The U of M Bisons football team has bounced back to winning after beating the University of Alberta Golden Bears 38-37 in a crucial away game on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Foote Field in Edmonton.
The latest victory puts the Bisons at 6-1 in the ongoing season’s standings and secured a home playoff game. The Bisons’ performance was a testament to teamwork, perseverance and determination.
Following a 42-24 defeat to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Oct. 4, the Bisons regrouped and revamped their approach to ensure they left no stone unturned.
The first quarter was complete dominance for the Golden Bears as they squeezed the energy out of the Bisons, ending with a 12-0 score. Jonathan Giustini emerged as the star performer for the Golden Bears in the first quarter, earning a rouge point and scoring a 40-yard field goal.
The Bisons tried to make amends in the second quarter, but their efforts were knocked down by the Golden Bears maintaining the headlines once again with a 10-4 score for the quarter. Giustini relived his splendid display with a 13-yard field goal. His next good kick facilitated a 34-yard pass to Carter Kettyle — eventually leading to a Golden Bears touchdown. Bisons’ Maya Turner announced her presence with a 40-yard field goal and also earned a rouge point.
Proceedings began to flip for the Bisons as they came closer to the Golden Bears with 6-8 score in the third quarter. Kettyle and Giustini kept the Golden Bears afloat while AK Gassama and Jackson Tachinski pushed for the Bisons.
The fourth quarter marked a turning point for the Bisons, stunning their opponent with overpowering speed at every line of the pitch. With their defensive awareness and attacking prowess, the quarter ended with a 20-0 score. The Bisons audacious displays were propelled by Maya Turner’s 23-yard field goal and Breydon Stubbs’s two-yard run following a touchdown to earn the extra two points.
With a score of 30-30 for both the Bisons and the Golden Bears, the game had to go to overtime to determine the winner. Despite last-minute resistance from the Golden Bears, the Bisons played tactfully to seal a 8-7 score. AK Gassama had a two-point conversion for the Bisons.
Jackson Tachinski had a remarkable game with 267 passing yard and 146 rushing yards.
Reacting to the team’s heroic performance, Tachinski noted that the win is a huge one for his side.
“I mean I’m still in a little shock but that was an awesome game to be a part of. It’s always so hard to win on the road and any time you can get an away win, it’s huge for the team because they’re hard to come by and the way we won it just made it feel that much sweeter,” said Tachinski.
He pointed out what turned around for them in the fourth quarter.
“I mean we just stayed consistent to our plan, I think the biggest thing was in the fourth quarter. You could see our team had worn them down, they were tired and starting to get injured. We just focused on executing our game plan and that was the main thing.”
The quarterback anticipates a tough match on the final day of the season.
“It’s going to be a heck of a battle. It’s the best two teams in the west in a late October game with playoff seeding on the line, so it’s going to be a fun one.”
The Bisons sit at the top of the league with 12 points, followed by the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds with 10 points.
The Bisons (6-1) will host UBC Thunderbirds (5-2) in the final game of the season at the Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 26. Additionally, the game will be the final one of the regular season for the Bisons retiring head coach Brian Dobie.
