The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team capped off Welcome Week with a bang.
In front of a record-setting crowd of 10,054 – the largest crowd ever at a Huskies football game – the Huskies beat their provincial rivals, the Regina Rams, 40-6.
Before the festivities started, the Huskies honoured the 1998 Huskies team that won the Vanier Cup.
Huskies receiver Rhett Vavra recorded three touchdowns in the lopsided win.
Despite the dominant win, Huskies head coach Scott Flory said the team’s performance in the second half left more to be desired.
“It just wasn’t as clean. I know Regina was going for third down and they converted three or four of them. We took more penalties as well. Those are things that bother me,” said Flory.
Flory isn’t the only one that felt like the Huskies’ second half wasn’t up to their standard. Quarterback Anton Amundrud felt the same way.
“Something I didn’t like was that I felt like we left a few points on the board there at the end,” said Amundrud.
The Huskies credited the crowd for helping bring the energy from kickoff to the very end of the game.
“Having them at our back it just gives us that much more confidence and that much more momentum,” said Amundrud. “When the crowds roaring and there into it, it’s like having an extra player out there.”
The Huskies’ defence seemed to always have the answer to the Rams’ offensive pushes.
“The linebackers and D-line dominated the line of scrimmage, but tonight was just team defence and that’s what it’s about,” said Flory.
The Huskies will welcome the University of Alberta Golden Bears next on Sept. 15, and Flory hopes to see a complete-game performance from his squad.