THE CANADIAN PRESS
After consecutive 3-15 seasons, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the CFL’s feel-good story this season, having already amassed five wins to stand second in the East Division standings.
But the Ticats will get a true indication of just how far they’ve come Friday when they face the Grey Cup-champion Calgary Stampeders (7:30 p.m., ET).
“This year, we’ve come together as a team,” said linebacker Otis Floyd, one of the many new faces in Hamilton’s lineup this season. “But Calgary is the defending champion and we have to play to our ability and limit our mistakes against a team like that.”
The Stampeders (6-4) are tied with Saskatchewan atop the ultra competitive West Division. Edmonton is third, two points back and just two points ahead of fourth-place B.C.
Hamilton heads into the game six points behind first-place Montreal in the East Division and four points head of third-place Toronto and Winnipeg. The resurgent Ticats are looking for their first CFL playoff berth since 2004.
Hamilton has had Calgary’s number at Ivor Wynne Stadium, having amassed a 7-3 record in their last 10 meetings there. But the Stampeders have won their last three games overall, including consecutive contests against arch-rival Edmonton.
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By comparison, Hamilton is 1-3 in its last four games but does sport a 4-1 home record and has amassed a 3-2 mark against West Division rivals.
“We have to respect them and give Calgary its due,” Floyd said. “That’s a very solid football team . . . but we’re not intimidated.”
Calgary’s offence leads the CFL in scoring, averaging almost 33 points per game. The Stampeders are also tops in yards per game (407), touchdowns (31) and passing yards per game (307) and third overall in rushing (115.6 yards per game).
Copeland had five catches for 117 yards and two TDs, boosting his season total to 11 already. Copeland is also second among CFL receivers with 759 yards on 48 catches. Running back Joffrey Reynolds is fourth in rushing with 679 yards, averaging a solid 5.9 yards per attempt.
But the Stampeders’ offensive catalyst is quarterback Henry Burris, the CFL passing leader with 3,002 yards who also has a league-high 17 TD strikes. Burris has also rushed for 310 yards (5.3-yard average) and four touchdowns.
What makes Burris dangerous is he can use his legs to escape pressure and give his receivers more time to get open or simply head upfield.
“On defence, you have to stop Henry,” said Floyd, who suited for many games against Burris while with the B.C. Lions. “He has looked very good this year.
“He’s a quarterback who can run but also has one of the strongest arms in the league.”
And Burris showed last week he’s more than capable of rallying the Stampeders to victory. He capped an 84-yard drive with an 18-yard TD strike to Jeremaine Copeland to earn Calgary a thrilling 35-34 victory over the Eskimos to sweep the home-and-home Labour Day series.
It marked the seventh time in 11 games Calgary had scored 30 or more points and the Stamps rolled up 459 total yards in erasing a 34-20 fourth-quarter deficit. Burris finished with 393 passing yards and three TDs and also ran for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Hamilton also has its share of offensive weapons.
Rookie running back DeAndra’ Cobb has 641 yards rushing and is on pace to become Hamilton’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Troy Davis in 2004.
Arland Bruce III (48 catches, 654 yards, five TDs) and Prechae Rodriguez (44 catches, 486 yards, three TDs) also anchor a solid receiving corps.
The Ticats also have two competent quarterbacks in Quinton Porter and Kevin Glenn. Glenn has started the last three contests, having passed for 832 yards and six TDs against two interceptions in those three contests.
Hamilton is fifth in scoring (24.8 points per game) and total offence (345.5 yards per game) and sixth in touchdowns (22).
All of which gives John Hufnagel, the Stampeders head coach and GM, plenty to worry about.
“The challenge of the Ticats, No. 1, is they play extremely well at home,” he said. “Number two, they’re an extremely well-coached football team and they also take care of the football.
“They’ve got great skill in the field, their receivers are very dangerous and now they have two quarterbacks they can parlay off each other. Whether we see them both, I’m not quite sure. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we did.”
