Dawson Lennea’s first collegiate touchdown was — as University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ head coach Scott Flory puts it — “one of those wacky things.”
Here’s Lennea’s personal descriptor: “It ended up being pretty goofy.”
His 86-yard touchdown catch against the Manitoba Bisons just before the Thanksgiving bye was an exercise in improvisation: The throw to Jesse Kuntz was tipped into the air by a defensive back, and corralled by Lennea 12 yards downfield. Alert and cool, he ran 74 more, goal-posts getting bigger with every step.
“I was trying to stay calm, just keep running and breathing,” says Lennea, whose Huskies return to action Saturday at Griffiths Stadium (1 p.m.) against the Regina Rams. “It was pretty exciting, watching the goalpost get closer.”
The catch, which ignited the Huskies home crowd, put an exclamation mark on Lennea’s sharp statistical spike of late. The Martensville resident joined the Huskies out of Bishop Mahoney prior to the 2022 season, and entered this campaign with a career total of three catches for 21 yards.
This season, his receiving yardage totals are, in order: 14, 27, 12, 46, 87, 162.
That last number — seven catches, 162 yards and the long touchdown — came as the Huskies beat the previously undefeated Manitoba Bisons 42-24.
“You’ve seen the evolution of Dawson,” Flory says. “First year getting acclimatized, last year getting on the roster, and now this year he’s starting to grow and blossom. He’s a a talented young man, and he works his butt off.
“It’s one of those progressions you see in young athletes. They come in, they’re trying to figure it all out, and then things start to slow down as they get more reps. You see them grow and develop, and that’s the evolution you’re seeing with Dawson.”
Lennea was helped on the touchdown scamper by running back Ryker Frank, who sprinted downfield, kept pace with the receiver, and threw a block on the last Bison with a chance to make a tackle. Lennea says he thanked Frank for his contribution, while Flory has teased his receiver a bit, asking who between the two has a better 40 time.
It’s the kind of play — and banter — that happens with a team playing well, and the Huskies have done just that lately after an awful start. They lost three of their first four games, then beat Alberta 33-30 before toppling the unbeaten Bisons.
Saskatchewan is now 3-3, and sits third in Canada West behind Manitoba (5-1) and British Columbia (4-2). Alberta, Calgary and Regina are all 2-4, with four of the six conference teams advancing to the post-season in a few weeks.
So it’s tight — and now the Rams, who beat Saskatchewan 33-28 earlier this season, are in town.
“We’re starting to get a little bit of confidence, and find out who and what we are,” Flory said. “The effort, the commitment level, the physicality has always been there. Now we’ve got to refine it, we’ve got to eliminate mistakes, and execute. That’s what all this late-season stuff comes down to, is execution.”
The Rams have lost four straight games, including a 23-20 setback against Calgary prior to the bye, after winning their first two.
In the other weekend games, Calgary plays at UBC on Friday and Alberta hosts Manitoba Saturday.
Lennea, meanwhile, is enjoying his role in this latest playoff push, making the daily commute from Martensville while getting regular receiver reps.
“The last couple years, I’ve just tried to stay ready,” he says. “And when I get the opportunity, I want to do what I can to make the most of it.
“It’s why you play football — you love the game, and you want to be out there.”
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