I can't believed it's been 9 years since the Stampeders play a CFL game in Ottawa. Back then Ottawa Renegades was a terrible team but I believed they gave the Stamps a hard time on their last game. This season Ottawa, an expansion team is also a terrible team so here is another trap game for the Stamps. Hopefully they won't take this team lightly.
OFFENSE :
QB Bo Levi Mitchell won the game vs Ottawa this season completing 26 passes on 36 attempts for 289 yards with 3 TDs. His favorite target that game was receiver Marquay McDaniel who caught 9 passes for 117 yards and 1 TD. It looks like Canadian RBs Jon Cornish and Matt Walter are going back in the lineup this Sunday. They both practiced this week and didn't feel any headaches after. No word on whether RB Jock Sanders will be back in the lineup yet so it looks like RB Hugh Charles will be back for another game backing up Cornish. Expect R Jeff Fuller to miss a month after injuring his shoulder last game. With Fuller out, is this mean Nik Lewis is back in the lineup?
Calgary offense still leads the CFL in points per game and they are 2nd best in TD scored.
DEFENSE :
Calgary defense are the best in the CFL in giving up the least points per game. DB Jamar Wall is playing his best football lately with an INT late in the game to seal the win for Stampeders vs Hamilton. Against Ottawa this season he picked off one of Henry Burris pass and also had 1 pass knockdown with 3 tackles. DB Brandon Smith leads the defense in tackling the last time they played Ottawa.
DLine is hurting a bit. Both interior DLine Micah Johnson and Corey Mace are hurting and will miss the game. DT Demonte Bolden will be back in the lineup to replace Johnson while Junior Turner and rookie Quinn Smith will be alternating to play on Mace's position.
SPECIAL TEAM :
Returner Segerick Cunningham did an excellent job in replacing the injured Jock Sanders last game. I am hoping he'll play again this weekend returning punts or kickoff. Kicker Rene Paredes is starting to get hot again. He was 3 for 3 last game.
******************************************
GAME TIME : Sunday, August 24 @ 1pm MDT in Ottawa.
Televised by TSN and ESPN3
Based on the depth chart released this morning, Cornish, Walter and Lewis are back in. Sinopoli is out. Cunningham starts at WR. Sanders remains out so Charles is the 3rd RB this week.
Calgary :
WR Jeff Fuller(shoulder), WR Maurice Price(broken finger), RB Jock Sanders(rib), RB Martel Mallett(groin), OL Branden Craighead(ankle), DT Micah Johnson(knee), DT Corey Mace(turf toe), LB Max Caron(knee), DL DeQuin Evans, LB Glenn Love(hamstring), DT Freddie Bishop III(undisclosed), CB Brandon McDonald, R Brad Sinopli are OUT.
Ottawa :
WR Kierre Johnson(arm), OL Joe Eppele(shoulder), WR Carlton Mitchell(leg), DE Justin Phillips(broken leg), LB Anton McKenzie(bicep), DE Chris McCoy(hand), DE Marlon Smith(undisclosed), DT Moton Hopkins(undisclosed) and DL Nigel Romick(undisclosed) are OUT.
***************************
QB Henry Burris will make his 194th career start and is moving past Danny McManus(193) into the #4 spot for all-time CFL start. He will be behind Damon Allen, Anthony Calvillo and Ron Lancaster. Burris also just need to complete for 96 yards to be in 3rd place in CFL's all-time career passing yards. He will past Danny McManus' 53,160 career passing yards. This is the second time Burris will play his former and try to surpass the record. Last year, he broke the 50,000 passing yards on a TD pass against Calgary in McMahon Stadium.
Starting Line-up for Stampeders :
Offense
QB : Bo Levi Mitchell; RB: Jon Cornish and Rob Cote; SB : Nik Lewis and Marquay McDaniel; WR : Anthony Parker and Joe West; OLine : Brett Jones(C), Stanley Bryant(LT), Dan Federkeil(RT), Shane Bergman(LG) and Stanley Wilson(RG).
Defense :
DLine : Charleston Hughes(DE), Shawn Lemon(DE), Junior Turner(DT) and Demonte Bolden(DT); LB : Juwan Simpson(MLB), Deron Mayo(OLB) and Keon Raymond(OLB); DB : Buddy Jackson(CB), Fred Bennett(CB), Brandon Smith(HB), Jamar Wall(HB) and Josh Bell(S).
I feel for Brad Sinopli not playing this game because of the ratio. There is a possibility he is hurting too that's why he is scratched. I remembered him catching the ball last week and I beileved he went down akwardly. Anyways too bad because this is the same city where he played his college career (Ottawa GeeGees). I am sure some of his families and buddies are going to the game to watch him..problem is he won't be playing.
Good start then turned into a nightmare. Cornish 5 yard rush, then Charbonneau with a big gained on a passing play. Then the nightmare came... BLM pass was deflected by an Ottawa LB Pruneau and caught by DLine Williams and rumbled to the end zone. Oh well...
One team should be wearing different colour helmets. Both teams in the same helmet is tough. Especially because the Stamps have red shoulders. Those poor QBs
The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true. Go Flames Go!
GAME 8 : STAMPEDERS at Ottawa
Easy picking for Bo Levi. I wonder who's going to be the lucky receiver he'll be covering.
