Calgary Stampeders
Ticats.ca
Justin Dunk
For the second week in a row the Ticats will take on a desperate, winless team.
Although, this time around the Black and Gold will make the cross country flight to the pacific coast to meet the currently toothless B.C. Lions at Empire Field Friday night at 10pm. Despite the Lions’ goose egg in the win column, Tiger-Cats head coach Marcel Bellefeuille refuses to believe that his team can cruise to victory in Vancouver.
“They’ve played well enough to win three weeks, and played very well against Montreal and Calgary, two very good football teams,” he noted after Hamilton’s final day of preparation at Ivor Wynne Stadium before they fly west.
After coming out of a slow start of their own last week, by pounding Saskatchewan 33-3, the Ticats want to keep the winning momentum moving in their direction. Coming out with energy and executing early, and putting the Lions behind on the scoreboard early is a major focus for the Steeltown squad.
“It’s always important to get started early on the road. It’s always tougher to play on the road, sometimes things snowball,” Bellefeuille said.
The Lions have been welcoming to their guests while playing at their temporary home, posting a 3-7 record at Empire Field. Moreover, in 2011 the Leos have surrendered 56 first half points during their three-game losing skid to open the season, so the opportunity to strike early must be capitalized on by the Cats to force B.C. to play from behind yet again.
“It’s big, especially going out to their place, to come out fast. I wouldn’t say putting doubt, but get some momentum in our favour,” quarterback Kevin Glenn said. “They’re going to have enough with their fans behind them and them playing at home in a familiar stadium.”
In the past two weeks, both losses, the Lions have managed just five total first downs in the first half of play, which has left their defence on the field for long periods of time. Opposing offences have taken full advantage, using balanced attacks to ring up points before recess and in turn, have been able to run the football and wear down the B.C. defence in the second half.
The Lions enter the contest with the worst run defence in the CFL, giving up 130 yards per game, which could be some sort of foreshadowing for a certain Ticats ball carrier.
“Every week I see Avon [Cobourne] having a break-out week,” Glenn said.
Number 22 has been solid in his first three games as a Ticat rushing for 164 yards on 34 carries, but he has not found the end zone, nor broken the 100-yard plateau yet in Black and Gold.
“I think Avon has played well, we ran the ball well last week he just happened to miss the second half with an injury. It’s going to be part of our game plan,” Bellefeuille said.
“I expect him to come out and have a good game, not just because B.C.’s run defence has struggled, just from his preparation,” Glenn added.
“It just matters with the flow of the game. Depending on the flow of the game, whether or not you get that game where you’re rushing for 100 and something yards on 20 something carries or the quarterback is passing for 300 and something yards, it’s just the flow of the game.”
