In a matter of days, celebration has turned to preparation for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.
The Huskies are fresh off winning the program’s 22nd Hardy Cup championship over the University of Regina Rams 25-24 on Saturday in comeback fashion in the fourth quarter, however their attention has turned to an even bigger prize next weekend.
“[Canada West] is a really good conference,” said Huskies linebacker Seth Hundeby in a U Sports press conference over Zoom on Monday. “To get out on top is really a testament, a lot of testament to the guys. Just every snap and every down going through it.”
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Trailing 24-9 entering the fourth quarter against the Rams, Saskatchewan mounted a big comeback over the final 15 minutes of play to keep their season alive with a Lukas Scott field goal on their final drive of the game.
For head coach Scott Flory, it was a microcosm of the ability to overcome adversity the team has showcased throughout the Canada West season, especially when it comes to injuries.
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“Talking about resiliency, we sometimes throw that word around but I truly see it and feel it with this group,” said Flory. “I’ve never felt for a second this year that we’re not going to win any football game that we’re on the field for, not for a second.”
Making his second playoff start in relief of an injured Anton Amundrud, Jake Farrell completed 25 of 35 pass attempts with 356 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns.
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If called upon again, he’ll likely be a major factor next Saturday for the Huskies as they shift their focus to hosting the Queen’s University Gaels in the 2025 Mitchell Bowl.
“This past weekend winning the Hardy Cup really meant a lot to this group and all the work we’ve put into this season,” said Farrell. “Just a lot of respect to Queen’s this upcoming weekend, just really excited to play them. I know they got a great group over there, they got a lot of great athletes and a great coached team.”
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Joining the Huskies as one of four programs still left vying for the Vanier Cup national championship, the Gaels are coming off their biggest victory in over a decade in the 2025 Yates Cup in the Ontario University Athletics conference.
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Visiting the undefeated Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, the Gaels would hold off a late comeback to earn a 30-27 victory and win their first Yates Cup title since 2009.
“We’re excited about bringing our program back to the national stage,” said Gaels head coach Steve Snyder. “I couldn’t be more proud of what our guys have accomplished so far. Now it’s just about resetting ourselves, staying steady and getting ready for I think what will be the ultimate challenge going to Saskatchewan to play the Huskies.”
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Gaels quarterback Alex Vreeken threw for 169 yards and a touchdown in the Yates Cup victory and said the chance to fly west and play in the Mitchell Bowl is something they’ve been chasing after an up and down regular season.
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“I know the group is very excited to go out to Saskatchewan,” said Vreeken. “Another blue-blood program of Queen’s University football and we have a ton of respect for them. Very excited and it should be a great game.”
The last time the two programs met in Vanier Cup playoffs was back in the 1989 Churchill Bowl, which was played in Saskatoon and saw the Huskies pull out a 30-10 victory to advance to the national championship game.
Given the long wait since their last meeting, there’s little to go off of in pre-scout this week other than film according to Flory.
“We haven’t played for 30-something years or something like that as programs,” said Flory. “I think number one is that we get all the film, so you just try to digest that as much as you possibly can.”
“You really don’t know until you step on the field, until you feel some of the differences between conference play and the opponents as well.”
When the ball gets kicked off on Saturday between the Huskies and Gaels, a spot in the Vanier Cup in Regina will be on the line.
Fifth-year veterans like Hundeby are embracing the chance to wear pads for at least one more game, with the prospect of a national championship still burning bright in their final few weeks as a university athlete.
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“As a fifth-year going into playoffs just realizing as a motivational thing it’s like, ‘Hey man, if we win this game I get one more week of football with these guys,’” said Hundeby. “I’m just super grateful that I got another week of football with these guys.”
The Huskies and Gaels will kick off the 2025 Mitchell Bowl at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, with the winner moving on to the 2025 Vanier Cup against either the Montreal Carabins or the St. Mary’s Huskies.
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