Bisons return to action with a win

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This article was published 25/09/2021 (1732 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a monumental day at IG Field for the Manitoba Bisons. 

For the first time since they had their hearts ripped out in a 47-46 loss to the Calgary Dinos in the Canada West conference semifinal on Nov. 2, 2019, the Herd were finally back playing a meaningful game as they hosted the Regina Rams Saturday afternoon.

The Bisons left Saturday’s contest with a 21-17 victory over one of their Canada West rivals, but it wasn’t all good news as fifth-year starting quarterback Des Catellier left the game in the third quarter with a lower body injury that occurred when he scrambled on a play. Catellier’s leg buckled while getting tackled and he remained on the turf for a few minutes before limping off the field.

“I can’t get into it,” said Bisons head coach Brian Dobie after the game when asked for an update on Catellier. “I’ll say this: it’s extremely concerning.”

First-year quarterback Jackson Tachinski, who also plays guard for the U of M’s basketball team, came into the game with the Bisons trailing 17-10. Immediately after Tachinski helped the Herd to a field goal to make it 17-13 in the opening minutes of the fourth, Regina quarterback Josh Donnelly fumbled the ball on a botched a hand-off which was scooped up by Bisons star defensive end Brock Gowanlock and taken to the house for a 27-yard score to give Manitoba its first lead of the game.

“How often does the QB just basically throw you the ball? I was in the right place at the right time and it turned out good,” said Gowanlock who also had seven tackles in the game.

Tachinski marched the Bisons down the field for a 29-yard field goal try with 2:38 left in the final frame, but kicker Cole Sabourin missed it wide right. Manitoba had to settle for a rouge and a 21-17 lead. In the final minute, Regina had the ball deep in its own territory and needed to convert a third and 11 to keep the game alive. Donnelly threw a 44-yard bomb to D’Sean Mimbs to silence the 2,208 fans in the stands. Two plays later, Donnelly tucked the ball and ran for 32 yards to put the Rams in prime position to score in the final 30 seconds to steal the game. But the Herd regrouped after the two big plays and forced three straight incompletions to hang on for the victory. The Bisons are 7-4 against Regina in their last 11 meetings.

Opening the season with the win is always special, but to do it after a cancelled season owing to COVID-19 is even sweeter.

“We were down tough and we came back. There were ups and downs everywhere. It was crazy. You look around and you see nobody takes this for granted anymore,” said Gowanlock, a fifth-year player who was at training camp with the Montreal Alouettes.

“Everybody realized that football is something that can disappear just like that with the flick of the switch. Whether it’s an injury or a pandemic or whatever it could be, I just really felt in tune with the moment and it was great.”

The Rams got out to a 16-0 lead with running back Kyle Borsa — a fifth-round pick by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2021 CFL Draft — catching a 10-yard pass for the game’s first touchdown. Borsa was electric out of the backfield in the first half as he had five catches for 77 yards. But the Bisons bottled Borsa up in the second half as he caught two balls for minus six yards and finished the day with 16 rushing yards on nine carries. The Herd pitched a shutout in the final two quarters.

“Our defence balled out. Our defence kept us in it in the second half,” said Bisons wide receiver Macho Bockru who had four catches for 44 yards on the day.

“We have Brock and that’s a guy we rely on week in and week out. He went and scored a touchdown for us on top of all the stops they were getting in the second half. Our defence really pulled through for us. On offence we got to click better and get it going so we can help them out, too. I think we’d put this game away a lot easier if we get both sides of the ball firing like the defence was.”

Catellier completed 11 of 22 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown before he was forced out of the game. He had the best throw of the afternoon in the second quarter as he connected with receiver Kai Madsen for a 51-yard touchdown. Catellier was sacked five times in his three quarters behind centre as the Bisons have five new, inexperienced starters on their offensive line in 2021. Tachinski’s numbers in relief don’t jump out as he was 4-for-9 for 38 yards and rushed the ball twice for a total of 15 yards, but the young pivot looked composed and did enough to get the team the win.

“We took the (win) and that’s all that really matters,” Tachinski said. “That’s all I really wanted and I’m happy with it. We’ve got to go into next week and give it to them.”

The Bisons return to action Friday in Edmonton against the Alberta Golden Bears.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31