USask Huskies, Regina Rams to renew bitter rivalry in historic 2024 Hardy Cup

On a cold, snow-blanketed November time astatine Taylor Field successful 2002, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies claimed their 15th Hardy Cup title successful programme past 44-28 implicit the University of Regina Rams.

Fast-forward 22 years aboriginal and the longtime, bitter Saskatchewan rivals are acceptable to bash it each implicit again.

This time, however, players similar Huskies linebacker Seth Hundeby are gladsome determination volition beryllium milder conditions this Saturday successful Saskatoon.

“I stake you there’s going to beryllium a batch of Regina fans coming up and I cognize a batch of Saskatchewan fans are going to beryllium coming out,” said Hundeby.

“I deliberation it’s going to beryllium a fantastic game. The upwind is great, truthful a batch much radical are going to beryllium coming out. I cognize if it’s a minus-20 game, a batch of radical are deterred. Great weather, large instrumentality bases, I deliberation it’s going to beryllium electric.”

It’s an improbable matchup for the 87th variation of the Hardy Cup, with some Saskatchewan programs upsetting the top-two seeds successful the Canada West playoffs to scope the league final.

Now, the Huskies and Rams volition conflict successful conscionable the 2nd all-Saskatchewan Hardy Cup.

“I deliberation it’s the champion lawsuit scenario,” said Rams antiaircraft backmost Jackson Sombach. “Like the coaches person some said, it’s the trilogy. U of R versus U of S, 1-and-1 [records], can’t truly gully it up immoderate amended than that for the Hardy Cup.”

The Rams became the last squad to unafraid a playoff spot pursuing a 3-5 regular season, nevertheless they orchestrated a comeback successful Winnipeg past Saturday to decision the Manitoba Bisons 28-25 to sound disconnected the conference’s fig 1 seed.

“People benignant of saw america arsenic underdogs successful that Manitoba game,” said Sombach. “All of america believed successful ourselves. We benignant of taken implicit that mantra of judge successful ourselves, play for each different and we’re going to triumph shot games.”

As for the Huskies, they excessively mounted a occurrence comeback successful the 4th fourth trailing the UBC Thunderbirds by 9 points with 1 infinitesimal near successful regulation.

What followed was a touchdown from receiver Ercy Avul, a recovered onside footwear and a thrust led by league all-star Ryker Frank which saw the Regina merchandise plunge into the extremity portion for the game-winning touchdown with conscionable 29 seconds remaining.

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“Going done those ups and downs it was decidedly pugnacious to support a level head,” said Frank. “Just starting retired with that Ercy [Avul] hit-stick, to the fumble recovery, we conscionable couldn’t person asked for thing crazier honestly. Coming down to that past thrust determination we knew we were going to tally the ball, truthful it conscionable comes down to america versus them.”

It volition beryllium a historical gathering Saturday, marking the archetypal clip since that 2002 Hardy Cup that the Rams and Huskies volition look disconnected for Canada West supremacy.

There’s a level of involvement and excitement implicit the crippled which Huskies caput manager Scott Flory said speaks to the passionateness for shot successful the province.

“It’s a large woody present and that trickles each the mode down,” said Flory. “Right to each six-man shot league, from Melville to each tiny community, it does and it transcends.”

“There is thing astir the [football] civilization successful this province, the endowment level and the level of importance. It matters.”

All of that past volition beryllium enactment speech erstwhile the shot is kicked off, with 4 quarters deciding the quality betwixt heartbreak and immortality.

“It’s going to beryllium a 10-round boxing match,” said Rams caput manager Mark McConkey. “It’s going to spell close down to astir apt the last whistle, the last play. We’ve played each different tough, we’ve won by five, they’ve won by two. We’re conscionable 2 truly bully shot teams.”

The 2024 Hardy Cup title crippled volition footwear disconnected astatine 1:00 p.m. from Griffiths Stadium successful Saskatoon betwixt the Huskies and Rams.