Game Notes

In a battle of teams coming off of 26-point losses and looking to get back up to the .500 mark, the University of Regina Rams and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds will square off on Saturday afternoon at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver.

With identical 1-2 records, the Rams and the Thunderbirds are part of a four-way tie for fourth place in Canada West. Alberta and Manitoba also have one win and two losses on their record, with the Golden Bears hosting Saskatchewan on Friday night and the Bisons on their bye week.

The two teams are meeting for the first time since Sept. 19 of last year, when the Rams took an 18-16 win in Vancouver. Regina and UBC had provided plenty of offensive fireworks in the two meetings before last season's low-scoring contest, combining for an incredible 191 points during their matchups in 2006 and 2007.

Saturday's game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. PDT (3 p.m. CST). Catch all the action live with Michael Ball and Chad Ehman at 620 CKRM or on the Internet at www.620ckrm.com.

Regina Rams (1-2)
Last Week: Lost 41-15 vs. No. 4 Calgary
Next Week: (Bye)

The Rams are coming off of a 41-15 home loss to the No. 4-ranked Calgary Dinos. Regina was unable to come up with an answer for Calgary running back Matt Walter, who ended up with 259 rushing yards during the game. The Rams actually held a ten-point lead midway through the second quarter, but 27 unanswered points by the Dinos essentially put the game away.

Regina's pass offence, ranked No. 1 in the conference, is controlled by third-year quarterback Marc Mueller. Mueller leads the conference in passing yards (868) and completions (112) and is tied for the Canada West lead with three touchdown passes. Mueller's top receiver has been second-year wideout Mark McConkey, who has 16 receptions for 221 yards and a touchdown. Graham Mosiondz leads the Rams with 148 rushing yards and an average of 5.5 yards per carry.

On defence, linebacker Bruce Anderson leads the team with 17½ tackles. Matt Yausie and Jamir Walker have four pass breakups each, while Walker is tied for the Canada West lead with two interceptions.

Outside linebacker Brandon Ganne did not play during the Calgary game because of an injury, but is expected to return for Saturday. Slotback Jason Price was injured early in the Dinos game and is doubtful for the UBC game, while offensive lineman Devin Hillier and defensive back Daniel Knaus are expected to be out for the season.

Following Saturday's game against UBC, the Rams will enjoy a bye week before returning to action on Oct. 9 with a home game against Simon Fraser.

UBC Thunderbirds (1-2)
Last Week: Lost 36-10 at Manitoba
Next Week: vs. No. 4 Calgary (Oct. 3)

Like the Rams, the Thunderbirds also suffered a 26-point loss last week, as they were defeated by a 28-10 score by Manitoba. The game was tied 10-10 at halftime, but the Bisons exploded for 26 unanswered points in the second half to seal the victory.

Dave Boyd is on pace for a 1000-yard rushing season, as the Thunderbird running back has recorded 382 yards on the ground in the first three games of the season. Boyd ranks No. 2 in the conference in rushing, trailing only Walter.

Quarterback Billy Greene has completed 40 of his 78 passes this season for 413 yards and a 51.3% completion rate. Jordan Grieve and Spencer Betts have been Greene's top receivers this season, with both registering 11 receptions this year.

Alex Babalos has 20 total tackles this year to lead the UBC defence and has also recorded an interception, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble. Serge Kaminsky has a team-leading two sacks.

Saturday's game will mark UBC's homecoming game. The Thunderbirds will again be hosting a homecoming tailgate party, which attracted more than 3000 fans last season. UBC's broadcast will be available in the greater Vancouver area on CiTR, located at 101.9 on the FM dial, or on the Internet at www.citr.ca.