Dinos fall to Rams despite fourth-quarter push

By Maggie Hsu, September 3 2024—

The electric crowd of 5500 at KICKOFF 2024 saw the Dinos face a tough challenge in the University of Regina Rams. The Dinos got off to a slow start but forced a fourth-quarter push however, the Rams’ offense proved to be the better as the hometown Dinos fell 24-16 in their season opener.

A good offense starts with a good defense

Defensively, the Dinos were tenacious, forcing four turnovers from the Rams. Isaiah Smith and Steen Rasmussen both recorded interceptions, and the defense consistently pressured Regina’s offense. However, the Rams were efficient, with Noah Pelletier leading them with 125 passing yards and a balanced ground attack, with Jevon Garwood and Olivier Savard each rushing for 50 yards.

Despite their defensive success, Calgary’s offense struggled to translate those opportunities into points. Quarterback Dom Britton throwing three interceptions. The Dinos were shut out after the 14th minute of the first quarter, failing to get on the scoresheet until the fourth quarter. Despite these setbacks, Britton still showcased his experience as a veteran on the team, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns. 

The first was to his brother, Ben Britton in the fourth. 

“It’s lovely having a brother on the field that can calm you down and throw you a good ball every few plays in. I love seeing him work. I think he’s a great quarterback and he’s going to do great things for us.” Said Britton on playing with his brother.

Dom Britton’s second touchdown of the night was a 51-yard pass to first-year receiver, Luke Gutek. This marked Gutek’s first touchdown as a Dino.

“It was a bit of a scramble play there. So I had the seam ball and saw Dom rolling out to the right. So ran over to his side and he threw it up and came down with it.” said Gutek when asked about the long pass from Dom Britton.

The Dinos made a strong push in the final quarter, with these two quick touchdowns that brought them within striking distance. But despite their efforts, the Rams held on and sealed the game, putting the Dinos’ late bid for a comeback to a halt.

A new chapter for coach Ryan Sheahan

Returning after five seasons with the University of Guelph’s football program, where he led the Gryphons to their highest national ranking, Coach Ryan Sheahan is poised to instill a winning culture in Calgary. “U of C has always been a place where football is important, so the infrastructure is in place to be successful,” said Coach Sheahan about stepping into this role and returning to Calgary.

USPORTS presents a unique environment where athletes must balance their academic and athletic pursuits. With a diverse crop of athletes ranging from some who are fresh out of high school and have never trained at this level nor lived away from home to fifth-year athletes who are seasoned and fighting to win in what could be their last years as high-level athletes, coaches often find themselves in the roles of mentoring their players professionally as well. 

“First of all, it starts with culture. Culture is everything,” said Sheahan when asked about introducing new players into this new environment. “This is a professional atmosphere, but with a lot of people that care. The leaders on the team have taken young people under their wing. It’s a very big transitional phase and a student athlete’s life and every student’s life coming to university for the first time.”

Next stop: Edmonton

The Dinos will aim to bounce back as they hit the road for their next two games, starting with a showdown against the University of Alberta Golden Bears. This game will be crucial as Calgary seeks to iron out the issues from their season opener and secure their first win.

“I thought [the shift in momentum] was encouraging because even when it seemed grim, guys were still out there fighting. And those are things to build on. It seemed to be a compounding of errors at certain aspects of the contest and with seconds to go, we’re still fighting which means that our team cares and there are a lot of guys that care about being good and winning […] I’m proud of their effort […] There were some first-game jitters but we have to put that behind us.” said Coach Sheahan about preparing the team for their match up next week against the Golden Bears.

Calgary will need to minimize errors and maintain their fighting spirit to secure a win in Edmonton on Sept. 6.