For the third time in five years, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies are heading back to the biggest stage in Canadian university football and this time, the road leads south to Regina.
The Huskies earned their berth in the Vanier Cup with a gritty 22-11 victory over the Queen’s Gaels in Saturday’s Mitchell Bowl, a win fuelled as much by emotion as execution. Saskatchewan will meet the Université de Montréal Carabins Saturday, November 22 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, a rare chance to chase a national championship on prairie soil.
But this one was different and everyone in green knew it.
Earlier this week, starting quarterback Anton Amundrud was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He was not with the team on the field Saturday, but his presence was everywhere, in the locker room, on the sideline, and in the hearts of his teammates.
Throughout the game, Huskies players frequently raised their fingers to flash the No. 11, Amundrud’s jersey number, after big plays. It became the emotional heartbeat of a team determined to carry one of their own with them to the national final.
With Amundrud out, backup quarterback Jake Farrell stepped in and delivered a steady, composed performance. His biggest moment came early, when he dropped a 41-yard strike into the hands of Daniel Wiebe for the Huskies’ first touchdown.
Wiebe finished with three catches for 80 yards and that major, helping pace a Saskatchewan offence that moved the ball when it needed to, with 149 yards passing and 140 yards rushing.
On the ground, running back Ryker Frank put the offence on his back, grinding out 131 yards on 22 carries, a workhorse effort that kept the chains and the clock moving.
The true momentum-shifting moment came on special teams.
Late in the first half, Daniel Kubongo fielded a punt at his own 25-yard line and exploded up the sideline. Eighty-five yards later, he was in the end zone, the crowd erupting as he delivered one of the biggest plays of the Huskies’ season.
Kubongo’s brilliance earned him Offensive Player of the Game honours after finishing with seven punt returns for 177 yards and that highlight-reel touchdown.
Queen’s threw everything they had at Saskatchewan, primarily through the air. The Gaels racked up 388 passing yards but found little else, just 84 rushing yards and far too many self-inflicted wounds with 11 penalties for 110 yards.
The Huskies’ defence, meanwhile, gave up yardage but slammed the door when needed, forcing field goals, third-down stops, and critical momentum shifts. Their disciplined effort, with only three penalties for 25 yards, kept the Gaels at bay.
Linebacker Seth Hundeby led the charge and was named Defensive Player of the Game, anchoring a unit that refused to break even as it absorbed pressure all afternoon.
With the win, Saskatchewan advances to face the Montréal Carabins in Saturday’s Vanier Cup — a rematch of their 2021 championship clash, and an opportunity for redemption.
