With three touchdowns in the first 11 minutes of the game, University of Saskatchewan running back Ben Coakwell led the Huskies to a 64-3 win over the visiting University of Manitoba Bisons in Saskatoon’s Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park.
Coakwell’s touchdowns came at 5:08 into the game from five-yards out, on a 15-yard pass at 7:49 and then again on a five-yard run at 10:59.
The win is the largest over the Manitoba Bisons in history. The Huskies had beat the Bisons’ 43-0 in 1975.
Although Manitoba was able to stop the Huskies on the opening drive of the football game, as soon as the Huskies were able to get the ball back on their second possession they took control of the game and never looked back. After forcing Manitoba on a two-and-out on their first possession, Huskie starting quarterback and reigning CIS football offensive player of the week Laurence Nixon found Jade Etienne on a 16-yard play to set up Coakwell’s first five-yard touchdown.
Once again stopping the Bisons on a two-and-out, Nixon found wide receiver Rory Kohlert on a 23-yard play to set up the Coakwell 15 yard touchdown. On the next drive, Coakwell scored his third touchdown on a six play, 67-yard drive to the end zone.
Manitoba’s best drive in the first half pushed them 32 yards to the Huskies 43 yard line before Bison quarterback Khaleal Williams threw an interception to Nico Higgs.
Huskie place kicker Stephen McDonald chipped in on the scoring hitting five field goals in the game from 12-, 25-, 37-, 32- and 38-yards. Denton Kolodzinski also added a 14-yard field goal for the Huskies.
After a McDonald rouge and two field goals, Nixon found receiver Braeden George on a 12-yard pass at 12:52 in the second quarter to make the game 37-0. On the very next Saskatchewan drive, rookie Jeremy Andrew scored his first CIS touchdown on a seven-yard Nixon pass at 14:53. The drive took nine plays and 85-yards.
In the third quarter, Saskatchewan added a McDonald field goal, a Kolodzinski rouge and an Owen Geier four-yard touchdown. The pass came from rookie quarterback Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren after he led the Huskies on a four play, 47-yard drive with just eight seconds remaining in the frame.
Manitoba was finally able to get on the board in the fourth quarter when Nick Naylor hit a 22-yard field goal at 6:01 to make the game 61-3. Bison running back Matt Henry did the bulk of the work to get Manitoba to the 15-yard line running for 19 yards in the drive. Kolodzinski added his field goal to make the final 64-3.
Nixon finished the game 22-for-30 for 314 yards throwing three touchdowns. Backup quarterback Trent Peterson also played in the game completing 8-of-15 passes for 98 yards. Etienne was once again the top receiver for the Huskies racking up 105 yards on five catches. Kohlert followed with 68 yards on five snares. Coakwell finished with 80 rushing yards on 12 carries and 26 receiving yards on two catches with his three touchdowns.
For the Bisons’ Williams finished completing 10-of-15 passes throwing for 93 yards and one interception. Backup Kevin Hayes finished 3-for-8 with 61 yards. Xavier Johnson caught five passes for 71 yards for the Bisons, while Stu Schollaardt had 58 yards on four catches. Henry finished the game with 57 yards on 17 carries.
Bison John Tietzmann had a game-high 9.5 tackles. Adam Hindley added six and Justin Clayton 5.5 for Manitoba. Higgs finished with six tackles and one interception for the Huskies. Peter Thiel followed with five for Saskatchewan.
Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan enter the Canada West league bye week. The Huskies return to play at home on October 15 against the University of Calgary Dinos, while Manitoba returns home to host the University of Regina Rams. Both games are rematches of Week 1 conference action.
Game Notes: It was the first time the Bisons had played in Griffiths Stadium since 2006… The most points the Huskies have ever scored in a game was in a 1994 70-17 victory over the UBC Thunderbirds…
