By: Justin Boone
If you’re an opposing receiver lining up against the Ticats, and your route is set to take you over the middle of the field, watch out for oncoming traffic.
Lurking between the hash marks is safety Ryan Glasper, yet to make an explosive hit this season, and he is getting restless.
“It’s coming,” he assured me after practice on Tuesday, even going as far as to describe the play most likely to end in the head-on collision. I won’t give away the blue prints, but if you see the receivers running short routes, leaving Glasper free to roam, brace yourself for impact.
The 5’11, 215-pound defensive back hailing from the appropriately titled hard-hittin’ New Britain, a small town in Connecticut, speaks with a devilish smile when he thinks about making a momentum-changing tackle. He has seen the way a knockout blow can alter the psyche of both the offence and defence on both clubs. Receivers think twice before they reach for a ball over the middle, knowing the pain they incurred earlier in the game, that is, if they remember it.
In a year where there has been big performances (See: Jesse Lumsden, Jarious Jackson, Geroy Simon, Markeith Knowlton, Javier Glatt), great stories (See: Anthony Calvillo’s return, Ticats over Argos in Toronto) and finishes that have kept fans in the seats right till the very end (See: Esks over Stamps, Riders over Tabbies); the Grey Cup is overflowing with excitement.
While Glasper may come up with a nice stat-line, complete with a double-digit tackle total, or multiple interceptions, he knows that a sudden strike in the secondary can alter the outcome of any game, and even help build an identity for a young defence.
This Is Our League, but in between the numbers on the field, that’s Ryan Glasper’s crash-test zone.
The Ins and Outs
(Storylines from around the CFL)
In full swing – After ending last season on a tear, Stampeders wideout Ken-Yon Rambo has picked up right where he left off. The Ohio State product has 12 touchdowns in his last 13 games, dating back to last season. So far in 2008, he has 20 receptions, 259 yards, and two scores, something the Ticats secondary will be taking into account when they match-up against him this week.
Let The Cat Out Of The Bag – When he arrived at training camp with the Tiger-Cats, RB Tre Smith was a virtual unknown. He played behind two Top 10 NFL draft picks at Auburn, but he was no sure thing to make the team. Fast forward two months and the high-speed ball carrier leads the league in combined yards, with 182 rushing, 19 receiving, 333 kickoff return yards, 135 punt return yards, totaling 669 yards. His 182 rushing yards are also good for fifth in the entire C
FL, with an average of 13 yards per carry.
In The Zone – Last week B.C. Lions receiver Geroy Simon fell “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” in the weekly Ins and Outs,” but I cautioned that we would hear more from Geroy. He wasted no time coming up with a 7-catch, 192-yard, 2-touchdown performance in the team’s third game of the year. In what was an emotional week due to the sudden loss of Bob Ackles, the entire Lions team responded with their best outing of the season, sending the Bombers to an 0-3 mark.
Out Of Sorts – Ricky Ray wowed fans with a 400-yard game in Week Two, so it might have come as a surprise that while Edmonton put up 47 points against the Argos, Ray threw for a very pedestrian 213 yards and only one touchdown. The damage was done on the ground by the Esks running back A.J. Harris who had a pair of scores. Tiger-Cats fans will get a closer look at Ray when he travels to Ivor Wynne Stadium on July 25.
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“All around, this is what we prayed for. This kind of situation where we pray that everything goes well and this will be gone from our system, but it is something special to see – my wife up in the stands.”
Veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo speaking about how inspiring it was to see his wife, Alexia, back in the crowd in Montreal. Calvillo left the Alouettes late last season to be with his wife as she underwent chemotherapy to treat B-cell lymphoma.
Follow The Leader
(Leaders from CFL and the Ticats)
CFL Rushing – HAM Jesse Lumsden – 48 carries, 362 yards, 4 TDs
Ticats Rushing – HAM Jesse Lumsden – 48 carries, 362 yards, 4 TDs
CFL Passing – MTL Anthony Calvillo – 81/118, 1,025 yards, 7 TDs
Ticats Passing – HAM Casey Printers – 48/75, 645 yards
CFL Receiving – MTL Kerry Watkins – 17 receptions, 298 yards, 3 TDs
Ticats Receiving – HAM Pat Woodcock – 9 receptions, 179 yards
CFL Tackling – MTL T.J. Hill – 25 Tackles
Ticats Tackling – HAM Markeith Knowlton – 19 Tackles
CFL Interceptions – Six Players Tied – 2 INTs
Ticats Interceptions – HAM Chris Thompson – 1 INT
CFL Sacks – B.C. Lions Cameron Wake – 5 Sacks
Ticats Sacks – HAM Darrell Adams – 3 Sacks
Let me know your thoughts on the week by sending your e-mails, comments, or questions to jboone@ticats.ca
