Dobie diatribe sparks Herd

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University of Manitoba Bisons' wide receiver Andrew Smith celebrates a touch down in the third quarter against the University of Alberta Golden Bears at University Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Bisons won 51-38. (MELISSA TAIT / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

U OF M BISONS 51

U OF A GOLDEN BEARS 38

University of Manitoba Bisons head coach Brian Dobie has delivered hundreds of speeches in his 37 years of coaching.

Some of them have been straightforward and business-like. Others heaped with praise. And, of course, there have been more than a few angrily spit out as his blood pressure rose with every word.

And then along came his impassioned plea at halftime of Saturday afternoon's 51-38 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

Trailing 24-17 at the intermission to a winless Alberta team that had been outscored 128-23 in its first three games, Dobie unleashed a tirade on his troops that must have rocked them to their core.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that speech, you say?

No need... Dobie was more than willing to reveal the details afterward.

"There was paint peeling off the wall," Dobie said. "I literally said, 'If we have time, I am willing to take the flag for delay of game (for not coming out to start the second half on time) and spend half an hour in here and have every one of you guys come up here and look me right in the eye and tell me what you're going to do to step up. Because I don't see it. What I saw was guys looking for somebody else to make a play.

"I keep saying to you guys about how we've built to this point. This is an opportunity to take the next step and THIS is the step? This is the step we're going to take? We're going to take a step and then fall down the basement stairs? I cannot tell you how disappointed I am.'

"And then my voice started going up."

Dobie might want to file the transcript of that speech aside for future use, as the Bisons rallied for three scores into the wind in the third quarter and outscored Alberta 34-14 in the second half for a critical win that helps them keep pace in the Canada West standings. Manitoba is now 3-1, tied for second spot with the Regina Rams, behind the Calgary Dinos who improved to 4-0 Saturday with a win over UBC. Manitoba is in Regina next Friday to face the Rams.

Saturday's game resembled a track meet at times, with both offences racing up and down the field. Manitoba finished with 574 yards total offence; Alberta had 516.

Key to the victory was the work of quarterback Cam Clark, who completed 23 of 27 passes for 442 yards and four TDs. The passing yardage tied Clark with Shane Munson for the second-highest total in Bison history. Munson holds top spot with 446 yards.

"Oh, wow. Just hearing that now feels great, but it's more important to get the win," said Clark, who was despondent after last week's loss to Calgary. "That's why I love football. It can be a roller-coaster, but I love playing.

"I sat on (the Calgary loss) for a couple of days. I had to watch the film with the whole team and watch all my mistakes in front of everybody and kind of own up. At then it was rest and (think) about Alberta.

"We've got a tough opponent with Regina next week and we really needed to get this win and finish our homestand with a winning record. I've got to credit the rest of the offence. The offensive line did a great job of pass protection, the receivers made some plays when I threw to them."

Clark connected with Danny Turek for an 80-yard TD on the Bisons' second offensive snap, hit Andrew Smith for 44- and 30-yard scores and also found Nic Demski for a 37-yard scoring strike.

The Bisons also got a TDs on an Andrew Barry punt block and on a 20-yard run by Demski while Nick Boyd kicked four field goals.

Alberta got two rushing TDs from QB Curtis Dell, who also hooked up with Ryley Richardson for an aerial score. Tyler Lewis and Smith Wright also found the end zone along the ground.

The turning point came five minutes into the second half with the Bisons down 24-17. Alberta placekicker Stephen Fabian was wide on a 37-yard field-goal attempt and Demski, who has been the Bison catalyst all season, took the miss 98 yards to the Bears' 30-yard line. On the very next play Clark hit Smith to tie the game.

Just over a minute later Barry's punt block, scoop and score put Manitoba head for good at 31-24.

"That was big," said Demski of the missed field-goal return. "I needed to get these guys going again and that's what I do: I try to get field position for these guys. To be honest, I kind of returned it the wrong way at the start and then went back and I saw this huge hole in the middle because I think everybody was confused as to which way I was going so I just sprung it right there and it was off to the races."

Demski finished with 238 all-purpose yards -- 34 rushing, 37 receiving, and 170 in the return game.

"He's scary," said Dobie. "At this point of the season, I'm not sure if there's a single player in the conference that is more valuable to their team than Nic is to our team. I'm just making a statement. I mean, I get the quarterbacks: Billy Greene at UBC and (Eric) Dzwilewski at Calgary and Cam Clark here. But, honest to God, the amount of yardage that kid amasses and his ability to score... I don't know how you get much more valuable to your own team than what he gives to us."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait

AERIAL ASSAULT

A look at the top passing performances in Bison history:

Most yards passing in one game

Player  Date  Yards

Shane Munson  6/9/2002 at Cal.  446

Shane Munson  8/9/2001 at Sask.  442

CAM CLARK  22/9/2012 vs. Alb  .442

Ryan Zahara  8/10/2005 vs. Reg.  403

Khaleal Williams  24/9/2011 at UBC  391

Ryan Zahara  30/10/2004 vss SFU  390

Chris Hardy  3/11/1994 at Cal.  387

Shane Munson  9/22/2000 at Cal.  385

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 23, 2012 B4