Rams seeking measure of redemption
The University of Regina Rams will be hard-pressed to earn a victory when they visit the University of Calgary Dinos on Saturday.
But no matter the outcome, the Rams are hoping to earn something else at McMahon Stadium: Respect — and perhaps self-respect, too.
The last time the Rams faced the Dinos in a Canada West football game, Calgary won 72-8 on Sept. 25 at Mosaic Stadium.
“It was pretty embarrassing,” Rams quarterback Noah Picton said before Thursday’s practice at U of R Field. “But that’s what they do to every team. They go after your pride, your selfesteem and your confidence — and that’s what they took from us.
“To get wiped like that is a pretty demoralizing thing. Credit to them, they’re obviously a great football team, but this game is definitely about regaining some of that pride, self-esteem and confidence.”
The Dinos were the No. 1-ranked team in the CIS when they visited Regina in September. Calgary led just 7-0 after the first quarter, but scored 34 points in the second quarter to take control.
The 72 points were the most ever allowed by a Rams team in a Canada West game, topping the 60 scored by the UBC Thunderbirds on Sept. 29, 2006.
As well, the 64-point differential was the largest margin of defeat in U of R program history. The previous high was set in a 56-0 loss to Calgary on Nov. 8, 2014.
As painful as the loss was, Rams defensive back Mason Rossler said he was over it the next day.
“It’s on to the next week all the time,” he said. “After that game, we were looking to the next one right away.”
Rams head coach Mike Gibson and his staff watched the video of the Week 4 blowout, but only to see what schemes Calgary ran.
The coaches didn’t show their players the video, though; instead, the Rams watched film of Calgary’s games since its visit to Regina.
“It’s like being a corner; you have to have a short memory,” Gibson said. “You learn from it, but you don’t dwell on it.
“This is a process. I’ve said that from the day I got here and I’m not changing that drumbeat. This is the next step in the process to see if we’ve grown in the last three or four weeks. I think we have. I’ve seen signs of it.
“But before you can win, you’ve got to learn how to compete. For all but one game, we’ve competed. I’m very anxious to see if we’ll compete this week.”
Calgary (6-0-0) enters the game in first place in Canada West and remains atop the CIS rankings. The Rams are 0-6-0 and have been mathematically eliminated from the Canada West playoff race.
But Regina bounced back from the earlier loss to Calgary with a pair of productive games.
The Rams lost 34-19 to the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg on Oct. 2, but had more total offence (579 yards) than the home team (578). After a bye week, Regina again outgained Manitoba (560-533) but lost 49-46 at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday.
“We’ve improved (since the loss to Calgary),” Rossler said. “You learn more from losing than from winning.
“We learned a lot through the last couple of games and we had some time to heal up during the bye week, so I think we’re a lot better going into this one.”
The games against Manitoba helped restore some of the confidence that was lost after the game against Calgary. But Regina still has a relatively young roster — and it could be even younger this week as Gibson and his assistants try to see what backups can do.
In Gibson’s mind, those who played in the teams’ first meeting this season don’t need to be reminded about its lopsided nature.
“If I have to mention it to them,” he said, “then it’s not motivation.”