Box Score

Playing in their first game at the new Investors Group Field, the University of Regina Rams suffered a 34-15 loss to the Manitoba Bisons in Canada West football action on Saturday afternoon.

The loss was a costly one for the Rams in all aspects. They not only drop to 1-4 in Canada West play this year, but quarterback Cayman Shutter - who came in as the nation's leader in passing yards per game - sustained an injury in the second quarter and did not return. The Rams will now likely need to win all three of their remaining games to have a chance at a postseason berth.

Running back Anthony Coombs and quarterback Jordan Yantz both had a game-high 97 rushing yards for the Bisons, while Yantz completed nine of his 17 pass attempts for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Andrew Smith, Bryden Bone, and Matt Hallock all had touchdown receptions for Manitoba, with Smith catching three balls in total for a game-high 107 yards including an 89-yard touchdown catch with under a minute to go in the first half.

Tremaine Apperley had a pair of interceptions and Brett MacFarlane added another for the Manitoba defence.

Shutter was 9-for-15 for 88 yards before being injured. John Kiesman came on in relief of Shutter and completed 13 of 28 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, but was picked off three times.  The highlight for the Rams in the loss was provided by fifth-year slotback Mark McConkey, who caught a game-high six passes for 50 yards and surpassed former teammate Chad Goldie as Canada West's all-time receptions leader.

Ryan Wellman led the Rams' defence with six solo tackles including a pair of tackles for loss, while Michael Stefanovic picked up a fumble at midfield and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown to notch the second longest fumble return in school history.

Manitoba's special teams unit set the tone early for the Bisons, as a blocked punt was picked up for a touchdown by D.J. Lalama to give the home side an early six-point advantage. Manitoba closed out the first quarter with another major, with a nine-play, 75-yard drive being finished off by an Andrew Barry one-yard rush with 38 seconds left in the opening period.

After Yantz's touchdown pass to Hallock gave Manitoba a 20-1 advantage six minutes into the second quarter, Shutter was injured on the next play from scrimmage. Shutter rushed for a 16-yard play on a designed keeper, but was hit after a feet-first slide and was attended to on the field for several minutes. Manitoba's Craig Linnen was assessed a disqualification penalty on the play.

The Rams looked as if they'd go into halftime with momentum on their side following Stefanovic's fumble return touchdown, but Yantz's long connection to Smith gave Manitoba a 27-8 advantage heading into halftime.

After both teams went scoreless in the third quarter, McConkey hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass from Kiesman early in the fourth to pull the Rams to within 12 points, but that was as close as they would come. Bone's 26-yard touchdown catch restored Manitoba's 19-point lead midway through the quarter and essentially sealed the win for the Bisons.

The Rams will be back at home next Saturday against Alberta (0-5). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.