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On a night meant to introduce players to Canada West competition, it was a reunion that took centre stage at Griffiths Stadium on Thursday.
University of Saskatchewan Huskies quarterback Anton Amundrud made his long-awaited return to game action in a 35-1 pre-season victory over the Alberta Golden Bears, his first Canada West game since being diagnosed with T-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last fall.
“Today felt like the longest day ever,” Amundrud said. “Not having a game until 7 p.m., waking up early, I was just antsy to get back out there and couldn’t be more happy for the way it went.”
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Amundrud completed nine of his 14 pass attempts Thursday, as he threw for 154 yards in just under a quarter and a half of play against Alberta.
Huskies head coach Scott Flory said it was a day his fifth-year starter had been building towards since he first received the diagnosis last year.
“It’s a Netflix movie. It’s a Hollywood story,” Flory said. “It really is. I’m just so happy and I’m so proud of him. I just love the fact that he’s a part of our team.”
Amundrud’s first pass in his return from cancer treatment went to receiver Daniel Kubongo, who he hit on an eight-yard play from the first play from scrimmage.
It was on his second drive that Amundrud received his first big hit of the season, a sack by Alberta defensive lineman Toby Ajayi. According to the Lloydminster product however, it was moment he had waited over nine months for.
“I just wanted to get hit again, to be honest,” Amundrud said.
“I think it was my second drive, just feeling contact again and knowing I could still do this. We’re good. Just feel a hit and it kind of woke me up and got me back into it.”
Just four months removed from entering remission, Amundrud worked with Huskies trainers and physiotherapists to rise from 170 pounds back to playing weight of 205 in order to be ready for his senior season in Canada West.
Flory said the team is in awe of the progress from their all-star quarterback, and the players are eager to see the kind of performance he puts on with games that matter in the standings.
“He just stayed so positive through it all and just kept working,” Flory said. “His goal is to be back on the field and he got back out on the field. It’s great for him and it’s great for us.”
The Huskies came out roaring in the first half to build up a 17-0 lead on the visiting Golden Bears, who struggled to move the ball against a Saskatchewan defence which only allowed one point against on the night.
Offensively, the Huskies put up 486 yards against Alberta in the exhibition tilt, including 168 yards on the ground.
“We operated clean in all three phases,” Flory said.
“It wasn’t perfect. Missed snaps, penalties, that stuff is going to happen.”
With veteran running backs Kayden Miller and Javin Boynton unavailable to play on Thursday due to minor injuries, second-year back Aulain Penner broke out with 134 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. He said it was about making the most of a rare opportunity to get snaps in the backfield.
“It’s the first time actually getting in the backfield since, like, high school,” Penner said. “It’s my second year. Some guys were down and I had to step up.”
Penner helped kick start Saskatchewan’s first scoring drive of the night with an 11-yard catch and run late in the first quarter, setting up a 33-yard pass by Amundrud to Tyrus Flory to get the Huskies down to the five-yard line.
On the next play, Penner punched in the ball to cap off the first quarter with a 7-0 Huskies lead.
Saskatchewan rolled in the second quarter of its first series, with Amundrud completing four straight passes to Keaton Belsher and Rhett Vavra, before an Alberta penalty eventually put the Huskies on the doorstep at the goal line.
Huskies pivot Elias Flory converted a quarterback sneak to put the home side up 14-0 with 9:47 left in the second quarter.
In the final minute of the first half, the Huskies defence got three key stops at the two-yard line by Kai Kukurudza and Mark Schroeder to force a turnover on downs.
Saskatchewan made good on its final possession of the half, with kicker Lukas Scott booting a 48-yard field goal through the uprights for a 17-0 lead at halftime.
Leading 17-1 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, the Huskies got a big 75-yard return by Kyle Conteh off a missed Alberta field goal to set the team up in scoring position.
Elias Flory was quick to throw a 44-yard strike to a wide-open Ethan Clazie, who did the rest to extend the Huskies’ lead to 24-1.
Saskatchewan added four more points off Golden Bears safeties, as well as a tip-drill pass from Elias Flory to Max Pratt in the end zone with 9:13 left in the game to seal the pre-season victory.
Defensively, Nathan Casimir and Sam Pratt both registered interceptions for the Huskies in the win.
Amundrud said there weren’t too many emotional moments for him on Thursday, treating the game day routine and just like any other game in his four previous seasons with the team. Except, that is, for an early first quarter ovation from the crowd at Griffiths Stadium, which welcomed the pivot back onto the field after his resilient comeback.
“I was trying to focus on the huddle and the play, but I did hear it,” Amundrud said.
“It warmed my heart. It felt amazing having the support in Saskatoon. It’s the best fans, the best community and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
University of Saskatchewan Huskies running back Aulain Penner posted 134 all-purpose yards in his team’s 35-1 pre-season victory on Aug. 27, 2026 over the Alberta Golden Bears. (Electric Umbrella/Huskie Athletics)
New look for 2026 Huskies
Penner’s multi-faceted performance against Alberta was an important showcase ahead of the 2026 season for the Huskies, who look a lot different than last year’s team, which finished one win shy of capturing the Vanier Cup.
Gone are longtime stars like Ryker Frank at running back, national defensive player of the year Seth Hundeby at linebacker, record-setting wide receiver and Saskatchewan Roughriders rookie Daniel Wiebe, veteran defensive back John Stoll and defensive lineman Charlie Parks, who is now in the CFL with the Ottawa Redblacks.
“Last year, we had a lot of older guys. Roles were kind of filled,” Penner said.
“This year, if you want to be that guy, this fall camp you’ve got to make plays. You got opportunities. Coaches are going to give it to you. Might get a few, but you got to make the most of every opportunity you get.”
A Saskatoon product himself, who grew up just down the street from Griffiths Stadium, Penner said his goal is to take pieces of the Huskies running backs before him and take advantage of the chances that come his way.
“I’m definitely trying to show myself as an explosive, receiving back,” Penner said.
“I’m a little smaller than Ryker Frank, so pass blocking is a bit of a struggle, but I’m getting better at it. I’m really trying to sell myself as a running back like (Adam) Machart.”
Flory said it’s up to his group of second- and third-year players to execute when called upon, like the all-stars they’ve been slotted in behind on the depth chart.
“We trust the guys that are in there. That’s why they’re here,” Flory said.
“If we didn’t trust them, they wouldn’t be here. They got to step up, they got to be able to make plays. Team game though; you don’t win with one football player.”
With the Canada West regular season just over a week away, Penner said he feels the Huskies are ready to make a push and build upon what they showed on Thursday night against the visiting Golden Bears.
“That was just a sneak peek of what we got this season,” Penner said. “We got a lot of guys with a lot of talent everywhere on the field ready to give it their all.”
The Huskies will open their 2026 Canada West season on Sept. 5 with a road game against the Manitoba Bisons, before they return to Griffiths Stadium for their annual homecoming game against the Calgary Dinos on Sept. 11.
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