QUICKLY

• The Rams got through last Saturday's semifinal against Manitoba thanks in large part to Ty Gorniak. The rookie kicker drilled a 35-yard field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime, then hit field goals on both of Regina's possessions in the extra session to help the Rams win 32-29.

• Regina's win over Manitoba sends the Rams into the BioSteel Hardy Cup against Saskatchewan. It's a rematch of last year's conference championship game, which the Rams took by a 19-14 score at Griffiths Stadium.

• The winner of Saturday's game will host the Mitchell Bowl next Saturday, Nov. 15 against the winner of the Yates Cup — the OUA title game which will feature undefeated and No. 1-ranked Wilfrid Laurier hosting Queen's.
 

#7 Regina Rams (6-2 / 1-0) at #3 Saskatchewan Huskies (7-1 / 1-0)
Date	Saturday, Nov. 8
Time	2:00 PM
Location	Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Television	SaskTel maxTV 49/349
Regina Radio	RM3
Webcast	CanadaWest.tv ($)
Live Stats	cougarsandrams.com/fbstats
Full Game Notes	Rams
Rams on Social Media	Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

LOOKING FOR SOME HISTORY: A victory for the Rams on Saturday would make them the first team in Canada West history to win Hardy Cup titles on the road in back-to-back seasons since the conference began playing a championship game beginning in 1976.

RAMS IN THE HARDY: The Rams will be playing in their seventh BioSteel Hardy Cup on Saturday, six of which have been on the road. They come in with a 2-4 all-time record in Hardy Cup games, with their wins coming in 2000 (25-22 over Manitoba in Winnipeg) and in 2024 (19-14 over Saskatchewan in Saskatoon).

RAMS/HUSKIES IN THE POSTSEASON: The two teams are meeting in back-to-back years in the playoffs for just the second time, and the first time since the Rams and the Huskies met in the postseason in 2001 and 2002. The Rams hold a 4-2 all-time advantage over Saskatchewan in the postseason. Regina had wins over the Huskies in conference semifinal games in 2001, 2007, and 2012 in addition to last season's BioSteel Hardy Cup victory. Saskatchewan's two postseason wins over the Rams came in the 2002 Hardy Cup and in the 2009 semifinals.

GORNIAK KICKS RAMS INTO HARDY CUP: K Ty Gorniak was an easy choice as the Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week after his clutch performance in the win over Manitoba. He tied Aldo Galvan's school record for field goals in a game and became the first player in U of R history to go a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals in a single game. Gorniak hit field goals from 39, 32, and 35 yards out in regulation and then hit from 22 and 38 yards on the team's two overtime possessions.

SIEBEN TAKES CONFERENCE HONOURS: QB Owen Sieben was named the Canada West Offensive Player of the Week after going 27-for-34 against Manitoba and throwing for a total of 237 yards while hitting 8 different receivers in the victory. Sieben's completion rate of 79.4% was the best in a postseason game in U of R history and the second best in any game in school history, trailing only QB Noah Pelletier's 26-for-31 performance in a win over Saskatchewan last year.

OVERTIME WARRIORS: After playing in only 7 overtime games in their first 25 seasons at the U SPORTS level, the Rams have needed extra time to settle 3 of their 9 games this season. Besides the semifinal victory over Manitoba, the Rams won 43-36 in overtime in Week 1 at Calgary and lost 31-29 in OT in Week 8 against UBC. Last week's game was the first time the Rams played an overtime postseason game, and it was just the second contest in U of R history which needed a second overtime to settle — the only other time was back on Oct. 14, 2017 when the Rams got a walk-off Daniel Scraper field goal in double overtime to finally lock up a heart-stopping 58-55 road victory over Alberta.

NEW LOOK IN THE BACKFIELD: RB Marshall Erichsen continued his strong play into the postseason last week against Manitoba, rushing 13 times for 95 yards and a touchdown while also catching a game-high 7 passes for 58 yards. Erichsen led all players with 153 all-purpose yards in the win, but went down in the third quarter with an injury that's expected to end his spectacular season. RB Christian Katende took over from there, finishing with 16 rushes for 67 yards while also collecting 5 receptions for 44 yards. Katende is expected to get the start for the Rams on Saturday, RB Quinton Fettes will move up to the No. 2 slot, and the Rams will suit up RB Gavin Whittingham for the third time this season.

RAMS BOAST 11 ALL-STARS: Canada West revealed its conference all-stars last week. The Rams led the way with 11 all-star selections including RB Marshall Erichsen, K Ty Gorniak, OL Ethan Graham, DB Max Polischuk, OL Riley Schick, WR Nicholas Sirleaf, DB Carson Sombach, DL Toryn Swystun-Bernes, OL Will Templeton, DB Jacob Tkachuk, and LB Brandon Wong. It's the most Canada West all-stars the Rams have ever had in a single season, topping the old mark of 10 set by the 2012 squad (a group which included current Rams offensive line coach Brett Jones).

MASSON NAMED GINO FRACAS NOMINEE: The conference announced Wednesday that run game coordinator Dwayne Masson has been named Canada West's nominee for the Gino Fracas Award, given annually to the top volunteer assistant coach in U SPORTS football. Masson has been a pillar of football development in the province of Saskatchewan for nearly four decades and is now in his 12th season with the Rams. The winner of the Gino Fracas Award will be announced as part of the Vanier Cup Awards Gala on Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina.

STRONG START FOR POLISCHUK: One of the Rams' record 11 Canada West all-stars, DB Max Polischuk had a solid start to the postseason last week against Manitoba. He had an interception at midfield in the first quarter which led to a conceded Bisons safety a short time later, and also had a second-quarter pass breakup on an attempted pass by Jackson Tachinski to Nathan Udoh.

MAYALA DEBUTS: SB Adley Mayala broke into the lineup last weekend against Manitoba as a depth receiver. Mayala, who came to the Rams after three seasons with the Calgary Colts, is thought to be the first player in U of R history to make his debut in the postseason. Mayala is expected to suit up again this week for the Rams.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: The Rams have now had eight Canada West BioSteel Player of the Week nods this season including the ones to K Ty Gorniak and QB Owen Sieben this week. RB Marshall Erichsen won Canada West Offensive Player of the Week honours following both Week 1 and Week 3, while DB Carson Sombach (Week 2), LB Liam LaBelle (Week 3), and LB Brandon Wong (Week 5) have all earned Canada West Defensive Player of the Week recognition. Gorniak was also the Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week following the Week 6 win.

DRAFT REPORT: OL Connor Klassen was a fourth-round selection by BC earlier this year but was injured at Lions training camp. He returned to the U of R for his fifth season of U SPORTS eligibility, but has yet to suit up for the Rams this season. Looking ahead, the Rams had four players — OL Ethan Graham, LB Colin McKellar, OL Riley Schick, and DB Carson Sombach — participate in the 2025 U SPORTS East-West Bowl, which showcased players eligible for the 2026 CFL Draft.

RAMS TERRITORY: This year's roster features 105 players, with 71 of those players hailing from Saskatchewan. The squad also has 17 players from Alberta, 12 from British Columbia, 2 from Manitoba, and 1 each from Ontario, Arizona, and Washington.