Head to Head: Ticats @ Blue Bombers

BROADCAST INFORMATION

THE MATCH-UP

Friday night’s game will be the beginning of four regular season meetings between the Tiger-Cats and Blue Bombers in the first seven weeks of the 2010 CFL schedule. The match-up will be the 96th meeting between the two teams since 1959. The Blue Bombers hold the edge in the series (53-42) and also in the last 10 meetings (7-3). The Blue Bombers have won their last seven of 10 and their last four out of five against the Ticats at Canad Inns Stadium. The Ticats took two of three against the Blue Bombers last season to win the season series for the first time since 2004.

The Tiger-Cats will play their regular season opener on the road for the first time since 2007. In 2008 and 2009 the Tiger-Cats opened the CFL schedule at Ivor Wynne Stadium. The Ticats will also be looking to snap their four game opening day losing streak on Friday night. The last time the Ticats won their regular season opener was in 2005 against the Montreal Alouettes. The Blue Bombers, on the other hand, will open at home for the second time in three seasons. The Blue Bombers are winless in their last six regular season openers (0-5-1).

This will be the first meeting between head coaches Marcel Bellefeuille and Paul LaPolice. Bellefeuille has a career record of 10-16 as a CFL head coach and holds a 2-3 record against the Blue Bombers. LaPolice will be coaching his first game as a CFL head coach.

2009 STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Total Offence Per Game	358.7 (4th)	301.7 (7th)
Rushing Offence Per Game	104.7 (7th)	119.4 (3rd)
Passing Offence Per Game	271.4 (4th)	200.0 (8th)
Total Defence Per Game	347.1 (3rd)	362.4 (5th)
Rushing Defence Per Game	119.4 (5th)	109.6 (4th)
Passing Defence Per Game	246.6 (3rd)	271.4 (7th)
Points Per Game	24.9 (5th)	21.4 (7th)
Opponents Points Per Game	23.8 (2nd)	28.1 (8th)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kevin Glenn / QB / Hamilton
Glenn will face his old team for the fourth time on Friday night but it will only be his second start against Winnipeg as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In Glenn’s last start against the Blue Bombers on November 8th, 2009, he led the Ticats to a 39-17 win that allowed Hamilton to clinich their first home playoff game since 2001. Glenn completed 28 of 42 passes for 316 yards with one touchdown and ran for 18 yards on three carries and a touchdown. Glenn has a number of very good receivers at his disposal and used Drisan James frequently in the pre-season match-up between the two teams. Look for that combination to be key again if Arland Bruce is double teamed by the Blue Bombers secondary. 

Buck Pierce / QB / Winnipeg
Pierce will start his first game as a Winnipeg Blue Bomber on Friday night and will look to impress the fans of his new team. Pierce can use both his running ability and his passing ability to move the ball, something the Ticats defence will have to be aware of. Pierce will most likely look to Bombers receive Adarius Bowman, who had a big game against the Ticats on October 12, 2009. Bowman caught 10 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns and will no doubt get some extra attention from the Ticats secondary. Pierce also has CFL veteran Terrence Edwards available to him as a secondary option. 

KEY MATCH-UP

Justin Palardy vs. Jovon Johnson
Ticats rookie punter Justin Palardy will face a tough task in his first game of his CFL career as he will be required to punt to the Blue Bombers’ 2009 nominee for Most Outstanding Player, return man Jovon Johnson. Johnson finished the 2009 season with 593 return yards on 65 punt returns (9.1 yard average) and one touchdown. His combined 1,847 return yards put him second in the league behind Montreal’s Larry Taylor. Palardy will need to ensure that he uses his strength in directional punting to his advantage on Friday night to help the Ticats coverage team contain Johnson to the sidelines. If Palardy can limit the yardage on Johnson’s returns, it could have a big impact on the field position battle between the two teams.