(VANCOUVER)-The Regina Rams didn't steal a win out of Vancouver, they pounded one out.
Two red zone interceptions, one by Liam Platt and another from Liam LaBelle, coupled with a 196-yard rushing performance by Marshall Erichsen guided the University of Regina to a 37-20 win over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Friday night in a game heard live on 620 CKRM.
Erichsen rumbled with 27 carries and leads the country with 482 rushing yards in three games. Head coach Mark McConkey was asked if his running back can keep this up.
"I probably could have done a better job of getting [Christian] Katende in there but Marsh got rolling and when a guy's rolling, you keep feeding him the ball," McConkey said. "I didn't realize how many yards he rushed for but he's playing well so we'll keep going."
The 17-point win in front of a noisy crowd at Thunderbird Stadium, fuelled by a boisterous group cheering for the Rams, wasn't a true reflection of how close this game was.
Trailing Regina 10-3 early in the second quarter, UBC quarterback Derek Engel tried a 46-yard touchdown throw that was intercepted at the three-yard-line by Regina defensive back Liam Platt. On the very next play, quarterback Noah Pelletier rolled right in his own end zone and found Nic Sirleaf for a 62-yard pass and run that setup a Sirleaf touchdown catch later in that same drive.
A season-long 44-yard Ty Gorniak field goal on the final play of the first half gave Regina a 20-6 lead at the half. McConkey had no hesitation putting his 18-year-old kicker in that spot.
"He's been outstanding. I think he hit the pole on the first one which is bad luck but he drilled the long one right before half and now we've got confidence in our special teams with a young guy kicking it like he's cold-blooded."
Two Thunderbird third quarter touchdowns whittled that lead down to 23-20 by the fourth quarter, until Pelletier spotted rookie receiver Blake Laidlaw with a 42-yard touchdown pass early in the final frame to regain the momentum.
With the score 30-20 and the momentum see-sawing back and forth, UBC star receiver Shemar McBean caught a 40-yard-bomb that landed the T-birds on the Rams two-yard-line before Regina linebacker Liam LaBelle pulled off two stellar defensive plays that essentially put the game on ice.
First, a seven-yard sack on Engel pushed the Birds back and then an interception on the next play returned out to the 45-yard-line salted things away for the Rams first 3-0 start since 2002. Making two clutch plays at such a crucial part of the game, LaBelle surprised even himself.
"When you get the ball like that you zone out, run as fast as you can and so I didn't feel anything until I got to the sideline," LaBelle said.
The win sets the stage for a first-place showdown Friday in Saskatoon against the University of Saskatchewan. If the Huskies win over Manitoba Saturday, it would create the first ever 6-0 start for the two Saskatchewan teams in Canada West history.
