By Mike Hardiman
Stampeders.com

The Pregame

Next up for the Calgary Stampeders are the Montreal Alouettes, the first team the Stamps will have played a second time in 2015.

Calgary (3-2) lost its second road game of the year last week (after losing just one in all of 2014) as the Stamps were knocked off by the RedBlacks in Ottawa by a score of 29-26 in OT. The loss dropped the Stamps into second place in the West.

Montreal (2-2, third place in the East) is coming of a bye week and won its previous game, a 17-14 vitory at home over Hamilton in Week 4. The Als beat the Stamps 29-11 back in Week 2 at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal but haven’t fared as well at McMahon Stadium of late. Calgary has beaten Montreal five straight times at home (since 2010) including a 29-8 win in Week 1 of the 2014 season.

Calgary boasts the best home record in the CFL at 3-0 but is only 2-2 against the East after going 7-1 last season. Montreal is 0-1 on the road (at 25-23 loss to Winnipeg in Week 3) and 1-1 against Western teams. 

The Kickoff

When/Where: Saturday, Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. MDT at McMahon Stadium in Calgary
Television: TSN, ESPN3
Radio: Newstalk 770, SiriusXM Channel 167
Internet: www.newstalk770.com

The Stampeders

Calgary will be looking for revenge against Montreal after the Alouettes played Calgary-style football — using a strong running game, smart passing and error-free football — to upend the Stamps in Week 2.

The Stamps offence managed just 69 rushing yards in the loss to Montreal and the task of improving on that key stat got a bit more difficult with an injury to leading rusher RB Jon Cornish last week. The Stamps will have options to replace Cornish — national Matt Walter keeps the ratio intact but internationals RB Tim Brown and newly activated Tory Harrison (#34) may get reps as well. Walter had six starts replacing Cornish last season, rushing for 259 yards (a 5.6-yard average) and scoring two touchdowns in four full games.

QB Bo Levi Mitchell will be looking to spread the ball around against a tough Montreal secondary as his top three targets — Marquay McDaniel, Eric Rogers and Jeff Fuller — have combined for 61 of the teams 103 completions, a 59.2-per cent total. Calgary’s big three have four 100-yard receiving games combined thus far, compared to the team’s total of five all of last season.

On defence, Calgary will be looking to avoid the big passing play against its defence. The Stamps have allowed eight passing plays of more than 30 yards in five games (third worst in the CFL) and have given up three touchdowns of longer than 75 yards in the past two games. The Stamps gave up a season-worst 159 rushing yards to Montreal in the Week 2 loss so the big task for Calgary’s front seven will be to shut down Montreal running back Tyrell Sutton and force rookie QB Rakeem Cato out of his comfort zone.

Calgary’s offence will need to control its turnovers after three more last week, leaving the Stamps with a total of 14, which is tied for worst in the CFL. 

Who to watch:

Eric Rogers – SB, #80
2015 stats – 23 receptions, 400 receiving yards, 17.4 yard average, 4 TDs; third in CFL in receiving, leads CFL in receiving TDs
Last game – 6 receptions, 124receiving yards, 20.7 yard average, 1 TD – career high in receiving yards, tied career high in receptions – Week 5 at Ottawa
2015 vs Mtl. – 2 receptions, 29 receiving yards, 14.5 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 2 at Montreal

Matt Walter – RB, 14
2015 stats – 7 carries, 29 rushing yards, 4.1 yard average, 0 TDs
Last game – 4 carries, 10 rushing yards, 2.5 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 5 at Ottawa
2015 vs Mtl. – 1 carry, 6 rushing yards, 6.0 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 2 at Montreal

Bo Levi Mitchell – QB, #19
2015 stats – 162 attempts, 101 completions, 62.3% completion rate, 1, 293 passing yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs,  87.3 QB rating – third in CFL passing yards
Last game – 41 attempts, 23 completions, 56.1% completion rate, 318 passing yards, 1 TD , 0 INTs,  89.3 QB rating –  career high in attempts; Week 5 at Ottawa
2015 vs Mtl. – 31 attempts, 19 completions, 61.3% completion rate, 244 passing yards, 1 TD , 0 INTs, 86.0 QB rating – Week 2 at Montreal             

Juwan Simpson – MLB, #12
2015 stats – 13 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT
Last Game – 4 tackles – Week 5 at Ottawa
2015 vs Mtl. – did not play due to injury

Charleston Hughes – DE, #39
2015 stats – 16 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 5 sacks, 2 pass knockdowns, 1 fumble return, 1 forced fumble – tied for CFL lead in sacks
Last game – 5 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble – Week 5 at Ottawa
2015 vs Mtl. – 4 tackles – Week 2 at Montreal

The Alouettes                                                  

Montreal beat the Stamps 29-11 in Week 2 as QB Rakeem Cato (#12) was strong in his CFL debut. In addition, an effective running game helped Cato play a ball-control style of passing game.

RB Tyrell Sutton (#34) powered his way to 134 rushing yards and Montreal ended the night with 156 yards along the ground.

SB Nik Lewis (#8) scored a major against his former team and he and SB S.J. Green (#19) were Cato’s favourite targets on the night. SB Fred Stamps (#2) is coming off his best game as an Alouette, catching seven passes for 119 yards against Hamilton, but will not play on Saturday.

Montreal’s all-Canadian o-line has done its job protecting Cato, allowing just four sacks so far this season.

Montreal’s defence also played well in the win, limiting the Stamps to just 69 rushing yards and forcing the Stamps into three turnovers. LB Chip Cox (#11) had 11 tackles in the game and leads the team with 27 stops, third best in the CFL. MLB Kyler Elsworth (#41) is replacing the injured Bear Woods in the middle of the Als defence and has 17 tackles and a sack in two games since taking over.

Former Stamps CB Jonathan Hefney (#23) is having a bounce-back season with 16 tackles and two picks, adding more veteran savvy to an already-solid secondary that features DB Jerald Brown (#39) and Billy Parker (#17). 

Rakeem Cato – QB, #12
2015 stats – 90 attempts, 65 completions, 72.2% completion rate, 822 passing yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs,  105.9 QB rating – third in CFL in QB rating
Last game – 34 attempts, 23 completions, 67.6% completion rate, 264 passing yards, 1 TDs , 0 INTs,  100.6 QB rating – Week 4 vs Hamilton
2015 vs Cgy. – 25 attempts, 20 completions, 80.0% completion rate, 241 passing yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 148.9 QB rating – Week 2 at Montreal; CFL weekly Top Performer

Nik Lewis – SB, #8
2015 stats – 15 receptions, 191 receiving yards, 12.7 yard average, 1 receiving TD; second on team in receiving
Last game – 5 receptions, 53 receiving yards, 10.6 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 4 vs Hamilton
2015 vs Cgy. – 3 receptions, 65 receiving yards, 21.7 yard average, 1 TD – Week 2 at Montreal

John Bowman – DE, #7
2015 stats – 10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 4 sacks, 1forced fumble, 1 blocked kick – leads team in sacks
Last game – 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble – Week 4 vs Hamilton
2015 vs Cgy. – 3 tackles, 2 sacks – Week 2 at Montreal

Stats

Week 6 in the CFL

Thursday, July 30 – BC 13 at Winnipeg 23
Friday, July 31 – Saskatchewan (0-5) at Edmonton (3-1)
Monday, Aug. 3 – Toronto (3-1) at Hamilton (2-2)

Bye : Ottawa