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The University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ quest for the Vanier Cup begins in Edmonton on Saturday evening.
The Huskies finished the regular season with a 5-3 record, and will face the 6-2-0 University of Alberta Golden Bears, who will be hosting their first playoff game since 2005.
The Golden Bears swept the Huskies in the season series.
Huskies head coach Scott Flory said his message heading into Saturday’s game is a simple one.
“We just have to play our brand of football. We’ve got to be physical (and) win the line of scrimmage,” Flory stated. “We’ve got to be better on offence, and we’ve seen that growth, especially in the last week here for sure.”
Huskies quarterback Anton Amundrud echoed the message from his coach.
“It just takes everyone executing their jobs,” he said. “We have the plan in place, and we know going into this game we have all the pieces to get the job done. We just have to execute.
“It’s just all about execution and first down production and just long extended drives – keeping our defence fresh and finishing with points. Points are crucial.”
Saskatchewan knows what’s at stake this time of the year, as the Huskies have been to the last two Vanier Cups but ultimately lost to Laval in 2022 and Western in 2021.
Flory thinks his group’s big-game experience can help them get back to the national championship game.
“We’ve been in these situations. It’s not new for us. That doesn’t mean we can just win a football game, but we’ve got to be prepared and come out flying because we know they’re going to come out too,” Flory explained.
“I have complete trust and confidence in this group that we’re going to show up and play on Saturday and play a football game. I know we’re going to give them everything we got.”
When most people think of Golden Bears football, they don’t typically think about a lot of winning, but that’s what they’ve done this year.
The Golden Bears have been led by running back Matthew Peterson, who is averaging an incredible 141 rushing yards per game.
Flory said he knows the Huskies will have to be at their best if they want to contain Peterson.
“At the end of it, every play is a battle. We want to win the grit or we want to win the war,” Flory said. “There’s going to be times they’re going to make plays (and) we’re going to make plays – that’s part of our football.
“He’s a really good back – he’s going to break a tackle and get a chunk here or there. We’ve got to limit that as much as possible, because he’s a really good football player.”
Amundrud noted the Huskies will have to be at their best as well to crack what is a veteran defensive group.
“They’re a gritty team,” Amundrud said. “They have a really strong run game and their defence is really veteran. They control the line of scrimmage and I think that’s what’s been winning them games this year.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
The winner of that game will face the winner of the UBC-Manitoba semifinal in the Hardy Cup.
The Huskies are the third seed and have a slim chance to host the Hardy Cup with a win against the Golden Bears and if Manitoba upsets UBC.