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A 22-yard field-goal try that hit the right upright as time expired preserved a 14-13 victory for the University of Calgary Dinos football team over the University of Regina Rams on Saturday at McMahon Stadium.
The win improves the Dinos’ Canada West record to 2-3. Regina also sits at 2-3.
Calgary head coach Ryan Sheahan said the team showed resiliency as several athletes played out of position due to injuries, and he called the result a reward for a good week of work.
“The winning at home is big; it kind of gives us new life,” Sheahan said.
Linebacker Osasere Odemwingie said the defence answered after a difficult stretch.
“We’ve been through a lot the last few weeks, but I think we bounced back greatly,” Odemwingie said. “If we had a bad day, we have to have a short-term memory as we’re trying to finish the season hard.”
“It was a real team win,” he added. “The guys out front, the DBs, the back end, they play spectacular, and that’s what it’s all about, just working as a team and winning the game.”
Regina kicker Ty Gorniak had the Rams out front early, hitting field goals from 32 and 39 yards in the first quarter and a 17-yarder in the second for a 9-0 lead.
Calgary answered with a 49-yard field goal from Boaz Comeau and a single, then Gavin Weiss punched in a four-yard touchdown run with 1:10 left in the half, and Comeau’s convert gave the Dinos an 11-9 lead at halftime.
The Dinos’ defence took over in the third quarter. Calgary intercepted three passes in the game, including one by linebacker Cole MacInnis that set up an eight-play, 78-yard drive capped by Comeau’s 15-yard field goal for a 14-9 lead.
Regina pulled within a point in the fourth on a 34-yard Gorniak field goal and a punt single.
Calgary was driving near midfield when a turnover gave the Rams one last chance. Regina moved to the Calgary 15-yard line and called a timeout with one second left, but Gorniak’s 22-yard attempt clanged off the upright.
Dinos quarterback David Jordan completed 17-of-28 passes for 215 yards, with Matt Sibley catching five for 83 yards, including a 40-yarder. Matthieu Clarke led the ground game with 88 yards on 18 carries, while Everett Schmuland led the Dinos’ defence with 13 tackles.
“I thought it was a tremendous bounce-back performance by our defence,” Sheahan said. “The fact that they went out there and held our opponent to 13 points, got multiple turnovers in the game, it was tremendous.”
Sheahan said beating an experienced Regina group keeps the Dinos on course, though it raises the stakes the rest of the way.
“It also makes the next three contests (to finish the regular season) crucial,” he said after Calgary moved into the fourth and final playoff spot.
The Dinos will return to action after their bye week when they travel to face the UBC Thunderbirds on Oct. 16 (7 p.m. MT, Canada West TV presented by BioSteel)