It is crunch time for the 3-3 Bisons football club.
The Bisons have a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win against the 3-3 Saskatchewan Huskies on the road Saturday.
The herd is looking to rebound following a 34-16 drubbing at the hands of the Calgary Dinos last week.
The Bisons held just a single point heading into halftime, but woke up to put points on the board in the fourth quarter. The scoring surge was ultimately too late.
The Huskies, meanwhile, are fresh off a loss of their own, though by a much closer score. Saskatchewan was in B.C. last week and dropped a 20-10 decision to the UBC Thunderbirds.
Manitoba has struggled on the road this season, with a 1-2 record in games away from IGF. In those three games, the only victory came against the lowly Alberta Golden Bears, with the herd earning a 37-27 win.
Overall, the Bisons have been outscored 91-73 in road games, and the -18 margin is not in itself too bad. However, Saskatchewan has torched opponents by a combined 103-57 score at home.
The last time Manitoba and Saskatchewan went head-to-head, the Huskies eked out a 48-46 win. Down 48-40 in the fourth quarter, Dylan Schrot got the herd within two with a late touchdown, but quarterback Des Catellier’s two-point convert attempt was stymied to give Saskatchewan the win.
If Manitoba wins the game, the club will still need UBC’s help on the out-of-town scoreboard to ensure a playoff berth this weekend.
The club is currently one win ahead of the 2-4 Alberta Golden Bears with two games remaining apiece. If Manitoba wins and Alberta loses to the 3-3 UBC Thunderbirds, the herd will go off to the playoffs.
If Alberta wins or Manitoba loses, it will come down to the final weekend of the season.
Kickoff for Manitoba and Saskatchewan will be 2:00 CDT on Saturday, Oct. 20 in Saskatoon. The game will be available to stream for free on Canada West TV.
