By Mike Hardiman
Special to Stampeders.com

The Pregame

Calgary fans will get their first live look at the expansion Ottawa RedBlacks as the Stamps face the CFL’s newest team in Week 7. 

Football is back in the Nation’s Capital for the first time since 2005 and this is Ottawa’s first visit to McMahon since Sept. 22 of that year when they were known as the Renegades.

Calgary suffered its first loss of the 2014 season last week as the Stamps were upended 25-24 by the BC Lions. The loss snapped Calgary’s four-game winning streak to start the season and was only the team’s second loss at home in 12 games over the past two seasons. Ottawa was clobbered 38-14 by the Riders at home and the RedBlacks dropped to 1-4 on the season as a result.

The last time Calgary played a team from Ottawa at home, the Stamps beat the Renegades 45-23 and the two starting quarterbacks were Danny Wimprine for Calgary and Kerry Joseph for Ottawa. Nik Lewis led the Stamps with five catches for 86 yards while Joffrey Reynolds rumbled for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

In 2014, Calgary is 2-1 at home and is 3-0 against Eastern teams (the West is a combined 13-2 against the East this season) while Ottawa is both 0-3 against Western teams and on the road. 

The Kickoff

When/Where: Saturday, Aug. 9 at 5:30 p.m. MDT at McMahon Stadium in Calgary
Television: TSN, ESPN 3
Radio: News Talk 770, SiriusXM 167
Internet: www.newstalk770.com

The Stampeders

Turnovers were the undoing of the Stamps in the loss to the Lions last week as Calgary committed three giveaways, going minus-2 on the night in a one-point loss.

QB Bo Levi Mitchell played a much better game than his past couple of outings, rating out at 86.4,  but took the first loss of his young career and now stands at 7-1 as a starter.

Calgary’s running back carousel spun around once again, landing on Martell Mallett. He made the most of his first CFL start since 2009 by racking up 175 yards from scrimmage, including a club-high for the year of 116 rushing yards.

The Stamps had 336 yards of total offence in the game, marking the fourth time in five games they have topped 300 yards. WR Joe West caught four balls for 49 yards while Marquay McDaniel scored his second touchdown of the year on a 25-yard pass from Mitchell.

Calgary’s defence continued to play well but has now given up 47 points in the past two games after allowing only 30 points in the first three games. The Stamps still lead the CFL in fewest points allowed and will face an Ottawa team that is eighth in points scored.

Calgary gave up 385 yards of offence to the Lions, the second-highest total this year, and gave up over 100 yards rushing (108) for the first time all season. LB Keon Raymond made an immediate impact in his return from injury, scoring the first defensive touchdown of the year for the Stamps and sharing the team lead in tackles with LB Deron Mayo, each with seven.

DE Charleston Hughes had yet another sack and leads the team with five, second most in the CFL.

Who to watch:

Bo Levi Mitchel, QB, #19
2014 stats – 144 attempts, 87 completions, 60.4% completion rate, 1,132 passing yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT,  100.8 QB rating – leads CFL in QB rating
Last game – 31 attempts, 21 completions, 67.7% completion rate, 227 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT,  86.4 QB rating – Week 6 vs BC
2013 stats –  153 attempts, 94 completions, 69.6% completion rate, 1,156 passing yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs – three starts, 3-0 record

Joe West, REC, #85
2014 stats –  4 receptions, 49 receiving yards, 12.3 yard average,  0 TDs
Last game –  4 receptions, 49 yards, 12.3 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 6 vs BC; first receptions of season, four games
2013 stats – 19 receptions, 277 receiving yards, 14.6 yard average, 3 TDs

Martell Mallett, RB, #34
2014 stats –  14 carries, 116 rushing yards, 8.3 yard average, 0 rushing TDs; 5 catches, 69 yards, 9.8 yard average, 0 TDs
Last game – 14 carries, 116 rushing yards, 8.3 yard average, 0 rushing TDs; 5 catches, 69 yards, 9.8 yard average, 0 TDs –  Week 6 vs BC; led team in rushing and receiving
2013 stats – did not play; hasn’t played in CFL since 2009

Deron Mayo, LB, #42
2014 stats – 13 tackles, 2 pass knockdowns in four games
Last game – 7 tackles,  2 pass knockdowns – Week 6 vs BC; tied for team lead in tackles
2013 stats  – 57 tackles, 9 special teams tackles, 2 tackles for losses, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 pass knockdowns, 2 fumble returns – second on team in tackles

Keon Raymond, DB, #25
2014 stats – 9 tackles, 1 special teams tackle,  1 INT, 1 TD in three games
Last game – 7 tackles, 1 special teams tackle,  1 INT, 1 TD – Week 6 vs BC; tied for team lead in tackles
2013 stats – 51 tackles, 1 special teams tackle, 1 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 8 pass knockdowns

The RedBlacks                                               

The RedBlacks are an expansion team and as such will face the usual problems of a team that has not had the chance to stockpile and develop talent. Ottawa is off to a slow 1-4 start but the bright spot for RedBlacks fans is that in the East, that record still leaves them in a tie for second place, one game back of first.

Ottawa does have a distinct Calgary flavour as the team hired former Stamps defensive coordinator Rick Campbell as its first head coach and signed the Stamps’ all-time leading passer Henry Burris to play quarterback.

Ottawa’s passing attack is the bright spot on the offence, ranking fourth best in the CFL and Burris does have some talent to work with. SB Marcus Henry (#16) leads the team in receiving and is seventh in the CFL. WR Matt Carter (#85) and SB Dobson Collins (#80) are also CFL veterans in the receiving crops.

RB Chevon Walker (#29) is fourth in the CFL in rushing with 298 yards and is third on the RedBlacks with 147 receiving yards.

The Redblacks have adjusted their league-worst defence by releasing veteran DB T.J. Hill and promoting rookie LB Antoine Pruneau (#6) to a starting role. S Eric Fraser (#7) is another former Stampeder while LB Jasper Simmons (#31) and DE Justin Capicciotti (#93) have been early-season standouts.

Who to watch:

Henry Burris, QB, #1
2014 stats – 162 attempts, 91 completions, 56.2% completion rate, 1,098 passing yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs, 77.6 QB rating – sixth in CFL in passing
Last game – 33 attempts, 17 completions, 51.5% completion rate, 217 passing yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, 47.2 QB rating – Week 6 vs Ssk.
2013 vs Cgy. –  63 attempts, 39 completions, 61.9% completion rate, 542 passing yards, 2 TDs, 5 INTs in two games with Hamilton

Chevon Walker, RB, #29
2014 stats –  57 carries, 298 rushing yards, 5.2 yard average, 2 rushing TDs –  fourth in  CFL in rushing
Last game – 12 carries, 47 rushing yards, 3.9 yard average, 0 rushing TDs – Week 6 vs Ssk.
2013 vs Cgy. – did not play

Jerrell Gavins, DB, #24
2014 stats – 22 tackles, 1 tackles for loss 2 sacks, 1 INT,  2 pass knockdowns – leads team in tackles
Last game – 3 tackles –  Week 6 vs Ssk.
2013 vs Cgy. – did not play, CFL rookie

Stats

The CFL this Week

Thursday, Aug. 7, 6:30 p.m. – Saskatchewan (3-2) at Winnipeg (5-1)
Friday, Aug. 8, 5 p.m. – Edmonton (4-1) at Montreal (1-4)
Friday, Aug. 8, 8 p.m. – Hamilton (1-4) at BC (3-3)
Bye: Toronto