Rams win 1st one.

This gives them 1 more home win than the Riders ! Actually , the Riders won their exhibition game , but that was so long ago, who even remembers?

REGINA, Sask. – It took 55 minutes for them to find the end zone, but the University of Regina Rams were still able to lift the lid on the 2011 season with a 15-7 win over the Manitoba Bisons on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference game at Mosaic Stadium.

First-year running back Michael Kiapway scored on a nice 13-yard run just past the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter, giving the Rams their first major of the game and extending their lead to eight.

Manitoba's Anthony Coombs scored the lone major of the first half, hauling in a 10-yard pass from Khaleal Williams five minutes into the second quarter. The Bisons took a 7-5 lead into halftime, as the Rams got an 18-yard chip shot field goal from Chris Bodnar in the first quarter and added a pair of points on a conceded Bisons safety in the second.

Bodnar's second field goal of the contest – a 39-yard effort – gave the Rams an 8-7 advantage early in the third quarter. Neither team scored again until Kiapway's major late in the contest.

Kiapway ended up with a game-high 77 yards on 10 rushes for Regina, while newcomer Jay Smith led all players with 44 receiving yards. Quarterback Marc Mueller played the first half for the Rams and was 9-for-18 with 79 yards. Adam Grilj, Jamir Walker, and Joey Dwyer all registered interceptions for the Rams, while Justin Edralin and Zach Gorski tied for the team lead with 3.5 tackles.

Coombs led the Bisons with 64 rushing yards, while Williams completed seven of his 13 pass attempts for 112 yards and a touchdown. Stu Schollaardt had three catches for 39 yards for Manitoba, which was led defensively by Evan Gill's 5.5 tackles and a sack. The Bisons also had three interceptions, as David Berg, David Ferrier, and Riley Coates all had picks.

The Rams open up the Canada West schedule at home next Friday at 7 p.m. against UBC. Manitoba will entertain the Calgary Dinos on Saturday in Winnipeg.

(Courtesy Cougar Athletics)