By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersMaybe one of the only things that didn’t unfold as smoothly as planned for the UBC Thunderbirds Saturday night in Winnipeg against the No. 10-ranked Manitoba Bisons was the bobbled snap that wiped out a 32-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter.In that instance, kicker Alexander Hillyard simply improvised, calmly […]
Tag: Manitoba Bisons
UBC football 2026: Bringing balance to its offence the key as ‘Birds look to win third straight game on Saturday! The rub? Blue and gold haven’t won at Manitoba Bisons since 2018!
By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersVANCOUVER — It’s hard to believe that the 2026 Canada West football season is reaching its midway point this weekend.It’s even harder to believe that a UBC Thunderbirds team looking to win its third straight game will reach the halfway juncture without having yet committed a balanced four-quarter performance to tape.Can the […]
Despite epic rally from 25 points down at half & freshman QB Drew Viotto’s 473 yards passing, UBC falls 35-31 to Manitoba! Thunderbirds’ Canada West playoff hopes take another hit!
By Howard Tsumura(VarsityLetters.ca)For the UBC Thunderbirds, it’s been a season in which its ‘ups’ have been doing their brave best to battle a plethora of ‘downs.’And perhaps that’s why after answering one of its most listless opening-half performances in a decade with a second half that seemed to come out of nowhere, it became almost […]
Tsumura on UBC Football: My two big takeaways from impressive win over No. 8-ranked Manitoba! Why ‘Birds have an enviable QB situation, and why anyone would covet the blue-&-gold’s front 7!
By Howard Tsumura (VarsityLetters.ca)VANCOUVER — It’s not that Blake Nill misunderstood the question.More than that, it’s all part-and-parcel of the DNA of post-game coach speak to remain in the moment. You know, the micro… not the macro.Yet, in the aftermath of a Canada West season-opening 21-9 victory over the No. 8 Manitoba Bisons here Thursday […]
More drama, more lessons learned, more proof, following 26-24 upset of No. 4 Manitoba, that UBC Thunderbirds football is once again a program on the rise!
VANCOUVER — The UBC Thunderbirds looked so good off the opening kick-off Saturday at home to the Manitoba Bisons that it appeared like the young team’s continued resurgence was going to be high-pointed with a blow-out victory.Alas, along the way to what was nonetheless a milestone 26-24 win over the No. 4 nationally-ranked Bisons (3-1), […]
UBC-Mantoba Football Notebook 10.21.21 edition: The skinny on rookie QB Rooker, the return of Gavin Cobb, ‘Birds rising WR Robert Lutman & much more!
VANCOUVER — Fans of UBC Thunderbirds football have delighted in the potentially season-changing fourth-quarter of last Saturday’s rally from 23-0 down to beat the Regina Rams on the road 31-30 in overtime and move to 1-2 on the season.Yet this week’s Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) visitor to Thunderbird Stadium, the No. 4-ranked Manitoba Bisons, showed […]
UBC Football: ‘Birds hit midway mark of Canada West season plagued by giveaways, penalties in 37-19 loss at Manitoba
The UBC Thunderbirds spent the week leading up to Saturday afternoon’s key Canada West clash in Winnipeg against the Manitoba Bisons building the good vibes they hoped would bring about a sharp turn in their road as the 2019 Canada West season reached its midway mark.Instead, a fumbled hand-off on its first series, a surrendered […]
Kory Nagata: How UBC’s second-string RB saved the day, honing his skills with Blue Mountain State Goats touch football team
VANCOUVER — Playing out of position on a recreational touch football team named after a fictional television series?
Blake Whiteley: An epic comeback underway at UBC as West Van tight end looks to shake years of rust, injury at Texas with hometown Thunderbirds
VANCOUVER — It’s no easy task to spend the years of a college football life in anonymity when you stand 6-foot-5, tip the scales at 248 pounds, and own an on-field intangible that those in the sport label as ‘a presence.’
UBC FOOTBALL: How the ‘Birds new 2018 class can lean on and learn from 2015’s rookie class of Vanier Cup champions
VANCOUVER — His imprints may still seem fresh, yet with his fourth fall training camp at the helm of UBC football officially set to open today, you could say that Thunderbirds’ head coach Blake Nill has finally got some blue-and-gold tradition of his own to lean on.On Thursday afternoon, 16 sleeps ahead of its Canada […]