Isaac Owusu
Ticats.ca Staff
The Ticats head to Montreal to take on the Alouettes on Sunday, in a week 11 Eastern Division matchup where first place is within grasp for Hamilton.
Quarterback Zach Collaros, going into his second start after coming off the six game injury list, feels he knows what the team should be thinking to keep their positivity going forward.
“We have to get some momentum. We’re on a one game winning streak now, so we’re taking that and a good week of practice as well and hopefully we don’t come out flat which I don’t anticipate us doing. Hopefully we go up there and execute,” Collaros said.
“I think we had a good week as a unit. I think it’s very important that anytime you’re prepping for a game you obviously don’t want to have a bad week of practice, especially against a team like Montreal, with a defence like Montreal’s,” he added.
Colleros was sharp in his return game against the Toronto Argonauts throwing for 317 yards and a touchdown.
Putting up similar numbers as he did last Monday will be a challenge in facing the Montreal defence, a situation that Collaros is prepared to take on.
“They’re a good defense they are very good players obviously the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Chip Cox, you know Jerald brown, Geoff Tisdale,” he said.
“They have good players but I’m pretty sure any offensive unit will tell you it comes down to execution no matter what the defence is showing you. We had a good week of prep and I think that we’re seeing things they do pretty well, and we know they’re going to throw some curve balls at us but we’ll have to deal with that adversity when the time comes and hopefully deal with it in a good way,” Collaros added.
One of Collaros’ main targets in his return was Bakari Grant. Grant made history on Monday after being the first player to even catch a touchdown inside Tim Horton’s Field.
Grant caught three passes for 43 yards and a score in Monday’s game. He insists that his quarterback is shedding the rust since his return.
“He’s definitely better. Anytime a guy gets a week under his belt in live action in a game we’re going to be better, so he definitely came in a lot cleaner this week and able to read the offences a lot better,” Grant said.
Figuring out the Montreal defence will be quite the upcoming task for Grant. He explains why he has that expectation.
“They bring a lot of movement, they’re aggressive, they like contact, they have some big hitters and veterans over there,” he said.
In his first game playing with Collaros since the quarterback’s injury, Grant caught three passes for 43 yards and a score. He insists that his quarterback is shedding the rust since his return.
Linebacker Simoni Lawrence is never one to mince words, but he was rather complimentary of Jonathan Crompton, the Montreal Alouettes starting quarterback.
“He’s a really good quarterback. He is a competitor. I like him, he’s a cool guy, but I can’t wait to hit him,” Lawrence said
“He’s going to do anything to win whether making the hard throws down field, he’s going to check down, and run. He’s going to do anything to try and win the game, when someone like that gets an opportunity they deserve, they will do anything to win,” he added.
Crompton’s stat sheet, with four interceptions and no touchdowns, does not appear very favourable for the season but if Lawrence knows anything from experience it’s to not take any quarterback in this league lightly.
“I feel it seems many underestimate him because he’s new in the CFL, but I know his calibre and I’m sure our defence knows that he will do anything to win,” he added.
Head Coach Kent Austin ensures that nobody on the opposing team, especially Crompton, will be taken less than seriously.
If there’s one position Austin knows well, it’s quarterbacks.
“He played in a big program at college, and he’s a big strong quarterback. He has a good arm, it doesn’t appear that any moment is too big for him he seems to relish the opportunity.”
