By Mike Hardiman
Stampeders.com

The Pregame

For the 27th time in their storied rivalry, the Edmonton Eskimos will play host to the Calgary Stampeders at Commonwealth Stadium on the weekend after Labour Day.

The tradition began in 1989 and, after a rocky start of six straight rematch losses, Calgary has gone 13-7 since 1995 and is now tied with Edmonton with a 13-13 record in the second game of the annual home-and-home series.

Calgary is currently on streak of eight straight wins dating back to 2007 and has never lost in the rematch under head coach John Hufnagel. The Stamps (8-2, first place in the West) ran their current win streak to five games with a hard-fought 16-7 win over the Eskimos on Labour Day while the loss dropped Edmonton (6-4, second place) to 2-2 in its last four games.

Calgary also ran its winning streak against the Eskimos to 12 games including a 41-34 win over the Green and Gold in last year’s rematch. Calgary is now 4-0 against Western teams and 2-2 on the road while Edmonton is 4-1 at home and 2-2 against Western opposition.

The Kickoff

When/Where: Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. MDT at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton
Television: TSN, ESPN3
Radio: Newstalk 770, SiriusXM Channel 167
Internet: www.newstalk770.com

The Stampeders

Calgary’s defence continued its impressive play last week, dominating the Eskimos and allowing just 203 total yards. Calgary has not allowed a touchdown in three of its past four games and has averaged just 12.2 points and 152.3 total yards per game over that span.

The Stamps have really turned up the heat defensively over the past four weeks, totaling 17 sacks and 10 takeaways. Calgary has had five sacks in a game three times in the past four games and has moved up to third in the league’s sack race after having only 11 sacks in its first six games.

Calgary’s defensive ends Charleston Hughes and Freddie Bishop III account for half the team’s sack total at 14 combined, with Bishop having sacks in his last three games.

The game this week is shaping up as another clash of the top two defences in the league, so Calgary’s offence will have to find a way to break through on the road if the Stamps hope to leave Edmonton with a win. After dropping its first two road games of the season, the Stamps have been hot on the road the past two games, scoring 70 points and racking up 787 yards of offence. The Stamps’ rushing average had crept up to 96.1 yards per game after back-to-back games on the road of over 120 yards along the ground but that trend was halted on Labour Day as Calgary rushed for only 49 yards, its second lowest total of the season.

RB Matt Walter sits 11th in league rushing with 246 yards on 53 carries.  

K Rene Paredes is having another fine season, sitting fourth in the CFL in points scored with 80 and hitting on 87.5 per cent of his field goals attempts, with just three misses in 24 tries. Paredes has not missed a field goal in his past four games, connecting on 12 straight kicks. 

Who to watch:

Jeff Fuller – WR, #3
2015 stats – 33 receptions, 447 receiving yards, 13.5 yard average, 2 TDs; third on team in receiving
Last game – 3 receptions, 58receiving yards, 19.3 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 11 vs Edm.
2014 Labour Day Rematch –did not play due to injury

Bo Levi Mitchell – QB, #19
2015 stats – 316 attempts, 207 completions, 65.5% completion rate,  2,733 passing yards, 15 TDs, 8 INTs, 98.0 QB rating – second in CFL passing yards, third in CFL passing TDs
Last game – 36 attempts, 24 completions, 66.7% completion rate, 251 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT,  84.4 QB rating –  Week 11 vs Edmonton
2014 Labour Day Rematch – 24 attempts, 14 completions, 58.3% completion rate, 216 passing yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT – Week 11 at Edmonton

Deron Mayo – LB, #42
2015 stats – 43 tackles, 4 special teams tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble – leads team in tackles
Last game – 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble – Week 11 vs Edm.
2014 vs Labour Day Rematch – 5 tackles – Week 11 at Edm.

Charleston Hughes – DE, #39
2015 stats – 26 tackles, 3 tackles for losses, 9 sacks, 2 pass knockdowns, 1 fumble return, 2 forced fumbles – leads CFL in sacks
Last game – 5 tackles, 3 sacks – Week 11 vs Edmonton; named CFL Top performer
2014 vs Labour Day Rematch – 1 tackle – Week 11 at Edmonton

Joe Burnett – CB, #24
2015 stats – 16 tackles, 1 INT, 2 pass knockdowns, 1 forced fumble – two games played
Last game – 3 tackles, 1 pass knockdown – Week 11 vs Edmonton
2014 vs Labour Day Rematch – did not play due to injury; member of Eskimos

The Eskimos                              

Edmonton’s defence did its job against the Stampeders on Labour Day, limiting Calgary to just 16 points, the lowest point total at home for Calgary this year, and setting a new season low for the Stamps in total offence (274 yards).

Edmonton also held Calgary to its second lowest rushing total of the year at 49 yards.

LB Dexter McCoil (#45), MLB J.C. Sherritt (#47), CB Pat Watkins (#9) and DT Almondo Sewell (#90) led the way on defence for the Eskies, who are still the league’s No. 1-ranked defence coming into this week’s game.

It was Edmonton’s offence that faltered as rookie QB James Franklin (#14) had a lot of trouble with Calgary’s aggressive defence. Expect veteran QB Mike Reilly (#13), who came off the bench in relief of Franklin, to get the start this week and Reilly will be looking for more from his offensive playmakers at home this week. WR Derel Walker (#87) continued to be hot with five catches and he and Adarius Bowman (#4) are the Eskimos’ main weapons in the passing attack.

RB Chad Simpson (#10) rushed for just 11 yards as Edmonton ran the ball only nine times compared to its season average of 18 carries per game coming into Labour Day. Edmonton is a middle of the pack team in terms of offensive stats but is seventh in both sacks allowed (31) and giveaways (30). 

Mike Reilly – QB, #13
2015 stats – 40 attempts, 21 completions, 52.5% completion rate, 260 passing yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs,  81.3 QB rating – missed 8 games due to injury
Last game – 12 attempts, 5 completions, 41.7% completion rate, 90 passing yards, 0 TDs , 0 INTs,  68.1 QB rating –  Week 11 at Calgary; came on in relief in fourth quarter
2014 Labour Day Rematch  – did not play due to injury

Adarius Bowman – SB, #4
2015 stats – 46 receptions, 612 receiving yards, 13.3 yard average, 3 TDs – leads team in receiving, third CFL receiving
Last game – 5 receptions, 93 receiving yards, 18.6 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 11 at Calgary
2014 Labour Day Rematch – 8 receptions, 124 receiving yards, 15.5 yard average, 1 TD – Week 11 at Edmonton

J.C. Sherritt – MLB, #47
2015 stats – 39 tackles, 5 special teams tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 2 pass knockdowns, 1fumble return, 1 forced fumble TD – tied for second on team in tackles
Last game – 8 tackles, 1 special teams tackle, 1 sack – Week 11 at Calgary
2014 Labour Day Rematch – 1 tackle – Week 11 at Edmonton

Stats (through Week 10)

Week 12 in the CFL

Friday, Sept. 11, 5:30 p.m. – Hamilton at Toronto
Saturday, Sept. 12, 4:30 p.m. – Saskatchewan at Winnipeg
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2 p.m. – Ottawa at BC

Bye – Montreal