WINNIPEG – The Regina Rams beat the Manitoba Bisons with their playoff lives on the line on the final day of the Canada West regular season.
Carter Ashman ploughed through the Bisons defence for 267 all-purpose yards and two rushing touchdowns, while Ty Gorniak added four field goals in a 26-15 win that clinched a postseason spot.
The 4-4 Rams finish third in Canada West, ahead of the Bisons with the same record by virtue of sweeping the head-to-head series. That sets up a playoff showdown with the Saskatchewan Huskies next Saturday in Saskatoon.
The Rams went into halftime with a 13-2 lead and 11 points stood as the margin of victory after a furious second half in which both teams scored 13 points.
A relieved Rams coach Mark McConkey was happy to not have to dread a bus ride home hoping for help on the out-of-town scoreboard, after guiding his squad through a nervous final 30 minutes.
"That's kind of the Rams' way," he said. "We never really put teams out. I thought we were in control of the game and then it got a little dicey there at the end, but we got back to doing what we're good at in running the ball and trusting our guys.
"The defence made big stops when we needed them. The offence ran the ball and killed the clock when we needed it."
The Bisons scored all their offensive points on touchdown passes from quarterback Cole Anseeuw who finished 23-of-29 passing for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Nathan Udoh and Mikun Odunuga found the end zone in a losing cause.
Rams quarterback Owen Sieben completed his first eight passes and some long second-half throws to help ice the win.
The victory means there will be a third straight Rams-Huskies playoff confrontation. Sieben gave all the glory to his offensive line for paving the way.
"They've been that way all year," Sieben said. "We said at the start of the year we've got the best group in the country and every week they just continue to prove it. I'm just so thankful to play behind those guys. They're the best.
"We've been saying we're built for playoff football. We've got a lot of grit to us. We've got a lot of trust in everybody and got it done when we needed to."
Sieben went 15-of-19 passing for 208 yards and one interception while getting sacked once.
The win marked Regina’s fifth straight over the Bisons, three of which have been either in the playoffs or had major playoff implications like this game did.
Special teams played a big part in the Rams closest win of the season.
Gorniak, who only had to punt twice on this day, set a new school record with 23 field goals this season, breaking Perry Scarcelli's old mark of 20. He went 4-of-5, clanging two of them off the upright, including one that sailed through.
Regina also blocked two Manitoba field-goal tries on a day the Bisons went 0-for-3 in that category.
The Manitoba loss drops the Bisons to the fourth seed and a playoff date with the UBC Thunderbirds on the west coast next weekend. The defeat also eliminates any possibility of them playing any home games in the playoffs.
As for the Rams' impending playoff rematch with the Huskies, who have split the last two Canada West championship games, Sieben says the work has already begun.
"We know the rivalry," he said. "Both teams know each other really well. We've just got to have a great week of practice. I know we'll have a great plan going in and have just got to execute.”
"I told the guys we're going to enjoy this win for about 15 minutes," McConkey added. "And then on the bus ride home we're all watching U of S film and getting ready for the semifinal up there."
That playoff game next Saturday will be carried on 620 CKRM from Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon.
