The University of Regina Rams couldn't complete a spirited second-half comeback as they trailed 24-1 at the half to the hometown UBC Thunderbirds, but ended up on the losing end of a close 27-20 score.

Not only did the Rams (0-2) trail by 23 at the half, but they also lost starting quarterback Noah Picton in the second quarter after he absorbed a hit following a completed pass.

Though Picton was out, the second-half comeback was sparked by the play of backup pivot Tyler Vieira and a pair of huge special teams calls that saw the Rams recover short kickoffs not once, but twice in the third quarter.

The first short kick was on the opening kickoff of the second half. Immediately, Vieira took to the air and Mitch Thompson laid out for an incredible catch for a 38-yard gain. The duo hooked up again two plays later, as Vieira found Thompson behind the UBC defence for a 25-yard touchdown.

The Rams added a pair of points off a UBC conceded safety just past the five-minute mark of the third, and four minutes later Vieira engineered a nine-play, 76-yard drive that was capped by another touchdown pass to Thompson from 20 yards out.

That got the U of R to within seven at 24-17, but that would be as close as the Rams would come. Quinn Van Gylswyk restored UBC's double-digit lead with a 41-yard field goal late in the third quarter, and Regina's Andrew Fabian answered with a 32-yard field goal of his own to get it back to a one-possession game five minutes into the fourth. The Rams' final drive started on their own 30 with 3:28, and the Rams went on a 62-yard drive before a Vieira pass to the end zone was intercepted by UBC's Taylor Loffler to seal the win.

Atlee Simon had another outstanding game for the Rams, rushing for a career-high 207 yards to become the first U of R player to go over 200 since Adrian Charles had 222 in a game at Manitoba during the 2010 season. Vieira finished 17-for-31 with 286 passing yards, while Thompson had seven catches for a game-high 127 yards. Mitchell Picton led all players with eight catches and finished with a career-high 109 receiving yards.

Michael O'Connor was 19-for-37 and finished with 303 yards and one touchdown for UBC, which improves to 1-1 with the win. Will Watson had a team-leading five receptions for 78 yards, while David Mann had three catches for 99 yards. 

The Rams, who held a massive 562-328 advantage in offence yards in the game, will now turn their attention to next weekend as they'll head to Saskatoon for a Friday game against the University of Saskatchewan in a battle of 0-2 teams.

UBC (1-1) also has an away game upcoming. They'll take on Manitoba next Saturday.

NOTES: Simon moved up from No. 8 to No. 4 on the U of R's all-time rushing list, passing Mark Anderson, Derek Belvedere, Luke Derkson, and Michael Kiapway ... Simon now has 920 career rushing yards and has gone for at least 100 yards in all five of his starts in Canada West games.