CW Football: Week 9 Preview

Oct. 30, 2026 - One final weekend. Plenty still to be decided.

The Canada West football regular season reaches its thrilling conclusion this weekend, with first place and the final spot in the BioSteel Hardy Cup playoffs still up for grabs.

The race for first place and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs will be decided on Friday night in Vancouver, where the No. 4 Saskatchewan Huskies (6-1) visit the No. 8 UBC Thunderbirds (5-2) in a battle for the conference's top seed. Saskatchewan can secure first place with a win or a loss by 10 points or fewer, while UBC needs a victory by at least 11 points to leapfrog the defending conference champions.

Saturday's matchups will focus on a different race - one for the final playoff berth, with both Regina and Calgary looking to secure their spot. Regina (3-4) can clinch with a victory at Manitoba, and would leapfrog the Bisons for the third seed if they do so.

If they don't, Calgary (2-5) can sneak in with a victory over the rival Alberta Golden Bears (1-6). The Dinos own the head-to-head tiebreaker with Regina thanks to a dramatic win over the Rams back in Week 5.

Here's everything you need to know heading into the final week.

No. 4 Saskatchewan Huskies (6-1) at No. 8 UBC Thunderbirds (5-2)

Friday, Oct. 30 | 6 p.m. PDT at Thunderbird Stadium

How to watch:

• Stream live on CanadaWest.TV - Powered by BioSteel

• SaskTel maxTV: Channel 49

Quick Overview: First place is on the line as two of the country's top-ranked programs meet in a regular-season finale with major playoff implications.

Saskatchewan enters the weekend atop the conference standings following a hard-fought 21-19 comeback victory over Alberta. Down by one with under a minute to go, the Huskies pushed upfield, setting up a James Keane 41-yard walk-off field goal, helping the Huskies extend their winning streak to six games.

The Huskies boast the conference's most productive offence, averaging 37.6 points and 474.4 yards per game. Fifth-year quarterback Anton Amundrud leads Canada West in passing, averaging 325.4 yards per game with 15 touchdowns through six contests. Rookie receiver Keaton Belsher has emerged as one of the conference's top offensive threats, ranking second in receiving yards (711) and leading the conference with five touchdown catches.

UBC heads home following a 21-17 comeback victory over Regina. The Thunderbirds outscored the Rams 15-3 in the second half, forcing two turnovers and limiting Regina to just 79 yards after halftime.

The 'Birds have been particularly impressive defensively, allowing just 19.6 points per game. Linebacker Isaiah Cooper and defensive back Ches Rednour-Bruckman have helped anchor a unit that has shown significant improvement throughout the season.

Offensively, UBC is led by running back Marvyn Larozar, who leads the nation in rushing, while Trey Montour provides another major threat in the passing game.

The stakes are straightforward: Saskatchewan claims the No. 1 seed with a victory or a loss by 10 points or fewer. UBC needs to win by at least 11 to finish atop the conference standings and potentially earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Head-to-Head: Saskatchewan defeated UBC 34-24 in their first meeting on Oct. 3 in Saskatoon. The Huskies have won their last five meetings against the Thunderbirds, including the last two Canada West semifinal matchups.

Regina Rams (3-4) at Manitoba Bisons (4-3)

Saturday, Oct. 31 | 2 p.m. CDT at Princess Auto Stadium

How to watch:

• Stream live on CanadaWest.TV - Powered by BioSteel

• SaskTel maxTV Channel 48

Quick Overview: A playoff berth is already secured for Manitoba, but the Bisons have plenty to play for as they host Regina in the regular-season finale. The Rams, meanwhile, are playing for their postseason lives.

Manitoba punched its ticket to the BioSteel Hardy Cup playoffs with a convincing 33-11 victory over Calgary last weekend. The Bisons forced three first-quarter interceptions and leaned on a dominant ground game that produced 248 rushing yards.

Running back Aidan Wiberg earned Canada West Offensive Player of the Week honours after leading the way with 123 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries, while Ishe Matanga added 97 yards. Defensively, the Bisons held Calgary out of the end zone, with linebacker Nic Pereira recording seven tackles and an interception.

The Bisons can secure the third seed with a win over the Rams, which would keep an outside shot of hosting the BioSteel Hardy Cup on Nov. 14 alive. Meanwhile, a Regina victory would see the Rams leapfrog Manitoba in the standings thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker. Neither team can move higher than the third seed.

Regina arrives in Winnipeg following a tough 21-17 loss to UBC. The Rams held a 14-6 halftime lead and twice moved in front in the second half, but surrendered the go-ahead touchdown with just 1:01 remaining.

Quarterback Owen Sieben threw for 153 yards and a touchdown, while Kaiden Banfield led the ground game with 95 yards and scored Regina's lone major. Defensively, Jacob Tkachuk recorded seven solo tackles, while Kaeden Brennan added an interception.

The Rams still control their playoff destiny. A victory over Manitoba guarantees Regina a postseason berth, while a loss would leave the team needing Calgary to lose its remaining game against Alberta to sneak into the fourth and final playoff position.

Head-to-Head: The Rams ran past the Bisons 23-8 in an early-season Week 2 matchup in Regina.

Calgary Dinos (2-5) at Alberta Golden Bears (1-6)

Saturday, Oct. 31 | 3 p.m. MDT at Foote Field

How to watch:

• Stream live exclusively on CanadaWest.TV - Powered by BioSteel

Quick Overview: The Battle of Alberta closes out the regular season with Calgary still holding onto a chance at the postseason.

The Dinos enter the final weekend needing a victory over their provincial rivals, along with a Manitoba win over Regina, to claim the fourth and final playoff position.

Calgary is coming off a 33-11 loss to Manitoba in its regular-season home finale. Quarterback Jet Zakrzewski threw for 181 yards and added another 63 on the ground, while receiver Matt Sibley hauled in four catches for 57 yards.

Sibley has been one of the conference's most productive receivers throughout the season, leading Canada West in receptions (46), receiving yards (776) and receiving yards per game (110.9).

Alberta enters the matchup at 1-6, with its lone victory coming against Calgary earlier this season. The Golden Bears claimed a 42-35 win in that contest behind a record-setting performance from running back Seth Poelzer, who rushed for 312 yards.

The Bears nearly doubled their win total last week against Saskatchewan, pushing the No. 4 Huskies to the limit before falling 21-19 on a last-second field goal.

U SPORTS Football Top 10 (Oct. 26)

Don't Miss a Moment on CanadaWest.TV – Powered by BioSteel

It's a great time to secure your All-Access or Football Regular Season Sport Pass on Canada West TV – Powered by BioSteel, which allows you to watch every Canada West regular-season football game live and on-demand for one low price.

Fans can also stream Canada West TV on popular Connected TV apps like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku.