By Mike Hardiman
Special to Stampeders.com

The Pregame

Calgary visits the Nation’s Capital for the first time since 2005 as the Stampeders play the Ottawa RedBlacks this week. 

The Stamps are heading into Ottawa in first place in the West, sporting a 6-1 record and riding a two-game winning streak. Calgary beat the Ticats last week by a 30-20 score to run its record in the province of Ontario to 2-0. Ottawa lost a close one at home against Edmonton last week in dropping a 10-8 decision to the Eskimos.

Ottawa (1-6) has lost four straight games but remains tied for second in the East as the early-season dominance by the West over the East continues (a 21-3 combined record).

One of the RedBlacks’ four losses was to the Stamps in Week 7, a 38-17 score. The last time Calgary played in Ottawa, it was against the Renegades and Ottawa won 33-18.

Calgary is now 5-0 against Eastern teams and 3-0 on the road while the RedBlacks are 0-5 against the West and 1-2 at home.

The Kickoff

When/Where: Sunday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. MDT at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa
Television: TSN, ESPN 3
Radio: News Talk 770, SiriusXM 167
Internet: www.newstalk770.com

The Stampeders

Calgary leads the CFL in average points per game at 27.3 and has scored more than 30 points three times this season (including twice in a row). The Stamps led the CFL in points scored with an average of 30.5 points per game last season. 

RB Hugh Charles was the latest Stampeders running back to start a game this season and, like the others, played very well. Charles rushed for 102 yards in the win, the second-highest single-game total of 2014 for the Stamps.

REC Joe West continues to find his form as he led the team in yardage with 90 receiving yards while Jeff Fuller had five grabs for 59 yards and a touchdown. Jabari Arthur is another Stampeders receiver looking to get back up to speed after missing time.

Calgary’s defence bent but didn’t break against Hamilton, surrendering more than 100 yards rushing and 300 yards passing for only the second time each this season.  The Stamps still lead the CFL in fewest points allowed and will face an Ottawa team that is ninth in points scored and eighth in total yards allowed.

DB Keon Raymond had another strong effort in the win with three tackles, a pick and two knockdowns while MLB Juwan Simpson had five tackles and a knockdown. LB Deron Mayo had five tackles and a fumble recovery.  

Who to watch:

Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, #19
2014 stats – 207 attempts, 132 completions, 63.8% completion rate, 1,692 passing yards, 12 TDs, 3 INT,  102.6 QB rating – leads CFL in QB rating
Last game – 27 attempts, 19 completions, 70.4% completion rate, 271 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT,  99.5 QB rating – Week 8 vs Ham.
2014 vs Ott. –  36 attempts, 26 completions, 72.2% completion rate, 289 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT – second highest passing yardage total of the season

Marquay McDaniel, REC, #16
2014 stats –  29 receptions, 375 receiving yards, 12.9 yard average,  3 TDs  – leads team in receiving, sixth in CFL
Last game –  5 receptions, 67 yards, 13.4 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 8 vs Ham.; tied for team lead in catches
2014 vs Ott. – 9  receptions, 117 receiving yards, 13.0 yard average, 1 TD – led team in receiving

Jon Cornish, RB, #9
2014 stats –  14 carries, 67 rushing yards, 4.8 yard average, 1 rushing TD
Last game – 14 carries, 67 rushing yards, 4.8 yard average, 1 rushing TD – Week 1 vs Mtl. 
2014 vs Ott. – did not play due to injury

Jamar Wall, DB, #29
2014 stats – 28 tackles, 2 special teams tackles, 2 INTs, 1 pass knockdown – second on team in tackles
Last game – 8 tackles, 1 special teams tackle, 1 INT – Week 8 vs Ham.
2014 vs Ott.  – 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass knockdown

Brandon Smith, DB , #28
2014 stats – 35 tackles, 2 special teams tackles, 2 tackles for losses, 1 sack – leads team in tackles, fifth in CFL
Last game – 3 tackles – Week 8 vs Ham.
2014 vs Ott. – 4 tackles –  led team in tackles, Week 7 at Calgary

The RedBlacks                                           

Not much has changed for Ottawa since they met the Stamps in Week 7.

The RedBlacks were almost right on their season averages for passing and rushing yardage and were held without a touchdown for the second time this season in their loss to Edmonton in Week 8. Ottawa has scored one TD or none in four of seven games this season.

Ottawa was held to just 39 yards rushing in the loss to the Stamps and had 296 yards of total offence but committed four turnovers.

Henry Burris continues to provide solid play at QB for Ottawa, with REC Marcus Henry (#16) being his main target (fifth in the CFL in receiving). REC Matt Carter (#85) has been playing well of late and Wallace Miles (#84) had five catches for 102 yards in the first meeting between the two teams.

RB Chevon Walker (#29) is fourth in the CFL in rushing with 378 yards and is fifth on the RedBlacks with 192 receiving yards.

Rookie LB Antoine Pruneau (#6) has responded well to his move to the front seven as he is fourth on the team with 21 tackles and had eight stops against Calgary in Week 7. DE Justin Capicciotti (#93) and DE Brandon Lang (#91) lead the team in sacks with three each while Lang also has 21 tackles.

Who to watch:

Henry Burris, QB, #1
2014 stats – 219 attempts, 129 completions, 58.9% completion rate, 1,634 passing yards, 5 TDs, 5 INTs,  80.4 QB rating – fifth in CFL in passing
Last game – 28 attempts, 18completions, 64.3% completion rate, 255 passing yards, 0 TDs, 0INTs, 93.6 QB rating – Week 8 vs Edm.
2014 vs Cgy. –  29 attempts, 20 completions, 68.9% completion rate, 281 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs 

Chevon Walker, RB, #29
2014 stats –  79 carries, 378 rushing yards, 4.8 yard average, 3 rushing TDs –  fourth in CFL in rushing
Last game  – 14 carries, 58 rushing yards, 4.8 yard average, 0 rushing TDs – Week 8 vs Edm.
2014 vs Cgy. – 8 carries, 22 rushing yards, 2.8 yard average, 1 rushing TD – Week 7 at Calgary

Jasper Simmons, LB, #31
2014 stats –  36 tackles, 2 special teams tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 INTs – leads team in tackles, 2nd in CFL in tackles
Last game  – 8 tackles, 1 special teams tackle – led team in tackles;  Week 8 versus Edmonton
2014 vs Cgy. – 9 tackles, 1 special teams tackle, 1 INT – led team in tackles 

Stats

The CFL this Week

Friday, Aug. 22, 6:30 p.m. — Montreal (1-6) at Winnipeg (5-3)
Saturday, Aug. 23, 2 p.m. – Toronto (3-5) at Edmonton (6-1)
Sunday, Aug. 24, 5 p.m. – Saskatchewan (5-2) at BC (5-3)
Bye: Hamilton