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Is it really only 97 hours from the end of the Labour Day game in Calgary and the start of the rematch in Edmonton?
With all of the drama and intrigue surrounding the rematch game, it seems like it was months, not hours separating the contests.
The Eskimos, of course, have had their share of drama following the game, but so have the Calgary Stampeders.
The Stampeders drama centers around their starting quarterback.
Kevin Glenn left the Labour Day game in Calgary with a knee injury. He did not return to the game, although was available, if required.
The ball was turned over the tenacious Texan, Bo Levi Mitchell. He kept the Stampeders on the right course, offensively as the Stampeders defeated the Eskimos.
Mitchell and Glenn returned to McMahon Stadium for the Stampeders one and only full practice between games. Glenn’s knee injury had healed but not to the point where the team was ready to declare him the starter.
That likely means Bo Levi Mitchell will make his second start of the season. Adding intrigue to the matter was the fact Drew Tate began some light throwing with the offensive group. Tate has been sidelined with an elbow injury for the last several weeks. The Stampeders have suggested Tate could come in for a few plays if absolutely necessary.
All add up? The final answer to this puzzle will be unveiled Friday night.
Also on Friday night a significant coaching milestone will be reached.
Calgary general manager and head coach John Hufnagel will coach his one hundredth game with the club. Only one other coach, Wally Buono, has coached that many games for the Stampeders.
Buono patrolled the sidelines for 13 seasons or 234 games, meaning Hufnagel would have to coach almost seven more Stampeders seasons just to catch Buono.
Hufnagel becomes just the 27th man in league history to coach that number of games.
Hufnagel has enjoyed a great deal of success in his first 99 games. He has a record of 66-32-1 in that time, fourth best among Candian Football League coaches to that point in his career, according the Canadian Football League statistics.
To show what a fickle business the coaching game can be, one need only look through the Edmonton Eskimos’ record book.
Only two Eskimo coaches, Ray Jauch and Ron Lancaster, have coached more than 100 games with their team (it should also be noted the seasons were 14 and 16 game slates in previous years).
Former Eskimos coach Tom Higgins, coached his 100th game as boss of the Calgary Stampeders – even after winning a Grey Cup with the Eskimos.
The best 100-plus game coaching record in league history belongs to Winnipeg legend Bud Grant. He won 77 times in his first 100 trips to the post.
Note: The Labour Day Classic marks the halfway point of the season, meaning players on the nine-game injured list at the start of training camp are now eligible to play. For Calgary, that group includes offensive lineman Edwin Harrison and defensive lineman Etienne Legare. Both have been activated for the return match.
