Frankly Speaking: Rams beat Dinos despite injuries

By Greg Urbanoski

The University of Regina Rams beat the University of Calgary Dinos 42-17 Saturday afternoon to move their record to 4-1.

Included in that total were six touchdown passes by Quarterback Teale Orban, some nifty running from Derek Belvedere and a defense that rose to the challenge in stopping Calgary and sent their starting quarterback to the sidelines with a hand injury.

So what’s not to like?

“Our special teams were inconsistent,” said Rams Coach Frank McCrystal. “We had some good plays and then we’d let them have some big plays.

“Our defense has to stop them from running down the middle. They have a very good running back in Anthony Woodson and they got us down in the first quarter by going down the middle.”

So what was there to like?

“Even though we were down in the first quarter, we kept them out of the end zone (only allowing the Dinos to score on a field goal). Our passing game was really working well and that allowed us to pull away.”

The aforementioned first quarter was a potentially alarming one for the Rams which saw defensive lineman Bjorn Person go out with a leg injury and linebacker Steve Wilson leave the game after absorbing a big hit. 

McCrystal didn’t know the extent of the injuries following the game, but allowed that Person’s injury may be a season ending one. Wilson may have suffered a concussion, but nothing was definite.

The injuries forced the Rams to readjust their defense by moving players around and bringing players off the bench. Those changes were exploited by the Dinos who came out in the first quarter running at the Rams, rated first in Canada West in run defense, but their opening drive stalled and the Dinos settled for a field goal.

Orban shook off a shaky start and hit Chad Goldie running a beautiful sideline route and getting behind the Calgary defender for the first Rams touchdown. Orban exploited the Dinos on passes down the sideline and middle to score touchdowns, raising the question of whether the Rams were going after what they regarded as weaknesses in the Dinos line-up.

“Not particularly,” said McCrystal. “We were taking what they were giving us and if they played a particular defense, then we could go after it in a number of ways and those particular plays came open for us.”

The Rams following their Thanksgiving meals will now prepare to meet the University of Alberta Golden Bears, who the Rams beat earlier this season 24-22. A win against the Bears would lift the Rams to a 5-1 record as they head into the last part of their season with road games against the University of Manitoba Bison and University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

“We just taking this one game at a time,” said McCrystal. “Manitoba is going to be tough to beat but in Canada West this year it is very competitive and you can’t take any team lightly. Each team has very good players and if you start looking past a team to the following game, you are going to be surprised.

“So we are going to enjoy this, eat some Thanksgiving turkey and then start getting ready for the University of Alberta. They are going to come here looking to give us a good game and we have to be ready for them.”

TOP OF PAGE