Six-goal second half from Zach Manns leads Sask. Rush to comeback victory
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Rush turned an 8-3 fourth quarter deficit into a 9-8 victory in its home opener.
The University of Regina Rams kept things close, but a late missed field-goal attempt was the difference in an 18-17 Canada West football loss to the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
“We let this one slip away,” Rams head coach Stephen Bryce said following Friday’s game at Mosaic Stadium. “We didn’t do enough to win the game tonight.”
The Rams entered the contest as the No. 7-ranked team in U Sports following their 46-16 win over the UBC Thunderbirds last weekend.
The Rams entered the season with a lot of new faces on the offensive side of the ball after the graduations of quarterback Noah Picton and running back Atlee Simon as well as the season-long suspension of third-year running back Kyle Borsa.
In Friday’s game, the team was led by freshman quarterback Josh Donnelly and second-year running back Semba Mbasela. Fifth-year receivers Ryan Schienbein and Kyle Moortgat provided experience on the offence but Schienbein left the game in the second quarter with a concussion.
“I think we showed our age tonight,” Bryce said. “I think we showed we’re not as mature as we need to be yet. It’s a long season and this is a two-game series (with Alberta) and we’re now down one point when we go up to Edmonton (on Oct. 19).
“You expect some bumps in the road but we weren’t going to win the game playing as sloppy as we were.”
Donnelly completed 28 of 49 pass attempts for 340 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Mbasela rushed for 66 yards, Schienbein recorded 85 receiving yards on four catches, and Moortgat hauled in eight passes for 78 yards and a 16-yard touchdown.
Kicker Aldo Galvan struggled in Friday’s game. He made three of six field-goal attempts, missing a 42-yard try with just 16 seconds left in the game. The kick went through the end zone for a single point.
Galvan also fumbled the snap on a punt. He tried to pick up the football and kick it, but it didn’t go far and set up the Golden Bears at the Rams’ 14-yard line.
“You’ve got to find the reset button and you’ve got to hit it,” Bryce said when asked what advice he would give Galvan following the game. “He’s a good kicker (and) he’s consistent. He just had a rough night tonight.”
Alberta running back Jonathan Rosery ran in for a touchdown on the next play. He finished with 72 yards rushing.
The Rams conceded two safeties. Alberta kicker Jonathan Giustini made his only extra-point attempt and went 2-for-4 on field-goal tries.
The Rams’ defence kept things close throughout most of the game, not allowing the Golden Bears to have many scoring opportunities.
Fifth-year defensive back Cord Delinte, who had an interception, said it’s always tough to lose by a point.
“We had opportunities and we just shot ourselves in the foot time and time again,” Delinte said. “Looking forward we’re very optimistic. We’ve got a couple of things we need to clean up but next week we’ve got to come out fighting.”
The Rams (1-1) will welcome the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to Mosaic Stadium on Sept. 13.