FEATURED POLL
See Results Bison Football lose 17-12 at Regina on Oct. 24
Team does not qualify for post-season with 3-5 record
October 24th, 2008 11:00pm
The Bison Football team will not defend their Vanier Cup championship in the post-season as they were defeated 17-12 against the Regina Rams on Friday, October 24 at Taylor Field in Regina.
Manitoba had a chance to march towards a final touchdown but were stopped on a third and one play when starting quarterback John Makie could not connect with SB Simon Blaszczak for the necessary yardage.
The Bisons finish 3-5 during the 2008 campaign and fifth spot in the Canada West standings. This is the first time the Herd has not made the post-season since 2004 when they went 3-5. This is also only the eighth time a defending Vanier Cup champion has not advanced to the post-season the next season after a CIS football championship title.
Written by: Braden Konschuh Regina Sports Information Director
REGINA, Sask. - A last-minute drive by the Manitoba Bisons fell short as the University of Regina Rams clinched a Canada West playoff berth with a 17-12 win on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium.
After Teale Orban's second rushing touchdown of the game gave the Rams a 17-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Bisons went on a 91-yard drive that spanned eight minutes and 30 seconds and resulted in a Scott Dixon field goal that cut the lead to five with 2:31 remaining. Manitoba got the ball back on its own 28-yard line with 1:27 left, but their drive fell short when John Makie's pass on 3rd-and-1 from Regina's 31-yard line fell incomplete. The win clinches a playoff spot for the Rams, who finish in third place in the conference with a 5-3 record. Regina will travel to either Calgary or Saskatchewan in a Canada West semifinal matchup next weekend. The loss ends Manitoba's season, as the Bisons finish in fifth place in the conference at 3-5. Orban completed 20 of his 37 passes for 210 yards and also had a team-high 52 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Brenden Owens led the Rams with five receptions for 47 yards, while Jordan Sisco, Evan Fornwald, and Chad Goldie all had three catches. Nathan Friesen came on in relief of Bisons quarterback John Makie and completed 17 of his 29 passes for 202 yards. Makie was injured on the first play of the second quarter and didn't come back in until the second last play of the game, when Friesen went down after absorbing a hit from Rams halfback Darren Geddert. RB Matt Henry rushed for 91 yards for Manitoba, while Jim Jeavons led the Bisons with 7.5 tackles. The win snaps the Rams' seven-game losing streak against the Bisons, which extended back to the first game of the 2006 season. Prior to Friday night’s victory, the last time that Regina defeated Manitoba was in a 30-27 overtime win back on Oct. 8, 2005.
After Teale Orban's second rushing touchdown of the game gave the Rams a 17-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Bisons went on a 91-yard drive that spanned eight minutes and 30 seconds and resulted in a Scott Dixon field goal that cut the lead to five with 2:31 remaining. Manitoba got the ball back on its own 28-yard line with 1:27 left, but their drive fell short when John Makie's pass on 3rd-and-1 from Regina's 31-yard line fell incomplete. The win clinches a playoff spot for the Rams, who finish in third place in the conference with a 5-3 record. Regina will travel to either Calgary or Saskatchewan in a Canada West semifinal matchup next weekend. The loss ends Manitoba's season, as the Bisons finish in fifth place in the conference at 3-5. Orban completed 20 of his 37 passes for 210 yards and also had a team-high 52 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Brenden Owens led the Rams with five receptions for 47 yards, while Jordan Sisco, Evan Fornwald, and Chad Goldie all had three catches. Nathan Friesen came on in relief of Bisons quarterback John Makie and completed 17 of his 29 passes for 202 yards. Makie was injured on the first play of the second quarter and didn't come back in until the second last play of the game, when Friesen went down after absorbing a hit from Rams halfback Darren Geddert. RB Matt Henry rushed for 91 yards for Manitoba, while Jim Jeavons led the Bisons with 7.5 tackles. The win snaps the Rams' seven-game losing streak against the Bisons, which extended back to the first game of the 2006 season. Prior to Friday night’s victory, the last time that Regina defeated Manitoba was in a 30-27 overtime win back on Oct. 8, 2005.
