CFL.ca
The stage is set, the script is in hand.
Now all the Calgary Stampeders have to do is perform under the bright Friday night lights.
By the end of this weekend, the Stampeders could very well see the coveted ‘Y’ next to their names in the standings – signifying that they’ve clinched the division – which means they’d also be given a bye to the Division title game on Nov. 17.
That scenario could unfold if the Stamps beat Edmonton and the BC Lions win their game in Saskatchewan on Saturday.
But for now, the Stampeders will attempt to avoid schedule and scoreboard watching. If there is one area the Stamps have excelled in this year, it’s maintaining their focus to the task at hand.
The best at keeping his focus has been quarterback Kevin Glenn. He has moved from the injured list to number two on the depth chart and then to number one, seemingly without missing a beat.
Of late he has asserted himself as the Stampeders’ leader in the huddle and on the field. Over his last four starts he has tossed nine touchdown passes to go with a completion percentage of 65. In that time, the Stamps have turned ball over just five times, while recording single digits in penalties in three of those games. Few turnovers and few penalties generally leads to success.
While Glenn continues to take command of the offence, plenthy of eyes will be watching running back Jon Cornish’s assult on the record book. Entering the Edmonton game, Cornish is just 351 yards behind Willie Burden’s long-standing team record of 1896 yards in a season.
That would mean Cornish would need to average 117 yards per game over his final three games to break the 38-year old mark. Cornish has exceeded that total six times this season. Given his 7.2 yards per carry average, he would need to run the ball 50 times over the course of the year to record the milestone.
Cornish also need just 135 yards from scrimmage to join the 2,000 yard club. Only Willie Burden (1975) and Allen Pitts (1994) have reached the 2,000 yard barrier.
Returner Larry Taylor will make his return to the Stampeders lineup for the Edmonton game. Taylor was squeezed off the roster in a ratio crunch last week. Because Matt Walter was forced to sit out last week’s game with concussion symptoms, the Stampeders were scrambling for a backup running back. The only running back in camp was Clifton Smith. Smith is also a returner which meant an import had to sit.
That import was Taylor.
Meanwhile the Stampeders are expected to debut another new receiver. Jeff Fuller, a rookie from Texas A&M, will sub in for Joe West. The hard-lucked West suffered yet another shoulder injury and wil be sidelined for a couple more weeks.
The Stampeders may be in good shape to clinch but they will face a loose Edmonton team. The Eskimos know their playoff fate is sealed and they may be able to play without fear. A tour of their dressing room suggests they are in great spirits, despite their struggles this year.
