Conway’s timely pass knockdown sends Bisons to third consecutive victory

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This article was published 14/09/2024 (688 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No university football program in the country had a more demanding schedule to open the 2024 season than the Manitoba Bisons.

The Bisons faced three nationally ranked programs, all with conference and national championship aspirations.

It started with then-No. 9 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies, who simply couldn’t keep up with the Bisons’ high-powered offence in a 37-24 decision.

Last week, it was the reigning Canada West conference champion, No. 8 UBC Thunderbirds, who the Bisons outclassed 33-10 in Vancouver.

On Saturday afternoon, the No. 6 Bisons had another tough ask in the ninth-ranked Alberta Golden Bears and delivered their grittiest performance of the season, outlasting their conference rivals 24-23 in front of about 7,000 fans on homecoming weekend at Princess Auto Stadium.

Manitoba, powered by 392 yards of offence and a timely pass breakup by defensive back Nick Conway, improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2021 — a season in which the program appeared in the Canada West conference championship.

Alberta fell to 1-2.

“This, today, was an incredible win against a really really good football team,” said head coach Brian Dobie, who will retire following the 2024 season. “We grinded it. It was a grind win.

“I won’t lie, we held on. We were really hurt on defence. We were missing some starters before the game and then as the game continued, but offence did what it needed to do and defence did what it needed to do.”

The Bisons have one of the most experienced rosters in the country, returning 11 starters on offence and 11 on defence.

They needed to lean on every bit of that knowledge in Saturday’s game.

Manitoba never trailed on this day, holding quarter leads of 8-7, 14-7 but was repeatedly tested by the Golden Bears, who kept things close through a strong ground game.

Bisons quarterback Jackson Tachinski, who finished 15-for-23 for 229 yards, one touchdown and one interception, was forced to corral his powerful arm for much of the game and methodically pick and choose his way down the field instead. With the Golden Bears’ run-heavy attack, it made for some long drives that chewed up plenty of clock.

While neither offence truly broke out until the second half, Tachinski found his rhythm early on, softly laying a beautiful pass into the waiting arms of first-year receiver Mula Yitna, who scampered into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown, the first of his U Sports career.

Following a penalty, the fourth-year quarterback ran for a two-point conversion.

The visitors responded in impressive fashion, stringing together a six-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a one-yard plunge from running back Duncan Critch. It wouldn’t be his first trip to the end zone.

Up 11-7, following a field goal from Maya Turner — one of three on the day for the placekicker — the Bisons took over with less than three minutes remaining until half and looked to pad their lead before halftime. The offence went down the field efficiently, amassing 78 yards in 10 plays, and was left with a couple of prime opportunities to take shots into the end zone. Or so it seemed.

Though seven seconds remained and it being second down at Alberta’s seven-yard-line, Dobie opted to trot out Turner, who was good from 24 yards and gave Manitoba a 14-7 advantage.

“(Tachinski) was quite upset with me,” said Dobie. “If it was six seconds left — field goal team. If it was eight seconds left, we would have gone one more play. Seven (seconds), I was worried they would jump the first read and then he’d hesitate and then make a play and the clock would tick down. I just felt we needed to take the sure points.”

Dobie doesn’t have a Vanier Cup ring for nothing. That field goal proved to be pivotal as both offences traded punches in the second half.

Out of the locker room, Alberta continued to impose its will in the run game with running back Matthew Peterson. Seven plays and 65 yards later, it was Critch finishing off another drive to even the game at 14-14, this time from two yards out.

 

Peterson, one of the finest backs in the country, had a signature performance against the Bisons defence, rushing 28 times for 201 yards. With Golden Bears quarterback Eli Hetlinger attempting just 16 passes in the game, Peterson was the Alberta offence for much of the game.

After Bisons running back Breydon Stubbs rushed for his fourth touchdown of the season, the visitors mounted another long drive that ended with yet another Critch touchdown, pulling Alberta to within one point of Manitoba.

This time, with 52 seconds remaining, Alberta went for the lead by attempting a two-point conversion. That try was beautifully stifled by defensive back Nick Conway, who broke up a pass intended for Orin Schellenberg and effectively capped a third straight victory.

“I felt, as many of our coaches did, that as much as we wanted this win and how important it is, we needed to play a great game,” said Dobie. “We needed to play like we’re a playoff team.

“Alberta played like they were a playoff team. We played like we were a playoff team.”

Manitoba’s secondary will be worth monitoring going forward after losing fourth-year defensive back Sebastien Reid to a shoulder injury in the third quarter while fellow fourth-year Jarrett Alcaraz was seen walking with a serious limp after the game.

The Bisons will look to keep the good times rolling in Calgary against the Dinos (1-2) on Sept. 21.

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam