REGINA – The Regina Rams leaned on their ground game and a late defensive score to power past the Alberta Golden Bears 47-23 Friday night at Leibel Field.

Rams RB Marshall Erichsen ran for 171 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Noah Pelletier added two short rushing majors and a passing score as Regina improved to 2-0. Alberta falls to 0-2 with the loss.

Bears QB Eli Hetlinger finished 28-of-36 for 310 yards and three touchdowns but also threw the costly interception that was returned for a touchdown in the final two minutes to ice the Regina win. Carter Kettyle led Alberta's receivers with 76 yards, while Hurford added 62 and a touchdown.

Regina dominated on the ground with 298 rushing yards. Katende rushed for 112 and a score, complementing Erichsen's big night. Arinaza paced the receivers with 79 yards and a touchdown. The Rams outgained Alberta 464-366 and held the ball for nearly 33 minutes.

The Bears struck first after a Rams safety, with Eli Hetlinger finding Erik Torhjelm from seven yards out. Pelletier answered quickly, hitting Renzel Arinaza for a six-yard touchdown. Alberta regained the lead late in the first quarter on an 18-yard Eric Schwarz field goal, but Erichsen's 17-yard scamper and a one-yard plunge from Pelletier put Regina up 23-10.

While the Rams took a 23-17 lead into halftime, turnovers marred the first two quarters for the Rams. Alberta scored all 17 of its points off of Regina's three first-half fumbles. 

Hetlinger connected with Kolby Hurford for a nine-yard touchdown before halftime to cut the deficit to six. But Regina controlled the third quarter, with Ty Gorniak kicking a 20-yard field goal and Christian Katende finishing a 12-play drive with a two-yard major for a 33-17 lead.

Alberta's longest drive of the night – a 10-play, 100-yard march capped by a 14-yard strike to Tanner McBride – briefly closed the gap to 10 early in the fourth. The Rams responded as Pelletier scored his second rushing touchdown from the one-yard line.

Any hopes of a late Alberta comeback ended when Carson Sombach intercepted Hetlinger at the goal line and returned it 109 yards for a touchdown with 1:24 remaining.

Alberta will now focus on a Week 3 tilt against the 1-1 Calgary Dinos at Foote Field next Friday, while the Rams prepare for a West Coast road trip with a Week 3 clash scheduled for next Friday night at UBC.