Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-6) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-10)
Mosaic Stadium – Regina, Saskatchewan
7:30pm (CST) Kickoff
TV: TSN 1/3/4
Radio: Rider Radio Network (Pre-game Show begins at 4:30pm)
CKRM 620AM – Regina
CJGX 940AM – Yorkton
CFWD (Cruz FM) 96.3FM – Saskatoon
CJNB 1050AM – North Battleford
CJNS 102.3FM – Meadow Lake
CKBI 900AM – Prince Albert
CKBI 92.5FM – Big River
CKBI 95.9FM – LaRonge
Estimated temperature at Kickoff: Rain 11C (52F)
“Football fans share a universal language that cuts across many cultures and many personality types. A serious football fan is never alone. We are legion, and football is often the only thing we have in common.” – Hunter S. Thompson
Hello friends! This is my favourite time of year. All football, all the time!!
From Thursday night (or sometimes a group of five NCAA games on a Wednesday) through Monday night, football dominates the landscape.
Until the end of the Super Bowl in February, I find it very difficult to even dabble in anything else.
But then CFL free agency hits in February along with the NFL Combine. March is the CFL Combine, then in May it’s NFL Draft, CFL Draft, mini camps and finally we get to June and training camps begin.
So, I guess it’s football 365 days a year, I’m okay with it, and if you’re reading this, I am going to guess that you’re okay with it too.
That’s why we are feeling a couple of things right now with the Saskatchewan Roughriders:
1. Excited after the Riders 26-23 overtime victory last week over the Edmonton Eskimos.
2. Frustrated that it may be too little too late.
Sure, the Green and White remain “mathematically” in the CFL playoff race. A preposterous number of must-wins and collection of losses need to happen. It’s a fact, and we have to deal with it.
What is the next step in this chapter of the Saskatchewan Roughriders? Well, it’s actually a pretty good one.
This is where it’s great to be a fan. We went over the next group of stand-outs that have made an impact this season and two of them did it again, Ed Gainey and Justin Cox.
The biggest improvement for the Saskatchewan Roughriders is the play of the defensive backs. It was a collection of players that had never hit the field together as a unit and they were tasked with covering some of the best receivers in the CFL, with rules that are grossly weighed in favour of the pass catchers.
It didn’t start well, but now, it’s turning into a pretty solid unit. Justin Cox has played and started in all 12 games this season with Gainey playing and starting in 11 (missing the opener). Cox leads the Riders with three interceptions, while Gainey is tops on the team with 11 knockdowns (he is also tied for the most in the CFL)
The group of Cox, Gainey, Kacey Rogers, Jeff Hecht and Fred Bennett will make their fourth straight start. Perhaps the familiarity and continuity is why they are playing so well.
They will have their hands full with the Zach Collaros led Hamilton Tiger-Cat offence. Since returning to the lineup six weeks ago, the former Cincinnati Bearcat has five, 300 yard passing games. It was a streak that ended last week with a 291 yard passing performance.
The quartet of Andy Fantuz, Luke Tasker, Terrence Toliver and Chad Owens are all on track for 1,000-yard seasons.
There is a little hiccup, Owens and Tasker are out for this game. But wait, there is a second hiccup, the rain that has been falling and is expected to continue Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
This may not affect the Tiger-Cats as much as you think. This is a different Kent Austin offence. His usual pass first and pass second offence actually has a running game led by the league’s fifth ranked rusher, C.J. Gable.
Gable currently sits at 500 yards on the ground this season and has 200 more than their team leader last season (Ray Holly – 309).
The run game will be on full display on both sides of the football with the impending wet weather.
The Riders found their running game last week in their victory over the Eskimos. The 147 total yards was only the second time this season the Green and White broke the century mark and was the most this season.
In his return to the lineup, Curtis Steele ran for a season high, 87 yards and with his success, opened up a few things with the passing game.
Actually, with how the Rider offence is built, the conditions may not alter the game plan as much as many think.
This is an offence built on short passes and collecting yards after the catch. Yes, the deep outs and long passes may be toned down, but the majority of the offence is on the table.
Just remember, the TiCats beat the brakes off the Riders six weeks ago at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton. This will be a great test on just how far the Riders have come since that time.
Cheer loud!! Go Riders!!
Fast Facts:
College Ties:
Jeremy Lewis (Ham) and Kacy Rodgers (Sask) at the University of Miami
Spencer Watt (Ham) and Justin Capicciotti (Sask) at Simon Fraser
Landon Rice (Ham), Louie Richardson (Ham) and Nic Demski (Sask) at the University of Manitoba
Mathieu Girard (Ham) and Gregory Alexandre (Sask) at the University of Montreal
Aaron Crawford (Ham) and Jeff Hecht (Sask) at Saint Mary’s
Shane Herbert (Ham), Ese Mrabure (Sask) and Shamawd Chambers (Sask) at Wilfred Laurier
– Three of the adds to the Hamilton roster this week played for the Riders in 2016: Michael Ford, John Chiles, and Shane Herbert.
– Darian Durant is three touchdowns away from 150 in his career.
– 17 different Rider receivers have caught passes this season (18 if you include Darian Durant’s catch in week one).
– Eric Norwood makes his Rider debut this week. He had 20 sacks in 20 games with the TiCats in 2014 and 2015.
– Curtis Steele’s 87 yards last week was his second highest single game output (he had 92 yards against Winnipeg on August 12, 2014).
