Frankly Speaking: Rams looking for Six in the (Winnipeg) City

By Greg Urbanoski

On Saturday afternoon on a goose-lined field on the University of Manitoba Campus, the University of Regina Rams will get an early start on their playoff season against the University of Manitoba Bison.

The Rams are 5-1 and have clinched a play-off berth in Canada West heading into this game, and also have a five game winning streak and a possible shot at first place, but for Rams Head Coach Frank McCrystal, the increased intensity of the game will give his team a taste of what it will take to be successful in the post season.

“This week we’ve been busy preparing and all of these games are now big,” said McCrystal.

“The teams are jockeying for position in the playoffs, but the important thing for us is to play well irregardless of the result. We have an outside shot at first, but if we play well, the rest of the playoff picture will take care of itself.”

The Rams opened their season with a 36-13 loss against the Bison and to win the season series will have to win by 24 points. But leaving the chase for first aside, the Rams have put together a five game winning streak using a combination of quick strike offensive aerial plays, timely running and a defense that has raised its level of play against the run and made timely interceptions against the pass.

The Bison are 6-0 and are riding a 15 game regular season undefeated streak. This is a veteran team, that rises to a challenge from other teams, but has not really jumped in front of other teams and put them away early. If the Rams want a gauge as to how far they have come both physically and mentally since the start of the season, the Bison provide a very good gauge.

“The Bison are the same team they have been since we saw them at the start of the season,” said McCrystal. “They’ve done all the things we expected them to do both on offense and defense and they are just very solid. They have tapped into the Juniors, particularly from B.C., and have gotten some very good players from there.”

McCrystal said the Rams have improved in a number of ways since that first game. The Rams have enjoyed contributions made on offense from first year players like Brenden Owens and Kolton Solomon and from second year players like Jordan Sisco.

“Getting Mat Nesbitt back on defense has made a difference for us,” said McCrystal. “It took some time for him to get back into our system but once he picked up on it our defense has improved from day to day and from game to game.”

The Rams offense has been making quite an impression on the stats page, but McCrystal said the Bisons defense has been together for awhile and is a very solid unit. While there were questions at the start of the season about how graduations at the linebacker position would affect the level of play, the players the Bisons have put in there have been playing solid for them.

“For us to have success we just have to do the things we’ve been doing,” said McCrystal. “Our offensive line has been playing very good and while they are out-aged considerably by Manitoba, I think our offensive line is big and athletic enough to give us opportunities.

“Defensively if we play well, we will play with confidence and physically be able to stay with Manitoba.”

Offensively the Rams will be going to Winnipeg without Graham Mosiondz who might be back for the Rams following game against the University of Saskatchewan. Steve Wilson is back after sitting the last game with injuries while defensive lineman Bjorn Person is still out with injury.

McCrystal also addressed a question raised in Wednesday’s issue of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix which listed Steve Ryan as a “former Ram” who was stepping in to be an NDP candidate for Wood River after the previous candidate stepped aside.

“Yes, Steve is a candidate, yes he is playing for us on Sunday and no, he is not a former University of Regina Ram,” said McCrystal.”