Game Notes

In a battle of two teams going in opposite directions, the University of Regina Rams will host the Alberta Golden Bears on Saturday at Mosaic Stadium.

The Rams (2-2) started off the season with back-to-back losses to Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but have reeled off wins against UBC and Simon Fraser to climb back to the .500 mark and into playoff contention. The Golden Bears (1-4) started the season on a promising note, defeating Simon Fraser in their first game of the year, but have since lost four games in a row and are in danger of missing the postseason for the third consecutive year.

Regina is coming off of a convincing 31-7 win over Simon Fraser last Saturday. The Clan had entered the weekend in first place in the Canada West standings, but it was the Rams who set the tone early in the contest, with rookie cornerback Jamir Walker recovering an onside kick to start the game. On the very first play from scrimmage, running back Luke Derkson scampered 46 yards for the major to put the Rams ahead. Regina built up a 17-3 lead by halftime and held off the Clan in the second half.

Derkson ended up rushing for a total of 156 yards during the Simon Fraser game and now has a Canada West-leading 536 rushing yards at the midway point of the season. Averaging 134 rushing yards per game, Derkson is on pace to become the first U of R player to rush for 1000 yards in a single season.

Fifth-year slotback Chad Goldie became the U of R's all-time leader in receiving yards during the second quarter after catching a 24-yard touchdown pass from Teale Orban. Goldie passed Jason Clermont, who amassed 2169 yards between the 1999 and 2001 seasons. The catch was also Goldie's 19th career touchdown reception, giving Goldie a share of the U of R lead with Clermont in the category.

Bruce Anderson became Regina's first award winner of the 2008 season after recording 6½ tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery against the Clan. The third-year middle linebacker was named both the Canada West and the CIS Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

Anderson is just one of several Rams who have stepped up on the defensive side of the ball. After giving up a total of 67 points to Manitoba and Saskatchewan during their two losses, the Rams have allowed just 23 points in their last two games. Regina is now ranked No. 2 in Canada West in rushing defence, allowing an average of just over 130 rushing yards per game in the first half of the season. Linebacker Brandon Ganne has been a big part of that, as he leads the Rams with 28½ tackles and three sacks, and also has an interception and a fumble recovery. Thomas Irving has also stepped up and is ranked third on the team with 19 tackles.

Last weekend, Alberta suffered a 35-12 loss to the Saskatchewan Huskies in Saskatoon. The Golden Bears stayed with the Huskies through the first part of the game, but gave up a touchdown late in the second quarter and trailed 14-3 at the half. An early major in the third quarter by Saskatchewan gave the hometown Huskies an 18-point lead and Alberta's offence couldn't muster up a reply until late in the fourth.

Tendayi Jozzy leads Alberta with 360 rushing yards, while quarterback Quade Armstrong has 565 passing yards and two touchdowns. Joe Orlicz and Ben Gorniak have also lined up behind centre for the Golden Bears this season. Damon Fraietta (313), Aaron Holba (227), and Mike Wasylyniuk (158) all have at least 100 receiving yards for Alberta.

Defensively, defensive back Jason Hetherington leads Alberta with 34 total tackles and two interceptions, while defensive lineman Craig Gerbrandt has 31 tackles, five sacks, and a fumble recovery.

Saturday's game will kick off at 3 p.m. It'll be available live on radio at 620 CKRM, on the Internet at www.ckrm620.com. The game will be televised on a tape-delay basis on Access7 and will be available on Sunday at 9 a.m. and again on Tuesday at 6 p.m.