By Mike Hardiman
Special to Stampeders.com

The Pregame

The Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos buckle up their chin straps and do it all again just four days after the fact in the annual Labour Day rematch, set to go this Friday at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.

On Monday, the two teams added another exciting chapter to their storied Labour Day Classic history with a thrilling 37-34 win by the hometown Stampeders. Calgary, now 7-2 on the season, built a 30-7 lead after three quarters only to see it disappear as the Eskimos rallied with 27 fourth quarter points to almost steal the game.

The result dropped the Eskimos’ record to 1-8, leaving Edmonton in a tie for last place in the CFL with Winnipeg.

Calgary has had a good deal of success in the rematch in Edmonton, winning six straight rematch games dating back to 2007, and the Stamps are 8-2 in their last 10 games overall in the provincial capital.

Calgary is 3-2 on the road this year, with both losses coming against divisional foes (at Saskatchewan and at BC) and the Stamps are 3-2 within the West. Edmonton is winless in four games at home and has yet to beat a Western team this season. 

The Kickoff

When/Where: Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton
Television: TSN Friday Night Football, NBCSN
Radio: News Talk 770, Sirius Satellite Channel 157, XM Satellite Channel 160
Internet: www.newstalk770.com

The Stampeders 

Calgary almost gave up a big lead in the fourth but held on for the win and has now beat all three West teams at home this year.

Calgary scored a season-best 17 points in the opening quarter but gave up 27 points in the fourth quarter, which was a season high this year for any quarter.

The Stamps topped 400 yards of offence for the sixth time but did it for the first time without rushing for 100 yards and also won for the first time this season without topping the century mark in rushing. The 334 yards passing put up by Calgary’s offence was the second-highest total of the year and only the second time over the 300-yard mark.

The Stamps average 367.4 yards of offence on the road and have finished below 400 yards three times out of five road games, while their points per game average drops from their overall season average of 37.3 to 27.4 on the road.

RB Jon Cornish, second in the CFL in rushing with 809 yards, returned from injury to rush for a season-low 60 yards. SB Marquay McDaniel leads the team in receiving with 478 yards on 40 catches, which leaves him 12th in the CFL.

Calgary’s defence got after the Eskimos, registering a season-high seven sacks and forcing two interceptions.

Who to watch:          

Maurice Price, WR, #17
2013 stats – 27 catches, 382 yards receiving, 14.1 yard average, 4 TDs in five games played – third on team in receiving
Last Week – 5 catches, 165 yards, 33.0 yard average, 3 TDs versus Edmonton – career high in yards and TDs, CFL Offensive Player of the Week
2012 vs Edm. – 5 catches, 149 yards receiving, 29.8 yard average, 1 TD in one game played, Week 19

Brad Sinopoli, WR #3
2013 stats – 15 catches, 217 yards receiving, 14.5 yards average, 0 TDs
Last Week – 5 catches, 80 yards, 14.0 yard average,  vs Edm. – second on team in receiving, tied career best in receptions

Charleston Hughes, DE, #39
2013 stats – 22 tackles, 2 tackles for losses,  8 sacks, 1 INT , 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass knockdowns – leads team  in sacks
Last Week – 4 tackles, 3 sacks versus Edmonton – CFL Defensive Player of the Week
2012 vs Edm. – 12 tackles, 2 sacks in four games played

Juwan Simpson, MLB, #12
2013 stats – 27 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 3 pass knockdowns, 1 forced fumble – leads team in tackles
Last Week  – 5 tackles, 2 sacks  versus Edmonton – led team in tackles
2012 vs Edm. –  21 tackles in four games played

Fred Bennett, CB, #8
2013 stats – 19 tackles, 3 INTs, 3 pass knockdowns, 2 forced fumbles – leads team in interceptions
Last Week – 3 tackles, 2 INTs vs Edm.
2012 vs Edm. – 8 tackles, 1 INT in four games played

The Eskimos                                                                              

Edmonton dropped its seventh straight game last week, with the last five coming by a total of just 15 points.

The Eskimos continue to play until the final whistle and last week was no exception as they tried to overcome a 30-point fourth-quarter deficit but ultimately came up short once again.

Edmonton’s 1-8 record is the club’s worst record after nine games since 1971 and the Eskimos have never lost their first five games at Commonwealth since it opened in 1978.

QB Mike Reilly (#13) continues to sling it as he passed for four TDs against the Stamps and is second in the CFL in both passing yards and touchdowns thrown. SB Fred Stamps (#2) was quiet on Labour Day with only 40 yards receiving but does lead the CFL with 38 catches for 724 yards and seven majors.

WR Nate Coehoorn (#85), a former Calgary Dino, is third in the league among Canadian receivers with 28 catches for 405 yards but has yet to find the end-zone.

The Eskimos are missing two keys to their defence in MLB J.C. Sherritt and DE Odell Willis, but have gotten solid play out of LB Damaco Munoz (#45) and DT Almondo Sewell (#90). Munoz is fourth in the CFL with 55 tackles while Sewell is second on the team with four sacks. 

Who to watch:

Mike Reilly, QB, #13
2013 stats – 270 attempts, 163 completions, 60.4% completion rate, 2,277 passing yards, 16 TDs, 10 INTs, 91.9 QB rating
Last Game – 35 attempts, 16 completions, 45.7% completion rate, 246 passing yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 83.8 QB rating versus Calgary
2012 vs Cgy – 26 attempts, 19 completions, 73.1% completion rate, 261 passing yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, in one game played with B.C., Week 18 in Calgary

Cary Koch, SB, #84
2013 stats – 42 catches, 516 yards receiving, 12.3 average, 4 TDs – leads team in receptions   
Last Game – 6 catches, 77  receiving yards, 12.8 yard average, 1 TD vs Cgy – led team in receiving
2012 vs Cgy – 6 catches, 117 receiving yards, 19.5 yard average, 1 TD in three games played

T.J. Hill, LB, #12
2013 stats – 45 tackles, 2 tackles for losses, 1 INT, 1  pass knockdown 
Last Game  – 5 tackles versus Calgary
2012 vs Calgary – 13 tackles in four games                     

Stats

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

The CFL this Week

Saturday, Sept. 7 – 2 p.m. – BC (6-3) at Hamilton (4-5)
Sunday, Sept. 8 – 11 a.m. – Toronto (6-3) at Montreal (4-5)
Sunday, Sept. 8  – 2 p.m. – Saskatchewan (8-1) at Winnipeg (1-8)