Rams, Huskies set for all-Saskatchewan battle at Mosaic Stadium

An all-Saskatchewan showdown will take place Saturday, as the University of Regina Rams and University of Saskatchewan Huskies lock horns at Mosaic Stadium.

It’s the annual U-Prairie Challenge that pits the two rivals against each other in U Sports football action.

The Rams come into the game with a 2-1 record as they fell to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds last time out.

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Rams linebacker Owen Zimmer said players don’t need extra motivation for this game against the Huskies.

“We’re ready for this week. I have a big fire in me now after last year of two really close games but disappointing outcomes,” Zimmer said.

The Huskies also have a 2-1 record but are coming in as winners of their past two contests.

“They are a really good football team. We know they are going to be sound structurally. We know they have good athletes. They know our roster, and we know them. There won’t be many surprises; they will have a wrinkle, and we will have a wrinkle,” Huskies head coach Scott Flory said. “It’s going to come down to line of scrimmage play; it’s going to come down to execution … I think there’s a lot of similarities between the programs and it is going to come down to who wants it a little bit more and execution.”

The Huskies won both contests last season against the Rams, earning a 22-20 win in the regular season before beating Regina 25-24 in the Hardy Cup.

Huskies quarterback Anton Amundrud played in the regular season game but not in the playoffs, as he was battling cancer last season.

“It’s exciting. They are a good team and it’s a fun game playing your rivals. Knowing we have a lot of connections across the province here, so it’s always a fun game and it will be really good,” Amundrud said.

The Huskies come into the game as Canada West’s top offence, scoring 43.7 points per game. Meanwhile, the Rams’ defence is the top of the conference as they only surrender 13.7 points per game.

“(The Huskies) are a super solid team across the board,” Zimmer said. “They brought in some younger guys to fill in some big shoes from last year and I think they have done a great job of stepping in and not missing much of a beat. Ultimately, it’s nothing we can’t handle and nothing we’re not prepared to handle. We’re going to do our job and do our job to the best of our ability and hopefully show some of their new guys what we are about.”

Coming into the weekend, Canada West had four teams at 2-1.

“Every game is super crucial. Even the past three games we’ve had, you would think based on prior scores, the games would go differently but then you play the game and it’s a totally different matchup and situation,” Zimmer said. “A win against the Huskies and against the (Calgary) Dinos means the world in terms of our seeding, as we only have one shot against them.”

Kickoff for the game is set for 2 p.m.