UBC football's last game of the regular season wasn’t pretty at all, but at least the team has successfully made it to the playoffs.
With the T-Birds' loss against the Dinos, the only thing that the ’Birds had left to count on was for Manitoba Bisons to lose to the Regina Rams. To the team’s relief, about an hour after UBC’s loss against Calgary, the Bisons lost 55-21 which secured UBC’s playoff spot.
For UBC head coach Blake Nill, he had every reason to be disappointed with the team.
“We’re a good football team, but we’re not playing up to our capabilities and that’s what’s frustrating,” said Nill. He even went as far as to say, “I don’t think we deserve to go."
After all, the team eventually making it into the playoffs was really just by a stroke of luck.
It’s a tough loss to cope with, but with the playoffs now in sight, there’s no point dwelling on the previous loss. The ’Birds will have to face the University of Regina Rams. Now it’s time to wipe the slate clean and set the sights on prepping for the game.
UBC has lost three straight games, and this next match-up is not going to be any easier on the already battered team.
The Regina Rams have a 6-2 record and finished at the top of the Canada West Conference. To make matters worse, in UBC’s two encounters with Regina this season, the ’Birds lost by scores of 20-10 and 35-33.
The biggest challenge that the T-Birds will have to overcome in the next game is the offensive terror of the Picton brothers. Quarterback Noah Picton has led the CIS in passing yards with 396.8 per game and receiver Mitchell Picton has averaged 104.3 receiving yards per game. When the ’Birds and Rams face off this weekend, the pressure again will be on UBC’s defence.
The Rams aren’t going to be an easy team to get past and the ’Birds will need to bring every drop of their execution to the field if they want to stand a chance.
The game will kick into action on Saturday, November 5 at 2:30 p.m.