Huskies hunt for Vanier Cup breakthrough in home province against high-flying Carabins

When the Saskatchewan Huskies take the field for the 60th installment of the Vanier Cup, the group will be backed by a familiar emotional force that has followed the team since early October.

The Canada West champion squares off against the RSEQ victor Montreal Carabins at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Saturday, no more than two weeks after its star quarterback, Anton Amundrud, began treatment for lymphoma.

Huskies players were rocked by the news of Amundrud’s diagnosis — delivered to the team by head coach Scott Flory — following the 23-year-old’s brilliant Week 5 performance against the Alberta Golden Bears.

Backup pivot Jake Farrell has since stepped in and helped Saskatchewan engineer an unblemished 5-0 record, culminating in a 22-11 Mitchell Bowl win over the Queen’s Gaels last week.

The Huskies (10-1) defence stonewalled the Gaels throughout the contest, while third-year wide receiver Daniel Kubongo’s 85-yard punt return helped supplement an inconsistent offensive performance.

Under coach Flory, Saskatchewan will make its third Vanier Cup appearance in five years, having fallen short in 2021 and 2022.

The program has hoisted the trophy three times (1990, ‘96, ‘98) but has been unable to achieve a breakthrough, going winless in its last six attempts in the final.

However, Flory — a Canadian Football Hall of Famer and member of the Huskies’ 1998 championship squad — believes the current iteration can finish the job.

“There’s a different edge to this group here right now,” Flory said after the Mitchell Bowl.

“You can see that on the field … you can see it in the preparation from our end. You can feel it in the physicality and how we're playing. There's a focus here.”

U of S Huskies to face Montreal Carabins in 60th