EDMONTON -- For the first time in their 27-year University existence, the Regina Rams are 6-1.
In a game broadcast live on 620 CKRM radio, kicker Ty Gorniak matched a season-high 44-yard-field goal with 25 seconds left to beat the Alberta Golden Bears 22-20 in Canada West football Saturday to keep pace with the first-place Saskatchewan Huskies, who are also 6-1, heading into the final week of the regular season.
The 18-year-old rookie Gorniak, who’s been wowing his teammates and coaches with his booming leg, tried to hit a go-ahead field goal just moments earlier but it was ruled wide right and returned back out of the end zone. He’s grateful to get a second chance at it before time had run out and isn’t questioning whether his earlier try split the uprights or not.
“I personally thought it went through but I shouldn’t have made it that close in the first place. So, that’s one me but I’m just glad that I got another chance to make it right and that’s what I did,” Gorniak said.
The Ram defence, which since week one, has led the conference in many key categories got a quick stop and the ball back for the Ram offence to get back into field goal range before the clock ran out. That, in addition to producing sacks from Liam LaBelle and Owen Zimmer, as well as a four-turnover day for defensive coordinator Sheldon Gray’s unit that included three turnovers on downs. And that doesn't include Carson Sombach's blocked punt.
Former Saskatoon Hilltop Trey Reider started the game at quarterback for Alberta but was forced to leave early after being on the wrong end of a big hit from Polischuk, making way for Eli Hetlinger to QB the Golden Bears the rest of the afternoon.
Head coach Mark McConkey wouldn’t get into the debate about whether the earlier field goal attempt was good or not, but praised the poise of his young kicker in the clutch.
“He’s been great for us and he just doesn’t get rattled and that’s the best part. He’s only 18, which is scary. He’s a stone-cold killer for sure,” McConkey said.
Leading Canada West running back Marshall Erichsen scored both Ram touchdowns for his 10th and 11th rushing touchdowns of the season, breaking the school record of nine, previously shared with Neal Hughes (2003) and Adrian Charles (2010). Limited to just 13 carries in this game as he recovers from a foot injury suffered at the end of the previous game, but still got 79 yards in the process, coach Mark says Erichsen is still too important to leave out of the offence when he’s healthy enough to play.
“He’s still recovering from his toe injury a little bit, so he just alternated drives and he ran well but his toe started to bug him a little bit so we’ve just got to keep him healthy as we head into the playoffs because he’s kind of our guy,” McConkey said.
Meanwhile, Owen Sieben made his first start at quarterback in nearly 14 months and went 20-of-30 passing for 246 yards and an interception. His head coach gave him passing marks for making things happen on some challenging broken plays.
“He was good,” McConkey said. “I thought he took care of the ball well. Even on the pick, it was just a great play by that WILL linebacker, who’s a great player for them. So, that’s not on Owen and I think he did a good job managing the game. Got us into field goal range twice, late, which was big, so he kind of did everything we expected him to do.”
After completing the second start-to-finish win of his University football career, Sieben admits to feeling a sense of relief.
“Just to be able to get into the flow of the game again, take the hits, keep going. All that stuff got easier as the game went on, for sure,” Sieben said. “I think it just comes down to trust in the o-linemen. They’ve been great all year.”
The Ram offence did surrender it’s first sack of the season after going an astonishing six games without giving up one, and their streak of just one passing touchdown did extend to 14 quarters, however no-one on the Rams have any issue with it, getting the win and working out the kinks of breaking a quarterback back into the offence after such a long absence.
Sieben made a handful of exciting throws while moving out of the pocket, including a long second-down conversion to running back Christian Katende, and a 49-yard-hookup with the team's leading receiver, Nic Sirleaf, showing the crowd at Foote Field flashes of how Sieben won the conference’s rookie of the year award back in 2023.
“Those plays are awesome because it’s just off script. I know the guys on this team making plays and the receivers do that, nine times out of 10. Having guys like that ad lib for you and get open for you, it’s awesome,” Sieben said.
With a home playoff game now clinched, the Rams have set their sights firmly on leap-frogging the U-of-S Huskies to finish first in Canada West. They will need a win or tie against UBC next Friday at home, in a special early one o’clock start from Leibel Field, then hope the Huskies lose to the Manitoba Bisons the next day.
Knowing his team won’t have to travel out of Saskatchewan again this year, coach Mark is glad his team won’t be playing a meaningless game at the end of the regular season.
“We’re going to play to win and then hopefully the team up north loses next week and we can be at home for the whole playoffs. You want to keep winning as you head into the playoffs and you want to keep that momentum going just like last year so I’m excited to play first and give ourselves a chance to get that first seed,” McConkey said.
That regular season finale against UBC this coming Friday afternoon, October 24th, which the Thunderbirds need to win in order to make the playoffs, will be heard live on 620 CKRM with the pregame show at 12:45 and kickoff at 1:00.
