Golden Bears looking for first win after loss in Regina

You could feel the difference right away. The Regina Rams leaned on its ground game and wore Alberta down. Two Rams backs, Marshall Erichsen and Christian Katende, both topped 100 rushing yards, a rare occurrence. Erichsen finished with 171 yards plus a touchdown. Katende added 112 plus another touchdown.

Quarterback Noah Pelletier joined in too. He ran for two short majors and tossed a touchdown to Renzel Arinaza. By the end of the night, Regina had piled up 298 rushing yards. Alberta managed just 67. That gap told the whole story.

The Bears’ offence did not stall in the passing game, however. Quarterback Eli Hetlinger played sharp, completing 78 per cent of his passes, for 310 yards, and three touchdowns. His favourite targets were Carter Kettyle with 76 yards, Kolby Hurford with 62 yards and a touchdown, and Tanner McBride, who caught a 14-yard touchdown.

But one throw came back to hurt. With the Bears in the red zone looking for a fourth-quarter comeback, Hetlinger aired it out into the endzone. Regina’s star defensive back Carson Sombach jumped the route, sprinted 109 yards, and scored the dagger with less than two minutes left, killing any hope of a comeback. This marks Hetlinger’s second pick-six of the season: one in each regular season game.

Turnovers kept Alberta alive early, with Rams fumbling three times in the first half. The Bears turned those mistakes into 17 points. At halftime, it was anyone’s game at 23–17. Regina put together long, grinding drives, and pulled away by taking advantage of time-of-possession. Alberta’s defense stayed on the field too long, and it showed. By the end of the game, the defense looked tired and defeated, especially near the line of scrimmage.

Looking forward

So now the Bears sit at 0-2. That sounds rough, but let’s examine our opponents. Saskatchewan in week one, and Regina in week two. Those are the two teams most people expect at the top of Canada West, and they are both ranked top 10 in the country. Luckily, the schedule gets friendlier from here.

This Friday is the big one. The Calgary Dinos (1-1) come to Foote Field. The Dinos are the Bears’ oldest rival. They started the year near the bottom of the league rankings, but they surprised people with a quick jump in rankings, to just outside the top 10. They will not roll over, however, they are not the opponent that the Huskies or Rams are.

This game feels like a chance to reset. A home crowd. A familiar opponent. A chance to show that Alberta’s passing game can shine plus the defense can step up against the run. If the Bears can find balance on offense, mixing an efficient ground game with tightened gaps on defense, they have every chance to win.

After Calgary, the Bears visit Manitoba, then return home against the University of British Columbia (UBC). Those are winnable games, both ranked well below our previous opponents. If the Bears can come up with a win on Friday, it gives them momentum going into those weeks, optimistically projecting them at 3-2 entering week six. But it all starts Friday.

So grab some friends, wear your green and gold, and head down to Foote Field for the 6:30 p.m. kickoff this Friday. Cheer loud. The Bears are hungry for a win, and it could come right here at home against our biggest rival.