Battle-tested Dinos ready for Laval
Vanier Cup underdogs confident they can compete with No. 1 team
Jimmy Underdahl remembers the feeling of losing the 2013 Vanier Cup. So does Hunter Turnbull. But while former Calgary Dinos quarterback Andrew Buckley said Wednesday that he would have loved to have the chance to avenge his team’s loss to the Laval Rouge et Or in the 2013 national final, Underdahl and Turnbull both say revenge isn’t a big factor in this weekend’s Vanier Cup (Saturday, 11 a.m.). They just want to win. “That was a different team back then on both sides of the ball,” said Underdahl, who stepped up at quarterback in last weekend’s Mitchell Bowl against the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. “We were a young team back then and there are a lot of guys who aren’t with us anymore.
“They were a much different team, too. So while it does carry some weight for me, it’s truly a different game.”
While there are still a couple of players left over from that 2013 Dinos team, like Underdahl said, this year’s squad has a very different look.
The 2013 team featured stars-in-the-making like Buckley and running back Mercer Timmis, and while there’s plenty of talent on the 2016 Dinos roster, there’s something different about them.
That’s thanks in part to a string of bad luck that saw starter after starter go down with injuries. Players who were expected to contribute a couple years down the road were thrust into major roles and the Dinos have developed a battle-tested identity because of that.
“In years past, we had superstars on the team and we didn’t make it out of the conference the past two years,” Underdahl said.
“This year, we don’t have the all-star numbers and superstarcalibre guys that really stand out. It’s more of a focused team effort and I think that’s really gone with our whole motto this year, which is that we’re a family and we’ve got to stick together.”
Against the Rouge et Or, the Dinos will face their biggest test of the season. They firmly believe all the adversity they’ve been through will serve them well.
The Rouge et Or have been the No. 1-ranked team in the country for most of the season and laid a beating on the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in last week’s Uteck Bowl.
Of course, the Rouge et Or were seen as big favourites heading into the 2013 Vanier Cup as well, and while they left the field as champions, they never really pulled away from the Dinos in a 25-14 win.
It may be a different game with different teams and different players, but the Dinos can take solace in the fact they’ve proven they can compete with the Laval powerhouse before.
“They’re really big and they’re really well coached,” Turnbull said. “They have a great coaching staff, so it’s just game-planning and seeing who executes.
“I think all year we’ve just gone week to week and taken the opponent we’re up against. We give them respect and go play-by-play.”