EDMONTON - Needing a win and some help, the 2-5 Golden Bears welcome the 4-3 UBC Thunderbirds to Foote Field for a Week 8 clash on Saturday afternoon.
Entering the final week of the 2022 regular season, Alberta sits outside the playoff picture looking in. A 44-30 road loss to Manitoba dropped the Bears below the Bisons into fifth in the CW standings. No longer controlling their own destiny, the Bears will need both a win over UBC on Saturday, coupled with a Manitoba loss in Regina to earn a playoff spot for the fourth time in five seasons.
UBC enters Week 8 having just completed a stunning upset at home, beating the previously undefeated and U SPORTS #2 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies 35-29. Owning the tie-breaker over Manitoba, UBC is locked into the #3 seed, and will visit Regina in two weeks in a Hardy Cup Semifinal.
GAME INFORMATION
Golden Bears Football (2-5 Conference, 3-5 Overall)
Conference
Saturday, October 29
Alberta vs UBC Thunderbirds (4-3), Foote Field, 1:00 p.m. MT
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HIGHLIGHTS
- UBC earned a 30-21 home win over Alberta on September 3rd in Vancouver. Trailing 21-14 in the 4th, UBC tied the game on a 98-yard passing TD, before a short rushing score sealed a nine-point win.
- Probable Bears starter Luke Hornung tossed for a career-high 416 yards last week in Manitoba, adding 73 yards and two TD's on the ground, however threw two costly interceptions in the fourth quarter.
- The Bears have won the last two meetings with the Thunderbirds at Foote Field. Alberta throttled UBC 44-19 in Week 1 in 2021, also earning a 26-21 win on September 28, 2018.
- Alberta was missing Eli Hetlinger (QB) and Rodeem Brown (RG) last weekend in Winnipeg.
KEY STATS
- UBC sits 4th in the nation, and #1 in Canada West in rushing yards per game, averaging 194.6 per contest. Isaiah Knight leads the conference with 713 yards through seven games. Alberta's defence ranks 23rd in the country, which includes a unit allowing 131.9 ground yards per game.
- Knight rushed for 106 yards on just 13 carries in their Week 1 win over Alberta.
- Alberta counters with an explosive passing offence. The Bears 314.6 air yards per game sits 2nd in Canada. The beneficiary lately has been Jonathan Rosery, who sits second in U SPORTS with 95 receiving yards per game. The veteran slotback led the Bears with 150 yards on six receptions last weekend in Winnipeg.
