By Mike Hardiman
Special to Stampeders.com

The Pregame

CFL games don’t get much bigger than this week’s matchup between the Calgary Stampeders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Stampeders return home after beating the Bombers 37-24 in Winnipeg and own the league’s second-best record at 4-1 as well as a three-game winning streak.

The Riders come into McMahon fresh off back-to-back wins over Hamilton and sport the best record in the CFL at 5-0.

The two teams meet three times this year, so a win by the Riders would give them the season series against Calgary and an early leg up on the Stamps for playoff positioning come the end of the regular season. It won’t be easy for the Riders despite all of their early-season success as Calgary is 5-2-1 in the last eight games played at McMahon between the two teams and is currently on a four-game home winning streak against the Riders.

The Stamps have scored more than 40 points in five of those games (4-0-1 record) and have allowed 21 points or fewer five times (4-1 record).

Calgary has knocked the Riders out of the ranks of the unbeaten three times in the past five seasons — Saskatchewan started 6-0 in 2008, 3-0 in 2010 and 3-0 in 2012 and it was Calgary that handed the Riders their first loss in all three seasons. The Stamps are 2-0 at home and 1-1 against the West in 2013 while the Riders are 3-0 on the road and 2-0 within the division. 

The Kickoff

When/Where: Friday, Aug. 9th at 7 p.m. MDT at McMahon Stadium in Calgary
Television: TSN Friday Night Football, NBCSN
Radio: News Talk 770, Sirius Satellite Channel 157, XM Satellite Channel 160
Internet: www.newstalk770.com

The Stampeders 

If not for the Riders’ quick start, the Stamps could very well be considered the CFL’s best team after five weeks as Calgary has four wins in its first five games.

Calgary’s offence is second in points and total yards per game and has scored more than 37 points in three of those wins. The Stamps have a diverse offence with wins from three quarterbacks and a passing attack that last week saw 10 different receivers catch at least one pass including newcomers Greg Carr (#88) and Tim Hawthorne (#84).

Calgary has also had games in which six different players have rushed the football (five last week).

Calgary leads the CFL in time of possession at 33:05 and is ranked second in fewest penalties with only seven per game.

QB Bo Levi Mitchell had one of the best career starts in CFL history as he was named the CFL’s Offensive Player of the Week after completing 29 passes for 376 yards and three TDs for a QB rating 153.1.

K Rene Paredes set a CFL record for consecutive field goals as he went five-for-five against the Bombers to break the previous record of 30. Paredes’ streak now stands at 34. 

Who to watch:          

Jon Cornish, RB, #9
2013 stats – 77 carries, 501 yards rushing, 6.5 yard average, 4 total TDs – 2nd in CFL rushing; CFL Canadian Player of the Month for June/July
Last Game –  22 touches for 175 yards, 1 TD vs Winnipeg
2013 vs Ssk. – 8 carries, 42 yards rushing, 5.3 yard average, 0 Tds – season lows in carries and yardage

Drew Tate, QB, #4
2013 stats – 52 attempts, 38 completions, 73.1-per cent completion rate, 468 passing yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 124.5 QB rating in two games
Last Game –  19 completions, 76.0-per cent completion rate, 231 passing yards, 2 TDs, 139.6 QB rating vs Sask in Week 2

Marquay McDaniel, SB, #16
2013 stats – 18 receptions, 211 yards, 11.7 yard average, 1 TD
Last Week – 5 catches for 47 yards, 9.4 yard average vs Winnipeg
2013 vs Ssk. – 5 catches, 47 yards, 9.4 yard average, 0 TDs – season high in catches (matched last week) 

Brandon Smith, DB, #28
2013 stats – 18 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass knockdown – leads team in tackles, 10th in CFL
Last Week – 5 tackles, pass knockdown – led team in tackles
2013 vs Sask. –  4 tackles

Cordarro Law, DE, #49
2013 stats – 10 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumbles, 1 tackle for loss in four games; three sacks in past two games
Last Week – 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble vs Winnipeg 

The Roughriders                                                                                     

The Roughriders come into the game as the hottest team in the league and the only unbeaten team. They have the No. 1- ranked offence after five weeks and Saskatchewan is averaging more than 36 points per game scored, with an average margin of victory of 19.2 points.

The Riders have scored no fewer than 32 points in any game so far and are averaging 28 carries per game, resulting in an average time of possession of 32:58.

Combine that with their plus-14 turnover ratio, which includes just one giveaway all season, and you have the recipe for a 5-0 start to the season.

QB Darian Durant (#4) is having the best start to a season in his career, leading the CFL in QB rating at 136.9 and throwing 12 TD passes with zero interceptions.

SB Weston Dressler (#7) leads the team with 23 catches for 319 yards and three TDs and WR Taj Smith (#88) is having a breakout season with 251 receiving yards, a 17.9-yard average and three major scores.

LB Craig Butler (#28), S Tyron Brackenridge (#41) and DT Tearrius George (#93) are all among the Riders’ leaders on defence. 

Who to watch:

Geroy Simon, SB, #81
2013 stats – 7 catches, 163 yards, 23.3 yard average, 1 TD in two games; CFL’s all-time leading receiver
Last Week –  5 catches, 125 yards, 25.0 yard average, 1 TD vs Hamilton
2012 vs Calgary – 9 catches for 94 yards, 10.4 yard average, 1 TD in two games with BC

Korey Sheets, RB, #1
2013 stats – 118 carries, 712 yards rushing, 6.0 yard average, 4 TDs; Leads CFL in rushing and yards from scrimmage; CFL Offensive Player of the Month for June/July
Week – 25 carries, 140 yards rushing, 5.6 yard average, 0 TD vs Hamilton
2013 vs Calgary – 26 carries, 133 yards rushing, 5.1 yard average, 1 TD

Rey Williams, MLB, #48
2013 stats – 22 tackles, 6 sacks, 1 INT, 1 TD, 3 pass knockdowns, 1 tackle for loss
Last Week –  5 tackles, 1 sack vs Hamilton
2013 vs Calgary – 3 tackles, 1 sack

Stats

Here are the two teams’ offensive and defensive totals and league rankings after last week’s games

The CFL this Week

Thursday, Aug. 8, 5:30 p.m. – Toronto (3-2) at Montreal (2-3)