Something new is afoot at Griffiths Stadium
At some point in the future — we're not sure when — an opposing player will sack Mason Nyhus into the new turf at Griffiths Stadium.
Maybe, Nyhus mused Wednesday with a grin, that might not be such a bad thing.
“It might be like falling into a pillow, hopefully,” the Huskies' starting quarterback said as his team prepared to hit the field for practice.
There's something afoot at Griffiths — something soft, compared to what used to be there. The Huskies football team practised for the first time Wednesday on their new surface, part of a $3.14 -million facility upgrade investment from the provincial government.
The team has been working out this season despite its schedule getting wiped out by COVID-19. Before Wednesday, the players used a grass field on campus.
“With the old stuff, there was nothing left,” Huskies' slotback Colton Klassen said of the previous surface.
“It was like running on concrete, or an old putting green, is what it felt like. Being on this new turf is awesome. It's a little bit spongy, but you feel explosive. And I think athletes are confident in it, that ligaments and joints are going to stay healthy. It's nice to have something new like this.”
The old turf was installed for the 2006 Vanier Cup, hosted by the U of S, and had a 10-year shelf life. It was long past its due date.
“It's going to be more crisp football,” Klassen said. "It's crazy how much of a difference a field can make.
“You see a lot of guys get hamstring injuries or soft-tissue injuries, and I think this will limit a lot of that. I think we'll be more productive in practice, we'll be able to do more, and everyone will stay more healthy overall.”
Huskies' head coach Scott Flory did a walk-through with installers on Monday, and he likes what he saw and felt.
He plans to practise on the new field up to next Friday; then the team will pack their gear and head into the off-season — not that there was an actual season, from a straight games perspective.
Flory called the chance to practise on that turf "a little bit of a reward for grinding here for a month
and a half, two months.
“We hope,” he added. “It's a short, brief winter and early spring so we can get back out here.”
The Huskies' soccer teams also have been using the new field, which was enlarged to fit their dimensions. And for the first time in a long while, the football Huskies have two full-size end zones. That wasn't possible previously because of the track.
"(Missing an entire season is) obviously not what we wanted,” Nyhus said.
“We wanted to play games. But I think coach, and the whole coaching staff, has done a great job getting morale high. We've got workouts going on, we've been doing scrimmages every Friday, so that keeps the guys motivated a little bit. And obviously, this cherry on top with the turf is a great way to end it.”