Box Score

It was a seven-point game at the half, but the No. 3-ranked Calgary Dinos pulled away from the Regina Rams in the second half en route to a 37-21 victory in Canada West action at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

Steven Lumbala racked up 150 rushing yards and ran for two touchdowns for Calgary, while quarterback Eric Dzwilewski completed 25 of 38 pass attempts for 307 yards and two touchdowns. Brett Blaszko and Jake Harty both had six catches and a touchdown reception for the Dinos, who move to 1-0 on the season.

Marc Mueller was 32-for-48 for the Rams (0-1), with his 32 completed passes tying a career high for the fifth-year pivot. Mueller had 344 passing yards, including a 10-yard touchdown strike to Mark McConkey in the first quarter. McConkey ended up with a game-high 12 catches for 109 yards, while Stefan Charles led Regina's defence with a pair of sacks.

Special teams were the difference early in the contest, as Calgary's Elie Bouka had a 74-yard return on the opening kickoff and Jake Harty added a 53-yard punt return following the Rams' first offensive possession. Harty's long return was followed by a quick Calgary drive which was finished off by Lumbala's first major of the game, giving the Dinos an 8-0 lead.

The Rams got on the board late in the first quarter, as an 11-play, 76-yard drive was finished off by back-to-back-to-back McConkey catches – the last of which gave the Rams their first points of the game and cut the lead to 8-7.

Calgary notched a pair of touchdowns in the first half of the second quarter, as Dzwilewski found Blaszko for a 65-yard major and then connected with Harty for a seven-yard touchdown on the Dinos' next offensive possession.

The Rams were given life just before halftime, as the Rams defence forced two turnovers late in the second quarter – one on a Kirby Kezama interception, and another off a forced fumble following an Alex Meldrum sack. Filling in at quarterback in a short-yardage situation, Landon Buch finished off a short Rams drive with a one-yard plunge to bring the Rams to within seven at halftime.

The Dinos gave themselves some breathing room late in the third, as a Johnny Mark field goal, a conceded safety, and Lumbala's second touchdown run of the contest gave Calgary a 34-15 advantage. Following another short Mark field goal in the waning moments of the fourth, Dillon Dawson's first career touchdown rush brought the Rams to within two scores but Calgary was able to run out the clock on the ensuing possession.

Mike Edem led Calgary's defence with 12.5 tackles including a sack, while Jamahl Knowles had 9.5 tackles and a key interception in the third quarter. The Dinos now have a 10-game winning streak over the Rams, which includes seven Canada West wins and three postseason victories dating back to the 2008 season.

Meldrum led the Rams with nine tackles, two of which were for loss. Kezama had 8.5 tackles to go along with his interception, while Jamir Walker recorded his school-record 14th career interception.
 
Both teams are back in action at home next Friday night. The Rams play host to UBC (0-1) in their home opener at Mosaic Stadium, while Calgary will meet provincial rival Alberta (0-1).
 
NOTES: Mueller passed Mark Anderson for second on the U of R's all-time completions list and joined Anderson and Teale Orban as the only Rams quarterbacks to throw for at least 5000 career passing yards ... McConkey moved into sixth on the U of R's all-time receiving yards list, passing Chris Bauman ... McConkey's 12 catches and Mueller's 32 completions are both tied for third in U of R single-game history.