Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
It was a feast or famine night for the Ticats offence in the team’s preseason loss to the Argonauts on Wednesday night. But when the attacking explosion was in full swing, it offered a tantalizing look at the potential possessed by the Black and Gold’s offensive unit.
Entering the exhibition opener in the second quarter, star pivot Henry Burris awoke a squad that had been held off the scoreboard in the first frame. Much has been made of the veteran signal caller’s age since his 37th birthday came to pass earlier this month, but Burris provided evidence that his renowned movement and arm strength had not faded when he rolled out to find Sam Giguere for a 52-yard reception with 11 minutes remaining in the half.
Giguere spoke glowingly of the play in the aftermath of the preseason contest, and indicated that his only regret was not being able to polish off the touchdown in the process.
“It was fun,” said the first-year receiver. “I just wish that I could have kept going and have scored the touchdown so that Henry didn’t have to sneak it in. You never like it when your QB has to take a beating at the one-yard line. But it was a great play and hopefully we’ll have many more.”
Communication between Burris and his fresh assortment of receivers has been a focal point of training camp thus far, and the example of his second quarter cameo suggests that the pivot is progressing well in that regard. In addition to his highlight reel connection with Giguere, Burris found sophomore Chris Williams for a 75-yard score and leaned heavily on fellow second-year Bakari Grant.
The returning wide out had four catches for 75 yards on the night, all coming courtesy of Burris during his second quarter game action. Grant argued that while he was pleased to have shown well in the club’s first exhibition foray, he and his fellow receivers were focused on fine tuning their connection with their veteran pivot.
“There are some kinks that we’ve got to work out,” Grant conceded. “We’ve got to get that connection down. But that’s the thing, it’s just going to take some time. It’s the first preseason game, so you’re going to have those little things to work on, but we’re definitely getting there.”
While the opening half of Wednesday’s game undoubtedly demonstrated the potential of the Ticats passing attack, the Black and Gold’s running game received an early boost as well in the form of Chevon Walker. The rookie rusher – who has assumed a heightened role in the wake of Martell Mallett’s loss due to injury – ran for 63 yards on seven carries before halftime, and managed to rumble for 17 yards on his most successful play of the night.
On the topic of his opening night efficiency, Walker emphasized the role of his teammates on the offensive line, while hoping that Wednesday’s demonstration showed that he possesses the skills necessary to be a feature runner.
“I really want to thank the offensive line tonight, because without them I couldn’t have done it at all,” said the rookie rusher.
“It’s just a matter of reading the right blocks and doing what I do best with the vision. It came kind of easy out there, but that’s just what running backs do. Make good reads and take it to the next level.”
The Ticats are well aware that much remains to be done as they look toward the opening of the regular season on June 29th. But even while improvements must yet be made, Sam Giguere argued that merely returning to a football field for another season was reward enough for Wednesday.
“I think today was a good start, although we obviously still have a lot of work to do,” said Giguere. “I personally feel like there’s tons of stuff that I can work on. Hopefully we’ll work everything out and be ready for game one. But it felt good to get out there, and it’s been almost two years since I last played a football game. So it was great to be out there in front of the fans, trying to make plays.”
For now, the Ticats return to the practice field, looking to turn the potential that they flashed in their preseason opener into a consistent, winning formula.
