• Both teams secured last-second, come-from-behind road victories in last week's semifinals. The Rams took out Manitoba 28-25 on the strength of an 11-play, 101-yard drive which was capped by a Nicholas Sirleaf touchdown with 19 seconds to go, while Saskatchewan scored two touchdowns in the final minute to take out UBC 38-33 in Vancouver.

• The stakes couldn't possibly be higher for a Rams/Huskies matchup. The winner of this game will not only become Canada West champion, but will also host the Mitchell Bowl next Saturday against either Laval or Montreal with a trip to the Vanier Cup on the line.

IT'S BEEN A MINUTE: These two teams have met only once before in the Hardy Cup, back in 2002 in a game which also featured a matchup of No. 3 and No. 4 seeds following a pair of semifinal upsets. Saskatchewan, the No. 4 seed, won that game 44-28 at Taylor Field in Regina. Current defensive coordinator Sheldon Gray played in that game for the Rams, as did Jeff Zimmer - father of Rams rookie LB Owen Zimmer.

RAMS/HUSKIES IN THE POSTSEASON: While it's the second meeting between the two teams in the Hardy Cup, it will be the sixth postseason meeting between the Rams and Saskatchewan. The Rams carry a 3-2 edge in the playoffs over the Huskies, with Canada West semifinal wins over Saskatchewan in 2001 (58-31 in Regina), 2007 (19-13 in Regina), and 2012 (31-9 in Regina). The Huskies' two wins came in the 2002 Hardy Cup and in the 2009 Canada West semifinals (53-23 in Saskatoon).

LOOKING FOR A BANNER: The Rams are on the hunt for their second Canada West title and their first since the 2000 season when they scored back-to-back road wins over Calgary and Manitoba to win the Hardy Cup. The Rams went on to defeat Saint Mary's on the road in the Atlantic Bowl that year before losing 42-39 to Ottawa in the Vanier Cup.

THE DRIVE: After Manitoba's Breydon Stubbs rumbled 58 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Bisons up 25-21 last week, the U of R offence put together an 11-play, 101-yard drive that burned 4:33 of the remaining 4:52 off the clock and lifted the Rams into the Hardy Cup. The drive was in serious jeopardy after a Manitoba sack put the Rams into a 3rd-and-12 situation, but QB Noah Pelletier hit SB Renzel Arinaza with a 19-yard pass to get down to Manitoba's 6. After a holding penalty brought the ball back to Manitoba's 16, Pelletier found WR Nicholas Sirleaf on a crossing pattern and the rookie won a foot race to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

UNDER CENTRE: QB Noah Pelletier finished 19-for-27 for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns in last week's win over Manitoba. He was at his best with the game on the line, going 7-for-7 and throwing for 98 yards on that critical game-winning drive. Pelletier twice converted on third down for the Rams, hitting SB Renzel Arinaza both times to extend the drive.

STEADY DOES IT: SB Emmett Steadman caught 5 passes in last week's win and led all players with 81 receiving yards, also a career high for the fourth-year receiver. His longest catch of the game was a 24-yard reception early in the team's game-winning drive, which got the Rams from their own 23 up to near midfield at the 47.

MAH EARNS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LB Cameron Mah was named Canada West's Defensive Player of the Week after leading the Rams in tackling in last week's win (4 solo, 5 assisted). Mah also recovered a fumble deep in Rams territory early in the second half and shared a tackle for loss with DL Toryn Swystun-Bernes.

SENIORS: The Rams expect to have three players in their fifth and final seasons of U SPORTS eligibility in the lineup on Saturday. All of them are starters including OL Parker Hodel at right guard, LB Cameron Mah at mac linebacker, and DB Jackson Sombach at falcon halfback.

TRUE FROSH: Three players have jumped right out of high school into the lineup for the Rams this year. SB Renzel Arinaza (Terry Fox Secondary), LB Liam LaBelle (Dr. Martin LeBoldus HS), and LB Owen Zimmer (Luther College HS) are all expected to be in the lineup on Saturday.

TEAM CAPTAINS: The Rams have seven captains this season including LB Cameron Mah, LB Chopper Hippe, QB Noah Pelletier, DB Jackson Sombach, RB Christian Katende, OL Connor Klassen, OL Parker Hodel, and SB Rylan Sokul.

DRAFT REPORT: The Rams had two players selected in the 2024 CFL Draft. SB D'Sean Mimbs went in the sixth round to the Saskatchewan Roughriders with the 50th overall selection, while DB Jackson Sombach was taken in the seventh round (60th overall) by the Calgary Stampeders. Both players are back with the Rams this season. LB Chopper Hippe, OL Connor Klassen, and DB Dolani Robinson all participated in the U SPORTS East-West Bowl earlier this year. This year's East-West Bowl was a showcase which featured (for the most part) players available for selection in the 2025 CFL Draft.

RAMS TERRITORY: This year's roster features a total of 98 players, 66 of whom call Saskatchewan home. The Rams also have 15 Albertans, 9 from British Columbia, 4 from Ontario, 1 from Manitoba (DL Praise Odogun), 1 from Quebec (RB Olivier Savard), 1 from Arizona (DB Cedric McCallum), and 1 from Washington (DL Maliq Washington).