By Joel Tichinoff, Sports Editor
The script for this year’s Uteck Bowl was worthy of Hollywood. Former St. Mary’s head football coach, Blake Nill returned to Halifax at the helm of the University of Calgary Dinosaurs to do battle with his former protégé and offensive co-ordinator Steve Sumarah, who stepped up as head coach after Nill abruptly left for the west.
Nill and Sumarah worked together for years going back to the early ‘90s at St. Francis Xavier. Both later moved to St. Mary’s, piloting two Huskies teams to back-to-back Vanier Cup titles in 200 and 2001. But the Nill/Sumarah comrades-turned-enemies story would only serve as a B-plot in the build up to the 2009 Uteck Bowl.
Since leaving the Huskies for the Dinos last season, Nill has lured no less than six Huskies football players into transferring from St. Mary’s to U.C., including star quarterback and 2007 Hec Crighton Trophy-winner Eric Glavic. Once the jewel in the Huskies football crown, Glavic mysteriously pulled up stakes following the 2008 season and transferred to U.C. sighting “personal” reasons. In 2009, Glavic and Nill led the Dinos to a 9-1 regular season record, and the six-foot-six star pivot was once again nominated for the Crighton as CIS football’s MVP in 2009.
Calgary edged the University of Saskatchewan in the Canada West championship 39-38. SMU easily handled the X-men 31-22 for the Atlantic championship title. The Dinos finished the regular season 9-1 and ranked second nationally. The Huskies went 8-1 and finished sixth in CIS rankings.
While conventional wisdom would give Calgary the advantage, the Huskies have won seven consecutive AUS titles and have advanced to the final four nine times in the last 11 years and have made it to the Vanier Cup five times in the last decade. Whatever the rankings, St. Mary’s is a football powerhouse with a strong championship pedigree.
Yet the hype around this year’s Uteck Bowl was focused on the drama of the field; Glavic, Nill and the five other former Huskies who jumped ship were coming back to face their old team in the stadium and city where they were once hailed as heroes. To top it all off, those most keenly following the epic storyline dared to dream one step further; could sophomore QB Jack Creighton, Glavic’s replacement on the SMU roster, thrust into this storm of bitter rivalry and resentment, emerge in a “star-is-born” moment as the bona fide next Eric Glavic and propel his team past the Dinos and the Vanier Cup game?
As often happens with hyped up events, reality did not measure up to expectation. The Huskies imploded in the first quarter. Glavic’s role was superceded by Calgary’s Offensive and Defensive teams’ domination of SMU in virtually every aspect of the game. The receiving Dinos drove the Huskies back to the Calgary 49 on the kick-off return and Huskies all-Canadian defensive linebacker Dan Shutte, the keystone of SMU defence, went down with an injury before 80 seconds had elapsed in the first quarter. Battered back deep into their own territory, the Huskies quickly surrendered a Safety following two incomplete passes, the first of many, from Creighton. A Dinos field-goal followed quickly putting Calgary up 5-0 early.
The high-water mark of individual drama and the Huskies hopes came early in the first when SMU receiver Ahmed Borhot intercepted a Glavic pass, Glavic himself being forced off the field with an injury following an aggressive sack by SMU’s Devon Hicks, which drew an unnecessary roughness penalty to the Huskies. Former Dino starter Deke Junior, who had only seen enough playing time since 2008 for 23 passes, replaced Glavic in the shot-gun position as Sumarah and Nill exchanged heated words on the side-lines. Whatever advantaged the Dinos had momentarily evaporated amid wild taunting from the Husky faithful with Glavic out of commission.
However Glavic returned and the Dinos quickly silenced the home crowd. UC’s Michael Lau, one of many Dinos touted as future CFLers, intercepted a Creighton pass and the resulting possession was turned into long pass to Dino Richard Snyder deep in the Huskies’ zone to give Calgary a 12-0 lead.
The Dinos made SMU look sluggish and ineffective from the start and strong defense left Huskies’ offence stifled while UC’s offensive line fiercely protected Glavic, giving him plenty of time to make passes and complex plays. With 59 seconds left in the first quarter Glavic handed the ball off to Matt Walter, who found a gap in the Saint Mary’s line, breaking free for a 69 yard run for his 10th touchdown of 2009. In total Calgary had 198 net yards in the first 15 minutes of play. SMU had 17 and did not complete its first pass until well into the second quarter.
The Gaels of November
Queen’s University beat two-time defending Vanier Champions Laval 33-30 at Richardson Stadium in Kingston in a major upset. Laval allowed a total of 60 points to be scored against them in total in the 2009 season and were heavily favoured to repeat as national champions. The Gaels will meet the Dinos in Quebec City for the 2009 Vanier Cup on Saturday, Nov. 28.
Recent Comments