for the fourth quarter, but despite the change at signal-caller, UBC’s woes continued. The offence struggled to advance, with Engel taking a sack on his first drive, forcing UBC to take another voluntary safety. Meanwhile, the Huskies resumed their slow and steady march to the end zone, running down the clock on back-to-back touchdown drives.
With five minutes remaining, the ‘Birds finally conjured a scoring drive, with Engel completing all five of his passes to set up a one-yard touchdown run. The garbage-time touchdown meant little given Saskatchewan’s lead. When the clock hit zero, the T-Birds’ final margin of defeat was 37 points — their largest since 2021 — losing 51–14.
The result may look bad, but it isn’t entirely unexpected. UBC has now lost their last six games on the road in Saskatchewan — having not won in Saskatoon since 2017 — and after last Friday’s performance, the Huskies look like the best team in the conference.
UBC’s opening schedule of three top-ten teams in the country hasn’t been ideal for a team facing a significant shake-up, including a new quarterback who hasn’t started in over two years. Unfortunately for the ‘Birds, the schedule doesn’t get easier, with their next game being back home in Thunderbird Stadium to take on the reigning conference champions, the University of Regina Rams.
