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UBC Thunderbirds football coach Blake Nill has pledged repeatedly that this season’s team is the best he’s had in years, and the players continue to back him up with their performances on the field.
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UBC is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 1992 after walloping the Alberta Golden Bears 54-37 before a crowd of over 7,100 at Thunderbird Stadium Friday night as part of UBC’s Homecoming weekend.
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UBC won the Vanier Cup national title in 2015 in Nill’s first year with the program. They finished that season 11-2 but were 3-1 through the opening four games.
UBC, who were No. 7 in last week’s U Sports national rankings, amassed 666 yards of total offence on the No. 9 Golden Bears (3-1).
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Next week, the T-Birds are at the No. 5 Saskatchewan Huskies (3-1), who lost 26-22 last week to Alberta.
UBC was 7-5 last year. They lost 23-8 to Saskatchewan in the Canada West Hardy Cup final.
Quarterback Garrett Rooker was 27-of-34 for 363 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions, on Friday. Isaiah Knight ran for 185 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown, while fellow running back Dane Kapler had seven catches for 90 yards and three carries for 78 yards, highlighted by a 66-yard touchdown run.
“I think you saw the potential of our offence,” Nill was quoted on the UBC website. “Teams are going to have to deal with the fact we can score quickly, we can score through the air and once they start putting guys into coverage we’re going to run the ball. I’m happy with the way this program has evolved to a two-dimensional offence.”