GAME 7: STAMPEDERS vs Riders - Rematch
Game Time: Saturday, August 13th at 5:00pm
Taylor Field Stadium
Televised: TSN and ESPNews
Last week Stamps defeated the Riders 35-15. Stamps scored 16 unanswered points in the 4th point and totally shut down Darian Durant and the Riders' offense in the 4th quarter. This weekend's rematch, Stamps will play in the crazy loud Taylor Field. Riders might have a huge incentive to boo and give Bo Levi Mitchell a hard time after his tweet the other day that got the Rider Nation in trouble with the CFL.
OFFENSE:
QB Bo Levi Mitchell who were awesome again late in the game attempted 37 passes and was successful 25 times for 312 yards and 1 TD pass. RB Jerome Messam had a monster game against his former team rushed 17 times for 109 yards and 1 TD. He also caught the ball 5 times for 36 yards. His plays earned him one of the Top CFL Performer of the Week in the CFL. Unfortunately Mitchell and Messam might have to play with beaten up OLine this Saturday. C Pierre Lavertu missed some practice time this week due to stinger in his neck. Shane Bergman too missed some practice time this week due to injury but Coach Dickenson thinks they might play vs the Riders. Cam Thorn who also played some centre in the first few games missed practice this week will not play. Expect rookie OLine Roman Grozman to dress up for the game. Grozman played some C position during the pre-season this year. If Riders defense shuts down the running play, Bo Levi might have to rely more on their receivers led by SB Marquay McDaniel(8 catches for 110 yards), veteran Bakari Grant(3 for 71), rookie Greg Wilson(3 for 29) and a couple of Canadian receivers Lemar Durant(3 for 29) and Anthony Parker(2 for 26 1 TD) who caught the lone TD pass by Mitchell last week. Stamps OLine did not surrender a QB sack all night.
DEFENSE:
HB Jamar Wall led the Stamps defense with 5 tackles. He actually made some nice plays and almost intercepted 2 passes. CB Ciante Evans is proving Dickenson's gut is right by playing him over Fred Bennett. Not too shabby for a young DB to have the coach sit out a good and reliable veteran DB Fred Bennett. Evans was pretty much on all the plays last week. Him and rookie Tommie Campbell have been a huge surprise for the Stamps defense. Evans had 3 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. DB Joe Burnett had a rough night watching Sask R Rob Bagg all night but he shut down Bagg in the fourth quarter and even forced a fumble that was recovered by Evans. Stamps defense sacked QB Darian Durant 3 times (Reed, Davis and Johnson).
SPECIAL TEAM:
Another recipient of CFL Top Performer of the Week is Kicker Rene Paredes who struggled with the point after TD convert but was a perfect 5 for 5 on the field goal attempt. Still can't figure out why he's been struggling on the convert but as long as he's been good with the FG, I guess nobody really is complaining. Returner Roy Finch been awesome this season returning punts and kickoff. He returned a punt for 54 yards late in the game. Finch ended up returning punts 6 times for 109 yards and kickoff 3 times for 50 yards. I cannot wait to see him go all the way to the end zone on one or two of his returns.
************************************************** ****
I feel on last game at McMahon Stadium, Stamps defense took easy on Durant's first game back after the injury. I am hoping they follow their success in the 4th quarter and follow it up in this game. We might have problems with the OLine in this game especially if both Lavertu and Bergman are not a 100% healthy BUT Stamps OLine had proven so many times last season that the replacement OLine will play as well as the starter that he replaced.
GO STAMPS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
|