Photo courtesy of: Huskie Athletics
Written by Naol Denko
Prior to last Friday, when was the last time Alberta beat Saskatchewan on their home turf, at Griffiths Stadium?
Answer: November 6, 2010.
4,696 days.
Or, 12 years, 10 months, nine days.
Or 154 months.
Whichever way you see it. The Golden Bears’ 26-22 win over the Huskies was a major accomplishment for head coach Chris Morris, his staff, and players as they snapped a 10-game losing streak against the reigning Hardy Cup Champions. Now, Alberta is 3-0 and sits atop the Canada West standings - along with UBC - for the first since 2005.
Question: What makes this Alberta team so special?
It starts with their defence. Ranked among the nation’s top five. Alberta’s defence is fourth in stopping the pass (only allowing 160.0 YPG), and third in stopping the run (only allowing 85.7 YPG). Overall, this defence only allows an average of 247.7 yards per game (2nd fewest in U SPORTS).
Two players who’ve stood out early on Alberta’s defence are safety Jonathan Giustini and linebacker Reiss Flunder.
Giustini - also the team’s starting kicker, and punter, absolutely wild - currently leads Alberta’s secondary in interceptions (2), while also recording two fumble recoveries.
Flunder, on the other hand, is checking all stat boxes this season, already recording a sack, forced fumble, and pass breakup in addition to 10 tackles through three games.
On the opposing side of the ball, the Golden Bears’ offence is nothing to take lightly. Heading into week four of the Canada West season, Alberta’s offence is currently producing an average of 541.7 total yards of offence per game (2nd in U SPORTS).
Led by Eli Hetlinger - who’s already thrown for 894 passing yards, and is completing 66.3% of his passes - this passing attack has begun to turn heads. Carter Kettyle has developed a reputation of being a receiver who can turn nothing into something after the catch, while Kolby Hurford and Chevy Thomas have stood out as big-play receivers who can catch passes through contact.
Accompanied by running back Matthew Peterson, who is currently the Nation’s second-leading rusher (433 Rush YDS), and a solid offensive line, it’s easy to see how complete the Golden Bears are both on paper and on the field.
So, what does the win over Saskatchewan mean for Alberta?
Well, Alberta now knows they can compete with Saskatchewan. But, that’s no excuse to get comfortable.
The win wasn’t perfect.
Mistakes were made.
Eli Hetlinger did throw two interceptions - including a pick-six to Finn Marcotte-Crib.
To be honest, if it weren’t for the heroics of Alberta’s secondary in the closing minutes, you could be sitting here reading about how the Golden Bears blew a 20-0 lead.
With the five games remaining, including two against undefeated UBC and another meeting with Saskatchewan, the journey to a Hardy Cup will only get harder for Alberta from here on out.
With that being said, what matters is that they are legitimate contenders.
Enough about Alberta. What about Saskatchewan?
Yes, they lost. But, the Saskatchewan Huskies are not to be taken lightly.
Quarterback Anton Amundrud has shown he can fill Mason Nyhus’ shoes. Having already thrown for nine touchdowns, while averaging 323.3 passing yards per game, Amundrud has put any quarterback concerns Huskie fans may have had to rest.
With returning key players in Daniel Perry, Rhett Vavra, Caleb Morin, Nick Wiebe, John Stoll, the aforementioned Finn Marcotte-Cribb, and so many more, don’t be surprised to see this Huskies team remain in Hardy Cup contention in 2023.
With a matchup against the Calgary Dinos approaching, expect the Huskies to recapture their rhythm before stepping into a 2022 Hardy Cup rematch with the UBC Thunderbirds.
What implications does Alberta’s win have on the Canada West conference?
It’s too early to tell.
What we do know, however, is that it’s safe to say the Golden Bears have taken Manitoba’s place in the “1A, 1B, 1C” conversation in the Canada West conference alongside Saskatchewan and UBC.
But, if Manitoba can find a way to turn their season around - and hope for a Jackson Tachinksi return - things may get a bit interesting come playoff season.
