Bears football fall to Huskies in final seconds
Golden Bears leading up until ever what they thought was the final whistle.
Graeme KellyA snowy day on the pitch at the University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ home turf proved to be quite the game for the visiting Golden Bears football team.
The Bears went into this game with one win under their belt and five losses in the regular season. The Bears were looking to redeem themselves against the Huskies. In late August, the Huskies won 35-1 in the preseason. In the Bears conference season, the Huskies won again with 65-12 at Foote Field.
As of October 26, Saskatchewan was ranked fourth in the country, the highest-ranking of the Western universities. With the University of British Columbia (UBC) next in eighth place. A UAlberta win would’ve been a big upset, and that was looking possible for the majority of the game.
The Bears were making themselves known on the scoreboard with safety points and field goals. Alberta led 7-0 going into the second quarter. Saskatchewan caught up with a touchdown, safety and a rouge to end the first half 10-7.
It was next Alberta’s time to battle back, after another safety from the Huskies. Christian Veilleux scored a touchdown with a Jack Dumont catch for an eight-yard pass. A safety and then Charlie Wiersma’s field goal from 19 yards meant that Alberta was back in the lead 19-12 going into the final quarter.
The Huskies were down by seven points; they crawled back with a duo of field goals by Husky James Keane at 32 and 25 yards to bring them within one point of Alberta, 19-18. With just under five minutes left on the clock after Keane’s 25-yard goal, the Bears’ defence kept their offence busy.
Final moments change the game for the Huskies
In what the Bears thought was the last play with only seven seconds left on the clock, Alberta’s Jake Gehlert tackled Husky Aulain Penner to the ground before the last whistle blew. The Bears erupted onto the field for what they believed was a huge 19-18 win.
This celebration wouldn’t last long as referees asked Alberta to head back to their bench. The referees requested for one second be put back on the scoreboard. This means that James Keane had the chance for a field goal in a snowy crosswind from 41 yards after a quick timeout. Keane makes that kick, and the Huskies prevail for a final 21-19 win.
Despite the last-minute game-changing decision, the Alberta Golden Bears still made a difference in the flurry. The teamwork and perseverance meant that Alberta still had points and statistics to add to the season total.
Veilleux went 11-for-25 for 119 yards and his one touchdown in the third. Sirani Brown ran for 94 yards, while Veilleux added 40 yards on the ground. Receiver Isaish Sanderson had four catches for 73 yards while Ahmed Mahmoud collected three catches for 37 yards.
The Saskatchewan Huskies’ win brings their record to 6-1. After their win against the Bears, they faced UBC on October 30 and lost 59-24, bringing both teams to a 6-2 record tied for first place.
The Bears have a 1-6 record, after their final game against the University of Calgary Dinos, where Alberta lost 34-19 at home. That loss means the end of the 2026 University of Alberta football season with a 1-7 record.
Alberta will miss out on the 89th Hardy Cup, but the top four teams, UBC, Saskatchewan, Regina and Manitoba will face off to be Canada West Football champions.
