Calgary Dinos get 'nose bloodied' as mistakes prove costly in football loss to Saskatchewan Huskies

SASKATOON — A handful of costly mistakes proved decisive for the University of Calgary Dinos football team, which fell 44-24 to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday night at Griffiths Stadium.

The Dinos showed they could compete with the defending Hardy Cup champions for stretches, but two untimely errors turned into two of Saskatchewan’s biggest plays.

Javin Boynton turned a third-and-one into an 81-yard touchdown run to open the scoring, and a missed field goal turned disastrous when Daniel Kubongo returned it 123 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

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“There were flashes in the game where we proved we can hang with them,” Dinos head coach Ryan Sheahan said. “But against really good football teams, mistakes cost you. There were a few errors in the middle of the game that you just cannot make against good teams.”

Calgary (1-1) had an answer early. A safety cut the deficit, and David Jordan hit Evan Smith for a three-yard touchdown and converted the two-point try to put the Dinos ahead 10-7 after one quarter.

But Saskatchewan (1-1) took control in the second, scoring touchdowns on consecutive possessions – a six-yard pass from Anton Amundrud to Thomas Jule and a one-yard plunge from Boynton, his second of the game — to lead 21-10 at halftime.

Amundrud made it 28-10 early in the third with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Keaton Belsher before Calgary briefly cut into the lead, with Jordan finding Pasquale Delmonaco for an one-yard score, the first touchdown of Delmonaco’s career.

Then Jordan hooked up with Matt Sibley on a 52-yard strike that pulled Calgary within four heading into the fourth.

But the margin didn’t hold. Kubongo’s return touchdown gave momentum back to the home team before Amundrud found Belsher again from 35 yards.

Amundrud went 20-of-30 for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while Belsher caught seven passes for 180 yards and two scores.

Jordan turned in a big night through the air despite the result, completing 35-of-45 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Sibley finished with eight catches for 146 yards.

“This is a very young team with some strong veteran leaders playing at a high level, and we need to grow from this,” Sheahan said. “In my career, teams that improve a lot need to get their nose bloodied.