‘We are in a fight every weekend’: Huskies head coach not relying on hype

WATCH: The Saskatchewan Huskies football team hits the field for their season opener in Alberta this weekend.

Huskies head coach Scott Flory says he ‘couldn’t care less’ about what pre-season polls or national rankings say before opening kickoff Friday night.

“There are great athletes here in western Canada and they’re pulling from all over the place. Well coached. They are good programs, so we know we are in a fight every weekend”.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies come into the season ranked number one in the Canada West conference coach’s poll and ninth in the country.

But Flory says none of that matters in such a competitive conference where any team can win on any weekend.

“I can’t begin to tell you because all these teams, they are all so close” Flory said, adding his team cannot afford to take anyone lightly.

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Saskatchewan has several big pieces of their lineup back from last season, along with some younger athletes ready to step up and contribute.

One of them is Ethan Clazie, a third-year receiver, who is already proving he can make plays, catching a touchdown pass and leading the team in receiving during a preseason game against UBC.

That’s a pretty good start to the year for a guy who had to recover from an achilles injury.

“Last year I tore my achilles so I was recovering from that. And it felt great to come back this year and be able to make plays out there” Clazie said.

Clazie was recruited from Cochrane, Alberta in 2023, with Flory praising his ability and skill set.

“Ethan is a great player, that’s why I recruited him out of Cochrane. He’s a dynamic player, he’s got great feel, he’s got great grit.”

Clazie joins an experienced group returning on offence, including fellow receivers Rhett Vavra, Dawson Lennea and 2025 CFL draft pick Daniel Wiebe.

Running back Ryker Frank is back in the green and white, along with fourth year quarterback Anton Amundrud, who played in the east-west bowl in May, where Flory says he saw plenty of growth in his starting quarterback.

“I really saw some growth there. I think that the big thing for him. He’s got such a big arm, he can get away with things that other quarterbacks can’t. He can sit on his back foot. He can wait on some things”.

Defensively, several major pieces of the puzzle are back, including linebackers Seth Hundeby, Jacob Goldstone and Ethan Laing.

And the defensive line is looking solid with returning starters Chaz Walker, Riece Kack and Jaxson Kramchynsky.

Reece McCormick and Nathan Jule are also back in uniform after missing the 2024 season due to injury.

The Huskies open the season against the Alberta Golden Bears on Friday night.

They will return to Griffiths Stadium for their home opener on Sept. 5 against the UBC Thunderbirds.