Ticats.ca
Justin Dunk
Through seven weeks of the season, and with the Tiger-Cats away from the field on their bye week we will recap the performances of all three units; offence defence and special teams.
First up is the offensive side of the football. Hamilton has put up the second most touchdowns in the league to date, 19 to be exact. That number is just three majors behind the always-potent Montreal Alouette attack.
Kevin Glenn has guided the offence in averaging 27 points per game through the first seven weeks of the season. The 11-year CFL veteran has quickly developed a rapport with a relatively young receiving corps. Glenn has thrown extra routes to his group of pass catchers whenever possible during or after practice this year, and it has paid of for a rookie trio in particular; Chris Williams, Aaron Kelly and Bakari Grant.
Williams threw a coming out party for himself during the Ticats week three 39-31 win, catching eight balls for 189-yards and one touchdown, in B.C. Number 80’s speed is his biggest weapon when trying to create separation from opposing defenders, while he has also shown to have a reliable set of hands.
Kelly looked solid in his CFL debut on July 1 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before he was knocked out of the game with a concussion. The injury forced Kelly to miss four games, but upon his return to the lineup, and in his last two games before the bye, Kelly has shown the explosiveness he flashed on the practice field so often in training camp, snagging 11 catches for 164-yards and one score.
Grant found his way into the Hamilton lineup while Kelly was recovering from his head injury and he has come along steadily since his first CFL contest against Saskatchewan on July 16. Grant accumulated 13 receptions for 147 yards before Hamilton’s week off, including a four-catch 53-yard performance in the Ticats 37-32 win over the rival Argos – the best outing of his career to date.
There seems to be no cap on the trio’s potential, and if they continue to grow and learn at the rate they have shown during the infancy of their CFL careers, we are watching stars grow right in front of our eyes.
Much of the fanfare has been about ‘Dave’s kids’, but Dave Stala has stolen headlines of his own by becoming a redzone demon. Seven of Stala’s 25 receptions have gone for touchdowns. ‘Sticky’ is on pace to break the Ticats all-time single season touchdown record of 15 which is held by two former Tiger-Cats; running back Ronald Williams in back-to-back seasons 1999 and 2000, and Tony Champion in 1989. The last receiver to post a double-digit touchdown total in a single season was Mac Cody, who had 11 scoring grabs in 1996.
Fellow veteran, and first year Ticat Avon Cobourne has come as advertised after signing a free agent deal and landing in Steeltown this past off-season. Cobourne has injected his championship swagger and get-after-it every play attitude into the Ticats offensive huddle. Number 22 sits second in the CFL with 645 yards from scrimmage, while finding the endzone four times in seven games this season. Cobourne has been a stabilizing force alongside Glenn in the Ticats backfield with his penchant for always moving north-south, tough running style and knack for picking up key first downs in second-and-short situations.
Not to be forgotten, talented pass catcher Maurice Mann has been out since suffering a freak accident and cutting his foot open on the locker room door. Mann led the Ticats in receiving yards after the first two games of the season, but has not seen the field since, as he waits for his foot to heal. A healthy Mann will only strengthen and add even more play-making ability to Hamilton’s attack.
Of course nothing is possible on offence without the big guys who protect the passer and open up running lanes. The interior of Hamilton’s offensive line, Pete Dyakowsi, Marwan Hage and Simeon Rottier, have started and finished each game this year. Meanwhile, tackles Belton Johnson, Jason Jimenez and rookie Brian Simmons have taken the majority of reps on the end of the offensive line, with the versatile Wayne Smith filling in whereever needed up front. As a whole, the offensive line play has been stellar seven games into the 2011 regular season. Not to mention Cobourne’s presence as a pass protector, who is adept at picking up opposing blitzers, has been invaluable in giving Glenn even more time to find his targets down the football field.
After scoring a season high 37 points heading into the bye week, look for the Ticats offence to continue to pile up points and keep the scoreboard operator busy for the stretch run of the 2011 campaign.
