Huskies looking to earn second straight Vanier Cup berth

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team is looking for another shot at a national championship.

On Saturday, the Huskies will face off against the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in the Uteck Bowl in Antigonish, N.S. A victory for the Huskies means advancing to the big game for the second straight season. Last year’s Vanier Cup was won by the Western Mustangs, who narrowly defeated the Huskies 27-21.

Scott Flory, head coach of the Huskies, said they have a challenge in front of them going on the road and playing without the home field advantage in conditions that could get tricky.

“We prepare for all that stuff … and, obviously, as best we can for the weather conditions. It may be windy. You just don’t know what you’re going to get coming off the ocean,” Flory said.

He said his team will have to prepare and adjust, just like it has done all season. The team’s confidence is especially high after defeating the UBC Thunderbirds last week in the Hardy Cup.

The Thunderbirds were the only team to defeat the Huskies this season. That loss came on the road in B.C., so Flory knows his team is going to once again have to adjust for the time difference when it heads east.

This will only be the second time in history the Huskies and X-Men have faced each other on the field. The last time they played was in 1996, when the Huskies won 31-12 to claim the Vanier Cup.

A lot is on the line Saturday, Flory said, but the team is staying grounded.

“We try to win each game, and try and go 1-0 this week, and that’s all we’re trying to do,” he said.

“We’ve got a great opponent ahead of us … They’re well-coached, they’ve got a bunch of guys from Western Canada out there, so it’s going to be a tough, hard, fast football game.”

The coach said one thing the Huskies won’t do is make excuses while playing on the road.

“There’s only four teams left in this country. If we’re not prepared, and we’re not ready to go, that’s on us. And I know our guys are dialed in, and they’re ready to go,” Flory said.

They aren’t looking back at any previous seasons either, he added, as it’s all irrelevant going into Saturday.

Kickoff for the Uteck Bowl will be 11 a.m. (noon ET) as the Huskies try to earn their 11th appearance in the Vanier Cup.