Mark Stephen
CFL.ca
There are plenty of sub-plots, story lines and intrigue to the Calgary Stampeders game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday. And that’s before the ball is even kicked off!
The most obvious of the many headlines that can be queezed out of this matchup is Calgary’s desire to snap a two-game losing streak. In John Hufnagel’s three-plus years in Calgary, the team has never lost three straight – and they don’t intend to start this weekend.
The team is also seeking some redemption from an ugly 55-36 loss to Hamilton at Touchdown Atlantic in Moncton last weekend. The fifty-five points surrendered was the second highest total in franchise history. The only time they had more opposing points on the board was in a 70-18 loss in Toronto in 1990. If that doesn’t rattle a team, nothing will.
The Stamps would also like to put on a better show for their home-town fans. For reasons that aren’t easy to define, the team is 2-4 at home. A loss to Saskatchewan would be their third-straight at home, something that hasn’t happened since the 2004 season.
This game will also be the first home game where franchise rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds will be observing from the sidelines. He is once again expected to be a healthy scratch.
The team’s decision to sit Reynolds has, publicly, been met with mixed reviews. Many fans are shocked that a franchise pillar is on the sidelines, while others just want the team to find some consistency, no matter how achieved.
In the middle of all of this intrigue, of course, is Hufnagel.
“We had a couple of good days of workouts (leading to Saskatchewan game)”. I sent a message, I believe everyone understands my message,” noted Hufnagel.
“We have to play better football, simple as that. We can’t turn the ball over as much, we have to create turnovers and we can’t take as many penalties. Sounds like a broken record.”
In addition to the above-mentioned issues, Hufnagel noted the team has given up special teams touchdowns in consecutive games. On Sept.17 against the BC Lions, a blocked puck was carted into the end zone by fullback Tim Cronk. In Moncton, Hamilton’s Marcus Thigpen took a missed field goal and raced 118 yards for a touchdown.
While there is plenty of intrigue off the field, there is some good news on the field. The Stampeders will have return specialist Larry Taylor back in uniform. He was injured in the Hamilton game with a back injury but has been a full participant in this week’s workouts.
Calgary will also welcome back veteran receiver Arjei Franklin. He has been sidelined since mid-July after he suffered cracked ribs in Winnipeg. If that injury sounds painful and uncomfortable, you would be accurate.
“After missing nine games, you realize how much you love the game and how much you miss it,” beamed Franklin. “Any time your core is hurt, it is hard. You can’t really rest your core. Even when you’re sleeping it hurts. I couldn’t get up, I couldn’t hold my son, just getting up was tough.”
The game marks the first appearance by Saskatchewan at McMahon Stadium in 2011. While the weather won’t be ideal (12 C and cloudy), it will be tropical compared to their last visit – the 2010 West Final.
That November game was played in some of the most punishing conditions ever for a football game.
A Calgary win would keep them squarely in the middle of the increasingly competitive West Division and would also make the steep slope to the playoffs for Saskatchewan, even steeper.
