Huskies' defence, special teams stifle Gaels to claim Mitchell Bowl crown

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies are heading down Highway 11 to the Vanier Cup, punching their ticket with a hard-fought 22-11 victory over the Queen's Gaels in the 2025 Mitchell Bowl on a chilly November afternoon in Saskatoon.

Despite a golden run through the OUA playoffs, the Queen's Gaels saw their Vanier quest come to an end against a relentless and opportunistic Huskies squad that made crucial plays in all three phases of the game.

Queen’s got started on the right foot, with Tyler Mullan putting the opening kickoff into the end zone for a single point and a quick 1-0 lead. However, that would be the high point for the Gaels' offense for much of the first half.

Saskatchewan quickly responded, with quarterback Jake Farrell connecting with Daniel Wiebe on a 41-yard touchdown strike to take a lead they never relinquished. The Huskies then delivered a massive blow in the second quarter when Daniel Kubongo fielded a punt and weaved his way 85 yards for a spectacular touchdown, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and giving Saskatchewan a 14-1 halftime advantage.

The Gaels emerged from the break with renewed purpose, engineering a sharp seven-play, 87-yard drive capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Alex Vreeken to Cedric Smith. The momentum was short-lived, however, as the Huskies' defence pinned Queen's deep in their own end and forced a safety just minutes later, restoring the eight-point lead at 16-8.

Queen's continued to battle, moving the ball effectively through the air as Vreeken amassed 388 passing yards. A 13-yard field goal from Mullan early in the fourth quarter brought the Gaels to within five points at 16-11. But the Huskies' defence, led by a game-high nine solo tackles from Lucas Scheck, consistently bent but didn't break in critical moments.

Saskatchewan kicker Lukas Scott iced the game with a pair of clutch field goals in the final frame, from 44 and 24 yards out, to seal the 22-11 victory.

While Queen's won the statistical battle in several categories, including first downs (25 to 15) and total offense (440 yards to 287), it was Saskatchewan's big plays—the punt return TD, the long passing score, and timely sacks—that proved to be the difference.

Saskatchewan’s Kubongo and Seth Hundeby were named the offensive and defensive players of the game.

With the win, the Canada West champion Saskatchewan Huskies (10-1, 7-1 CW) advance to the 60th Vanier Cup, set for next Saturday at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. They will face the Uteck Bowl champion Montréal Carabins (9-2, 6-2 RSEQ), with kickoff set for 1 p.m. local time.

Tickets for the Vanier Cup are available at www.usportstickets.ca.