CFL.ca Game Notes: Wild Wild West

TORONTO — The West Division has not been this wild in a long time.

The BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders lost their Week 9 matchups to drop to 5-3, while Reggie Begelton and the Calgary Stampeders improved to 4-4, same for Brady Oliveira and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who beat the Leos to move to 3-6.

That means only four points separate the first and fourth-place teams in a wide open battle for the right to host the Western Final in November.

That hasn’t always been the case. Through eight games, the division’s first-place team has not had three losses since 2009. With a lot of football still to play, everyone from the last-place Edmonton Elks to the first place Lions could still finish on top.

Who do you think will be the last one standing?

RELATED
» Costabile: Four storylines to watch in Week 10
» AMSOIL Power Rankings: Back on top
» Sign up and watch CFL games on CFL+ in the U.S. and Internationally
» Diversity is Strength stories, podcasts and much more
» Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates

EVEN-STEVEN

• The West Division is experiencing a level of parity that has not been seen in well over a decade.
• BC and Saskatchewan currently have identical 5-3 records.
• Through eight games, the division’s first-place team has not had three losses since 2009.
• BC holds the tie-breaker via head-to-head record, with a 35-20 victory in Week 6.

QUICK SLANTS

League-wide

• On seven occasions, teams have overcome 12-point deficits to win. At this point last season, there had been one such comeback. ​
• Through Week 9, there have been 64 lead changes with 27 coming in the fourth quarter or overtime, compared to 45 and 17 last season.
• Despite there having been 14 different starting quarterbacks, the league-wide passer sits at 97.4 – the second highest all-time.
• At this point in the season, touchdown drives are up 27 per cent compared to 2023.

SSK at OTT

• Saskatchewan has won four of the teams’ last five matchups.
• Rolan Milligan Jr. leads the league in interceptions (five) and pass knockdowns (nine).
• Ajou Ajou is second in the league with an average of 18.4 yards per catch.
• Ottawa is 1-0 coming off a bye, after winning 23-19 in Week 2.
• Ottawa’s last four-game winning streak came in 2015.
• The REDBLACKS are 4-0 at TD Place. Their record for wins at home is seven, set in 2015. They have not lost to Saskatchewan at home since 2017.
• Ottawa sits second with 21 big plays; the team is first with 15 allowed.
• Dru Brown will be making his first career start against the Roughriders.
• Lorenzo Mauldin IV is tied for the league lead with four tackles for a loss.

CGY at TOR

• Calgary has not had a back-to-back sweep of Toronto since 2008.
• Calgary is 4-0 at home, but 0-4 on the road. The team has one victory in its last 10 games away from McMahon Stadium.
• Seven of Calgary’s eight games have been decided in the final three minutes.
• Dave Dickeson is 12-2 versus the Argonauts.
• Last week, Calgary’s defence forced Cameron Dukes out of the pocket on nine occasions and they registered six sacks.
• The Argonauts have won 12 of their past 13 games at BMO Field, and their past eight-in-a-row at home against West teams.
• Last week, Cameron Dukes had a league-wide season-high 95 rushing yards by a quarterback.
• Royce Metchie tied a career-high with nine tackles last week, while adding an interception and a forced fumble.
• Jonathan Jones set a personal-best with 11 defensive tackles last week.

HAM at MTL

• The Tiger-Cats are No. 1 with 378.1 net offence per game. The Alouettes have allowed a league-low 320.5 yards per game.
• Last week, Bo Levi Mitchell (36,069) overtook Kent Austin (36,030) for 12th on the all-time passing list. Tom Clements (39,041) is 11th.
• Shemar Bridges is on pace for 108 receptions, which would break Derel Walker’s record of 89 by a first-year player.
• A victory would give the Alouettes the season series. Hamilton would need to win by at least 18 points to claim the tiebreaker.
• Montreal has not swept Hamilton in back-to-back sets since 2006.
• The Alouettes have won the teams’ past six meetings.
• Alouettes are looking to start 8-1 for the first time in 20 years.
• Tyson Philpot (360) and Walter Fletcher (291) lead the league in yards after catch.
• Philpot has five-or-more catches in seven-of-eight games this season. He has 80+ receiving yards in six.

BC at EDM

• In Week 4, BC claimed a 24-21 victory with Sean Whyte’s game-winning field goal on the last play of the game.
• BC has won the teams’ past eight matchups.
• The Lions have not lost three straight games since 2021.
• Tre Ford is a career 0-2 against BC. In the last five quarters, Ford has five touchdown passes and a passer rating of 136.4.
• Ford’s 93-yard touchdown pass last week was the fourth longest completion for a touchdown by a Canadian pivot. It was also the longest reception of the season.
• In his first 32 career games, Javon Leake registered 172 rushing yards; he had a 169 last week on 12 carries, while adding and three touchdowns. He totaled 195 yards from scrimmage and 247 all-purpose yards in Week 9.
• Leake’s 169 rushing yards was the most this season, including 2024’s longest rush at 61 yards – all against the league’s top-ranked run defence.
• Nyles Morgan leads the league with 56 defensive tackles, including tallying 11 last week. He is on pace for his second career 100+ tackle season – a personal best 126.