The U of M Bisons football team gave a good account of what appeared to be a spectacular start in the new season, following a 33-10 win over the University of British Columbia (UBC)
Thunderbirds on Friday, Sept. 6.
The Bisons are ranked nine in Canada according to U Sports and recorded a first time win over UBC Thunderbirds in 11 years, who are presently ranked eight overall.
They seemed impressively fired up for their opponents on the west coast, having inked back-to-back wins over the Saskatchewan Huskies and the Regina Rams, recently.
In the game against UBC Thunderbirds, the herd had their plans completely thrown out of the field in the first quarter as they went down 0-7. Isaiah Knight of UBC Thunderbirds had a three
yard run following a good kick from Kieran Flannery-Fleck. The Thunderbirds had a drive of 10 plays and 90 yards in five minutes and forty-six seconds. Flannery-Fleck pushed further for glory which paid off with a 29-yard field goal.
The Bisons kept their composure with a determined and revitalized approach for the second quarter, which yielded a positive outcome, seeing them cruise to victory with a 26-3 score.
Bisons’ quarterback Jackson Tachinski rallied around his teammates after connecting on many tactful moments with Vaughan Lloyd to propel the herd to success. Tachinski threw 286 yards and two scores which landed in the way of Vaughan Llyod to cover 81 yards for a touchdown. Tachinski completed 17 of his 24 pass attempts. Lloyd finished the game with 143 total yards receiving. Maya Turner made a mark with a 37 yard field goal.
The Thunderbirds and Bisons reviewed their tactics by exercising caution in the third quarter which finished with a 0-0 score. Despite several attempts to break the opponent’s defense, both
teams minimized their errors. The fourth quarter had a swift turn for the Bisons as they overpowered the Thunderbirds with runs and touchdowns, finishing with 7-0 score. Breydon Stubbs had a six yard run after latching on to a fruitful kick from fellow teammate Maya Turner.
The zeal and drive to stay on purpose amidst the major revamp in playing techniques won the game for the Bisons with a full-time score of 33-10. The sudden turn of events in the second quarter served as a catalyst for the herd to make amends and pick up victory in such a crucial away game.
The Thunderbirds have now lost their first two home games for the first time since 2019.
On the standings of Canada West, the Bisons are joint table toppers with the Regina Rams following consecutive wins in two games.
The herd will aim to keep a clean sheet and maintain their dominance when they play against the Alberta Golden Bears at Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. The Golden
Bears are third on the Canada West standing with one win and a loss.
A Bisons win in the upcoming game would mark three successive victories for the team. That would be the second time of such an occurrence in their last four years.
