Box Score

The No. 10-ranked University of Regina Rams were tested on the road by the winless Alberta Golden Bears, but were able to pull away in the fourth quarter for a 31-17 win on Friday night in Canada West action at Foote Field.

The teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 10 apiece, but Rams quarterback Marc Mueller threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another on a quarterback sneak and Kirby Kezama grabbed a pair of interceptions in the final frame to help seal the victory.

The Rams improve to 2-1 on the season and will move into a tie for second place in the Canada West standings with the loser of Saturday's Calgary/Manitoba game. Alberta falls to 0-3 on the year.

Kezama might have been the story of the contest – and not just for his two late interceptions. With punter Chris Bodnar unavailable for placekicking duties and backup Taylor Wandler injured, Kezama was called upon to make his debut as a CIS kicker. The fifth-year halfback acquitted himself nicely, hitting one of his two field goal attempts and all four of his point-after attempts to score the first seven points of his University of Regina career.

Mueller ended up completing 26 of his 38 pass attempts in the win, throwing for a total of 316 yards and tossing three touchdown passes. Both Jay Smith and Catlin Schneider collected their first CIS touchdown receptions in the fourth quarter, while Connor Haas hauled in a six-yard catch for a major in the second. Smith had six catches and led all players with 98 receiving yards, and Kolten Solomon had a game-high seven receptions for 80 yards.

Michael Kiapway had his second consecutive 100-yard outing for the Rams, rushing 24 times for 124 yards in the victory.

The Rams' defensive line got to Alberta quarterback Curtis Dell three times, as Logan Brooks, Benton Gieni, and Ryan Wellman each registered sacks. Kezama also had two pass breakups to go along with his two interceptions, while Chris Sciog lead the U of R with six tackles.

Dell was 17-for-32 for Alberta and ended up with 206 yards, but threw two interceptions. The third-year quarterback was also the Golden Bears' leading rusher, scrambling nine times for 78 yards and also scoring a late touchdown on a one-yard plunge. Dillon Prince had three catches for a team-high 65 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Ryley Richardson led Alberta with four receptions.

Randon Ralph anchored Alberta's defence with 9.5 tackles.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Rams got on the board early in the second after Kezama hit a chip-shot field goal from 19 yards out.
 
Alberta took the lead five minutes before halftime, as a 41-yard reception by Jess Valleau set up a five-yard catch by Prince to give the Golden Bears their first touchdown of the 2012 season and a 7-3 advantage. On the ensuing possession, Mueller engineered a nine-play, 88-yard drive that ended with Haas hauling in a six-yard touchdown pass on a third-down gamble deep in Alberta territory to give the Rams a 10-7 advantage.

Alberta's Stephen Fabian kicked a 34-yard field goal with time waning in the second quarter, sending the game into halftime with the score knotted at 10.

After neither team scored in the third quarter, the Rams took the lead for good early in the fourth when Mueller and Smith connected on a long touchdown pass. Mueller finished off a short four-play, 43-yard drive with a one-yard plunge with six minutes left in the contest, and Kezama's second interception set up Schneider's touchdown which essentially put the game out of reach.

Dell's touchdown late in the game brought the Golden Bears to within 14, but the Rams were able to kneel out the clock after a failed onside kick attempt by Alberta.

Alberta will now prepare for a road game at Manitoba (2-0) next Saturday, while the Rams will hit the road again for a Friday night game against Saskatchewan (1-1).

NOTES: Mueller jumped up the U of R's record book in a pair of categories, as he passed Mark Anderson for No. 2 on the school's all-time career passing yards list and passed Darryl Leason for No. 3 in school history in career touchdown passes ... Brooks now has 10.5 career sacks and now needs just one to overtake Sean Brimacombe for No. 2 on the U of R's career list and three to pass Stan Van Sichem as the school's career leader.