Ticats.ca
Justin Dunk
After the Ticats offence seemed to be in a second half slumber against Calgary, they will look to revive their attack against a group of Toronto defenders that are near the bottom of the league in yards allowed per game (8th) and points per game (7th).
Of the 419 yards from scrimmage that Toronto is allowing per contest this year, a large chunk of that has come on the ground. Toronto has been getting punished at the point of attack as opposing rushers have sliced through open holes to the tune of 129 yards per contest, which equals the worst rush defence in the league.
“I’ve seen what has been done against that defence, hopefully we get the same output,” Ticats running back Avon Cobourne said with a confident tone.
Any way you slice it, Toronto has been bad on defence, and with the Argos relieving Chip Garber of his coordinator duties, Orlondo Steinauer has stepped in to fill the role.
With such a short timeframe for Steinauer to introduce his new schemes and ideas, it would be hard to say Toronto’s look could be vastly different than what their film from the first six games will show.
“I think we’ll see some of the same stuff, but at the same time we have to be aware and focused that we may get something different,” quarterback Kevin Glenn said.
If indeed Steinauer does add some wrinkles to the Argos defence, the Tiger-Cats are pouring over film in hopes of anticipating what he might have up his sleeve.
“It’s always a little tougher when you’re the first team that plays them because you have to anticipate some things. I’m sure he’ll have his own stamp that he’ll want to put on it,” head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said.
“You look to that guy’s mentors and you try to look back on the film when he played and the things that he’s done,” Cobourne said. “Our coaches have done a good job of doing that, bringing some of his old film in there and some of his old mentors film and showing us some of the things that they did.”
First down defence has been a sore spot for the Argos, they have allowed an average of 7.3 yards on first down, which allows opposing offences to utilize their entire playbook on second down, on what are often second and short-yardage situations.
For the Ticats their first down production went by the wayside in the second half versus the Stampeders, which put them in many lenghty second down situations, last Saturday evening, something Glenn believes is easily fixable.
“Some people make football out to be formulas and rocket science, it’s not you just have to come out focus, and execute,” he said.
The ‘Battle of Ontario”, featuring the rivals who reside just a short ride down the QEW from each other, will be renewed for the 209th edition this Saturday.
“We’re playing for the bragging rights of the fans and the people of the city of Hamilton versus the people of the city of Toronto,” Glenn said.
The Tiger-Cats have owned the bragging rights as of late and all-time. Hamilton has won the last four regular season meetings in a row, and leads the all-time series 120-86-2.
It will be Cobourne’s first appearance in the provincial tug-of-war, but he is treating the game as just the next one on the schedule. Along with his first showing in the Ticat-Argo rivalry, Cobourne will be looking to hit pay dirt for the first time – at home – since he has been wearing Black and Gold.
“I’m hoping I get in the ‘zone’ this week,” he said.
Who could pick a better game for Cobourne to score his first home major and endear himself to Ticat fans even more, than against Hamilton’s arch rival.
