CW Football: Week 3 Preview

Sept. 18, 2026 - Three games with plenty at stake.

Week 3 of the Canada West football season gets underway Friday night with a pair of intriguing matchups in Edmonton and Vancouver, before Calgary and Manitoba close out the weekend Saturday afternoon in Winnipeg.

The conference-leading Regina Rams face their toughest test yet when they visit UBC for a sold-out Homecoming clash. Saskatchewan travels to Edmonton looking to build on an impressive Week 2 victory, while Alberta searches for its first win of the season.

On Saturday, Calgary and Manitoba will both try to move above .500 in a rematch of two tightly contested games from last season.

Through two weeks, Canada West games have been unusually one-sided, with an average margin of victory of 23.7 points. Let's see if that trend continues, or if this weekend's matchups will come down to the wire.

Here's everything you need to know heading into Week 3.

No. 7 Saskatchewan Huskies (1-1) at Alberta Golden Bears

Friday, Sept. 18 | 6:30 p.m. MDT at Foote Field

How to watch:

Quick Overview: Saskatchewan heads to Edmonton looking to build on a resounding Homecoming victory, while Alberta continues its search for its first win of the season.

The Huskies responded to their season-opening loss with a 44-24 victory over Calgary, generating 464 yards of offence and scoring five offensive touchdowns.

Quarterback Anton Amundrud completed 22 of 33 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns, becoming just the fifth quarterback in Huskies history to surpass 500 career completions. He needs 14 more to move past Brent Schneider for fourth on Saskatchewan's all-time list and 198 passing yards to overtake current offensive coordinator Mason Nyhus for fifth in program history.

Rookie receiver Keaton Belsher also delivered a breakout performance against Calgary, catching seven passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He leads Saskatchewan in all three major receiving categories and ranks third in Canada West with 223 receiving yards.

Daniel Kubongo provided the game's defining moment, returning a missed field goal 123 yards for a touchdown to set a new Huskies program record.

Alberta fell to 0-2 following a 43-10 loss at UBC, but the Golden Bears have found success moving the ball through the air. They rank third in the conference in passing yards and second in passing first downs, although that production has yet to translate into consistent scoring.

Receivers Isaiah Sanderson and Isaiah Edwards have combined for 25 receptions and 345 yards through two games. Rookie Ayden McDonald added five catches for 132 yards and a touchdown against UBC.

The Golden Bears will need to tighten up defensively after allowing 565 yards of offence last week, including 419 on the ground. They are surrendering an average of 41 points and 439 yards per game through the opening two weeks.

Head-to-Head: This will be the 177th meeting between the longtime rivals. Saskatchewan won both regular-season matchups last year, earning a 29-20 victory in Edmonton before defeating Alberta 31-24 in Saskatoon.

No. 4 Regina Rams (2-0) at UBC Thunderbirds (1-1)

Friday, Sept. 18 | 6 p.m. PDT at Thunderbird Stadium

Quick Overview: The only remaining undefeated team in Canada West faces a major road test as Regina visits UBC for a sold-out Homecoming game at Thunderbird Stadium.

The fourth-ranked Rams have established themselves as the early conference leaders, opening the season with decisive victories over Alberta and Manitoba while allowing just 16 combined points.

Regina's rushing attack powered last week's 23-8 win over Manitoba. Christian Katende and Carter Ashman each surpassed 100 yards as the Rams produced 228 yards on the ground and 470 yards of total offence.

The duo now occupies two of the top three spots in the Canada West rushing race, giving Regina a formidable one-two punch out of the backfield.

UBC will counter with a run defence allowing just 83 yards per game, the second-best mark in the conference. The Thunderbirds have held their opponents scoreless in five of the last six quarters.

The T-Birds enter the matchup with renewed confidence after rebounding from a difficult opening-week loss with a dominant 43-10 victory over Alberta.

UBC rushed for 419 yards in the win, led by a breakout performance from rookie Marvyn Larozar. The first-year running back recorded 185 rushing yards and four touchdowns and now leads Canada West with 296 yards on the season.

Quarterback Drew Viotto gives the Thunderbirds a dangerous passing threat alongside that emerging ground game. The 2025 conference passing leader has completed 63.6 per cent of his attempts for 501 yards and two touchdowns through two weeks.

Nearly 8,000 fans are expected to pack Thunderbird Stadium as UBC tries to hand Regina its first loss and earn a second consecutive victory.

Head-to-Head: UBC has won the last two meetings between the programs, including a victory over Regina in the final week of the 2025 regular season.

Calgary Dinos (1-1) at Manitoba Bisons (1-1)

Saturday, Sept. 19 | 2 p.m. CDT at Dakota Collegiate

How to watch:

Quick Overview: In an eight game season, every game has playoff importance - and this one may go a long way to determining the Canada West postseason picture.

Two 1-1 teams meet in Winnipeg looking to bounce back from Week 2 losses and keep pace in a tightly contested race. With the AC/DC Power Up tour taking over Princess Auto Stadium, the clash will take place at the intimate confines of Dakota Collegiate.

Calgary pushed defending BioSteel Hardy Cup champion Saskatchewan into the fourth quarter before the Huskies scored 24 unanswered points to pull away for a 44-24 victory.

Despite the loss, quarterback David Jordan delivered another strong performance, completing 35 of 45 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Through two games, Jordan leads Canada West with 694 passing yards, a 77.1% completion percentage and six touchdown passes.

Receiver Matt Sibley continued his impressive start to the season with eight catches for 146 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown. He leads the conference with 252 receiving yards and is tied for the Canada West lead with three touchdown receptions.

Linebacker Everett Schmuland was a bright spot defensively, recording seven solo tackles against Saskatchewan.

Manitoba returns home after suffering a 23-8 loss at Regina. The Bisons trailed 18-2 at halftime and were unable to recreate the offensive success they enjoyed in their season-opening 40-22 victory over Saskatchewan.

The Bisons will look to re-establish the physical ground game that helped them produce one of the biggest results of Week 1. Calgary, meanwhile, will try to build on a passing attack that has averaged 347 yards through its first two games.

Head-to-Head: The teams split two close games last season. Calgary earned a 15-14 victory at McMahon Stadium in September before Manitoba responded with a 33-31 win in Winnipeg the following month.

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