Dinos football finishes record-breaking season
By Sonny Sachdeva, November 3 2015 —
The Dinos football team played their final game of the 2015 regular season on Oct. 31, stomping the University of Alberta Golden Bears by a score of 64–28.
It was an emotional victory for the Dinos, as it marks the end of quarterback Andrew Buckley’s regular season career at the University of Calgary. Currently in his final year of CIS eligibility, Buckley will move on from the program after the Dinos complete their upcoming postseason run.
As he moves on, he’ll do so as one of the greatest quarterbacks in CIS history. Buckley’s performance in the Dinos’ final game of the season allowed him to break the CIS record for passing yards in a single season. With 463 passing yards in the University of Calgary’s victory over their provincial rival, Buckley’s record-setting total moved to 3,162 yards on the year.
The University of Ottawa’s Derek Wendel had a record-breaking performance of his own just one week prior, barely topping the 2013 mark of 3,132 passing yards in Ottawa’s final game of the year. However, Buckley and the Dinos’ prolific offence quickly put Wendel’s achievement to rest as the Dinos’ passer topped the former record by over 30 yards.
“There was so much turmoil in the offseason,” Buckley said after the record-setting victory. “We were just hoping to grind through and get into the playoffs. At the start of the season, we realized we had potential, and we really just kept the ball rolling from there.”
The Dinos finish their 2015 campaign with an undefeated record, going 8–0 for the second time in three years. The U of C also broke the Canada West record for most points overall, putting up 471 in total — the second-most among all CIS teams after the University of Western Ontario’s 494.
While the regular season was a memorable one, Buckley knows his club’s work is far from finished.
“It’s back to work tomorrow,” Buckley said. “We realize what an opportunity we have this year and the veteran leadership on this team, and we know the kind of work it’s going to take going into the playoffs.”
The Dinos kick off their playoff bid on Nov. 7 when they take on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies at 1:00 p.m. at McMahon Stadium. The matchup will undoubtedly be a favourable one for the U of C, as the Dinos went 2-0 against the Huskies this season while racking up a combined score of 103–34.