Ticats.ca Staff
After a two-game sweep of the Toronto Argonauts, the Tiger-Cats will look to continue their dominance of the East Division as they travel to Montreal to take on the Alouettes.
The Ticats enter Sunday’s title having won seven of their last ten games and a win on Sunday in Montreal would ensure that Guelph’s Alumni Stadium will host a home playoff game in 2013, and bring the Ticats one step closer to the East Division crown.
The Alouettes have struggled to win at home this season, taking just three of eight home games en route to a 6–9 record after 16 weeks. Montreal’s most recent loss came last weekend to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and a failure to win this weekend will solidify Montreal’s position at third in the East.
TIGER-CATS HISTORY vs. MONTREAL ALOUETTES
| WINS | LOSSES | TIES | PTS FOR | PTS AGAINST | |
| ALL-TIME | 79 | 88 | 7 | 3,693 | 3,897 |
| LAST 10 (TOTAL) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 299 | 256 |
| LAST 10 (in Montreal) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 199 | 336 |
| IN 2012: | 2 | 1 | 0 | 109 | 83 |
| IN 2013: | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 26 |
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
| RICO MURRAY TIGER-CATS DEFENSIVE BACK |
DURON CARTER ALOUETTES RECEIVER |
|
 A host of first-year CFL players have made an impact on Hamilton’s defence in 2013, but the presence of Rico Murray may be the biggest of them all.
Despite the fact that Murray didn’t make his debut until the fourth game of the season, he currently ranks second on the Tiger-Cats with 40 tackles, behind only defensive captain Jamall Johnson (53). Murray has also added two special teams tackles, two sacks, and an interception to his CFL resume, making plays no matter where he’s lined up on the field. Murray has been a Swiss-army knife for Hamilton this season, first starting at the strong linebacker before moving onto halfback and now corner for the injured Delvin Breaux. A defensive back by trade, Murray’s versatility is undoubtedly one of his strongest attributes, and something he’ll need when covering a hybrid-type receiver like Duron Carter. |
At six-foot-five and 205 pounds, Carter has been a matchup nightmare for CFL DB’s in recent weeks, and he has used that to his advantage, recording 38 catches for 643 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Carter’s breakout game came the last time he faced the Tiger-Cats in Moncton, where he caught nine balls for 112 yards and a touchdown, albeit in a losing effort. The first-year pro has been a consistent producer for the Alouettes since making his debut in August, and he’ll look to get back into the end zone against the Tiger-Cats this weekend. Although, one question that remains to be answered is how successful will he be under a new CFL QB, who will make his first start this Sunday in Montreal, former Heisman trophy Troy Smith. |
The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris, Duron Carter has showed flashes of his father’s brilliance in his rookie season with the Alouettes.
THE MATCHUP:
How would an actual Tiger(-Cat) and an Alouette match up in the wild? Let’s find out…
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FB John Delahunt
After missing the last six weeks due to a knee injury, non-import fullback John Delahunt will make his return to the Tiger-Cats lineup. Before his injury, Delahunt had recorded eight catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season, while also playing a key role in offensive coordinator Tommy Condell’s offence, as a blocker and occasional tight end. Austin has been high in his praise of the first-year fullback, and his return to the line-up should provide an additional option in the Tiger-Cats offence.
DB Arthur Hobbs
One of the many rookies to make their debuts in Hamilton’s secondary this season, Hobbs has made a serious impact in the halfback spot for the Ticats. The import defensive back had a standout game on Thanksgiving Day against the Argonauts, recording four defensive tackles and recording Ricky Ray’s first interception ofthe 2013 season to seal the Ticats 24-18 victory. Hamilton’s secondary appears in line to play their third consecutive game with the same five starters, and that’s undoubtedly played a role in their recent success.
K Luca Congi
After being a healthy scratch for the past four games, placekicker Luca Congi is set to return to the starting line-up to replace rookie Brett Lauther. Congi had been spelled for a single game earlier in 2013, and he responded by returning to the line-up the following week to hit field goals from 15 and 36 yards. He’ll look for another strong return this weekend against Montreal.
DE Eric Norwood
Joining the Ticats in week two, defensive end Eric Norwood has started all 14 games he has been listed as active for the ‘Cats, and
has been a thorn in many a quarterback’s side at defensive end. Norwood’s three sacks and 38 defensive tackles rank him third and fourth on the Tiger-Cats respectively, in what’s shaping up to be an impressive rookie season.
OTHER NEWS AND NOTES
- In the last three games, Ticats running back C.J. Gable has accumulated 346 yards on the ground on 46 carries (7.5 YPC) and two touchdowns.
- Ticats quarterback Henry Burris has accumulated 4,991 rushing yards over his 15-year career. Burris needs a total of nine yards on Sunday to become the sixth QB in CFL history to the 5,000-yard mark.
- Canadian LB Marc Beswick currently leads the CFL with 20 special teams tackles and ranks second all-time in Ticats history in special teams tackles with 107. Beswick needs 15 special teams tackles to passing Rob Hitchcock (122) and set the new club record for career special teams tackles.
- Ticats punter Josh Bartel leads all East Division punters that have been active through week 16 with an average of 44.1 yards per punt.
- Last week vs. Toronto, Henry Burris’ 350-yard performance marked the 78th time in his career that he has thrown for 300+ yards in a single game.
- Linebacker Jamall Johnson leads the Ticats defence with 53 defensive tackles on the season and currently sits at third on the Ticats all-time list for defensive tackles with 414. Johnson needs 11 tackles to pass Joe Montford for second place.
- Over the last 10 games, C.J. Gable has showcased his ability to be a versatile all-purpose running back in the CFL. In the Tiger-Cats last seven wins, Gable has amassed 827 combined yards and seven touchdowns. Touching the ball 109 times (84 rushing, 25 receiving), Gable has averaged 7.6 yards every time he has touched the ball.
