Bisons fall to Golden Bears

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This article was published 20/10/2023 (1037 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The University of Manitoba Bisons may have silenced any doubts about whether they can hang on the gridiron with the top teams in the Canada West conference, but are left to wonder whether they will have another chance to prove it.

The Herd fought tooth and nail until the final whistle but were ultimately handed a 35-25 defeat at the hands of the Alberta Golden Bears at IG Field on Friday.

It was the Bisons’ first loss in nearly a month, ending a three-game winning streak and dropping to 3-4 on the season. The Bisons now face a win-and-in scenario to decide their playoff fate in Calgary against the Dinos (1-5) on Oct. 28.

The Golden Bears improved to 6-1 and will clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference playoffs should the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds lose to the Regina Rams today.

With a little more than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Golden Bears blocked a 24-yard field goal attempt by Maya Turner that would’ve knotted the game at 28 points. After quarterback Jackson Tachinski was intercepted by Jonathan Giustini, Golden Bears’ running back Ope Oshinubi iced the game on a 68-yard scamper to the end zone.

Even then, it was certainly a different Bisons squad on this night from the one that dropped a lopsided 37-16 decision to the Golden Bears on Sept. 8.

The Bisons’ offence, which averaged just 17.6 points over the first three games (all losses), has averaged 31 points over the last four contests.

The hosts got out of the gates hot again, drawing first blood after an efficient six-play 73-yard opening drive that ended in a one-yard major on a sneak from Tachinski. Tachinski, who now has six rushing touchdowns on the year, finished with 71 yards on eight carries.

The Golden Bears answered with a lengthy drive of their own that saw Eli Hetlinger find Jonathan Rosery on a 16-yard strike to tie the affair.

After a 12-point run by the visitors, the Bisons went into their hurry-up offence with 66 seconds left in the half and took the field by chunks once again, Tachinski finding AK Gassama on a three-yard pass to make it 19-14 in the dying moments of the first act.

Tachinski completed 20 of his 29 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown. He connected most often with receiver DeShawn Le Jour, who caught six targets for 119 yards to lead all receivers.

Despite the Bisons’ defence being hammered by the Golden Bears’ run attack all game — Oshinubi finished with 192 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries — it made enough timely plays to give the team a chance entering the final quarter.

Running back Breydon Stubbs, who paced the Bisons’ rushing attack with 84 yards on 12 carries, made things interesting when he punched in a one-yard major with 6:51 left in the fourth quarter.

Tachinski followed by rushing for a two-point convert to draw the Herd within three points, but that proved to be the last points that the Bisons would register.

The Bisons defeated the Dinos 34-21 on Oct. 1 and will need one more victory to secure a playoff berth for the fifth straight year.

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

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