UBC football continued its winning streak this Saturday afternoon, triumphing 27–21 at home against the Manitoba Bisons. Heading into the game, the T-Birds, Bisons and Alberta Golden Bears were locked in a three-way tie for third in Canada West, with losing records of 2–3. After Saturday, the Bisons and Bears both drop to fourth place, leaving the T-Birds alone in third.
The Thunderbirds had fallen to the Bisons earlier in the season, losing 21–16 in a rainswept matchup at Manitoba. Things were different this time around: the sun was out in Thunderbird stadium and UBC dominated for the majority of the game.
The T-Birds pulled ahead early on, with a 24-yard TD pass from quarterback Garrett Rooker to receiver Jason Soriano midway through the first quarter.
At the beginning of the second, a 10-yard TD reception by Manitoba’s AK Gassama tied the score at 7–7. The T-Birds responded with a strong, 9-play offensive drive, kept alive by a third-and-seven conversion by running back Isaiah Knight. Facing second-and-goal at the end of the drive, Rooker would take it himself, leaping over a defender to reach the end zone.
Leading 14–7 with 8:51 left in the half, UBC made the gutsy decision to follow up their second score with an onside kick attempt. The attempt paid dividends — the T-Birds recovered the kick and turned it into a five-play scoring-drive, cementing their lead at 21–7.
UBC scored again in the third, when Soriano recovered a fumble by Knight in Manitoba’s end zone. Though down 27–8, the Bisons were not deterred. Manitoba found the end zone twice in the last four minutes of the game, but could not reach a tie before the end of regulation.
“With this particular group, playing ahead I think is easier for them. It’s something we try to gameplan for, strategize for,” UBC’s head coach, Blake Nill, said after the game. “It wasn’t a bad game except for the last minute-and-a-half of each half,” he said. “We can’t give up two late touchdowns like that.”
With their second consecutive win, the Thunderbirds improve to 3–3, gaining critical momentum and positioning as the playoffs draw near.
UBC hopes to keep the momentum going next Saturday, against the conference-leading Saskatchewan Huskies.