By Mike Hardiman
Stampeders.com

The Pregame

It’s a Grey Cup rematch as Calgary heads east to tangle with the defending East Division champions, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Stamps took care of business in Winnipeg last week, defeating the Bombers 25-23 and in doing so ran their record to 10-3 on the season. It’s the eighth straight season Calgary has won at least 10 games, the second longest streak in club history behind the 12-year streak from 1989 to 2000.

The Tiger-Cats (8-4, first place in the East) are coming of a bye and lost at home to the Eskimos by a 25-18 score in Week 13. Calgary won a squeaker against the Cats 24-23 back in Week 1 and has won the last three road games played against Hamilton dating back to 2012, including a 30-20 win last season.

This will be the Stamps’ first visit to the new Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton and this will be the fifth different venue for the Stamps’ road game against the Ticats in the past five seasons (Moncton in 2011, Ivor Wynne in 2012, Alumni Stadium (Guelph) in 2013 and Ron Joyce Stadium (McMaster) in 2014).

Calgary is 4-2 against East teams and 3-3 on the road while the Cats are 5-2 against teams from the West and 4-2 at home. 

The Kickoff

When/Where: Friday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. MDT at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton
Television: TSN, ESPN3
Radio: Newstalk 770, SiriusXM Channel 167
Internet: www.newstalk770.com

The Stampeders

Special teams will be the area of focus for the Stamps this week as they face one of the league’s most dangerous returners in Brandon Banks. Banks has three punt returns for touchdowns this season to lead the league, including a 67-yard return for a major against the Stamps in Week 1.

Calgary has work to do on punt coverage as they sit seventh in punt-return average allowed at 11.7 yards per return and are eighth in punt returns of over 30 yards allowed at six. The Stamps have allowed four kick-return touchdowns, tied for last in the CFL.

Calgary has a good matchup on defence as Hamilton is sixth in the CFL in rushing and is last in first-down rushing yards and first-down rushing average while Calgary is third in rushing yards allowed. Should this force the Ticats into more of a passing game, Calgary’s defensive ends Charleston Hughes and Freddie Bishop III are third and fourth in sacks in the CFL.

Calgary does need to be aware of a deep Hamilton receiving corps and the Cats average 306.1 passing yards per game. Hamilton passed for 281 yards against the Stamps back in Week 1. After allowing less than 200 yards passing for four straight games, Calgary’s defence has allowed over 300 yards passing in its last two contests against BC and Winnipeg.

The Stamps defence averages 252.8 passing yards allowed per game in six road games thus far and has totalled 18 sacks away from home. Keon Raymond leads the team with four interceptions and Calgary’s team total of 11 is sixth best in the CFL. 

Who to watch:

Jon Cornish – RB, #9
2015 stats – 89 carries, 460 rushing yards, 5.2 yard average, 4 TDs – leads team in rushing, fourth in CFL
Last game – 16 carries, 94 rushing yards, 5.9-yard average – Week 14 vs Wpg.
2015 vs Ham. – 13 carries, 70 rushing yards, 5.4-yard average – Week 1

Marquay McDaniel – SB, #16
2015 stats – 63 receptions, 815 receiving yards, 12.9-yard average, 2 TDs – second on team in receiving, third in CFL
Last game – 9 receptions, 159 receiving yards, 17.7-yard average – Week 14 at Wpg.; led team in receiving
2015 vs Ham. – 1 reception, 6 receiving yards, 6.0-yard average – Week 1

Bo Levi Mitchell – QB, #19
2015 stats – 426 attempts, 280 completions, 65.7% completion rate, 3.578 passing yards, 19 TD, 11 INTs, 96.0 QB rating – second in CFL in passing yards
Last game – 35 attempts, 27 completions, 77.1% completion rate, 333 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 int.,  103.6 QB rating –  Week 14 at Wpg.; sixth game of over 300 yards passing this season
2015 vs Ham. – 35 attempts, 22 completions, 62.9% completion rate, 263 passing yards, 1 TD, 3 int., 59.6 QB rating – Week 1

Deron Mayo – LB, #42
2015 stats – 57 tackles, 5 special teams tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble – leads team in tackles, seventh in CFL
Last game – 6 tackles, 1 special teams tackle, 2 sacks – Week 14 at Winnipeg; first multiple-sack game of career
2015 vs Ham. – 2 tackles, 1 special teams tackle – Week 1                          

Freddie Bishop – DE, #95
2015 stats – 29 tackles, 1 special-teams tackle 4 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 1 forced fumble – second on team in sacks, fourth in CFL sacks
Last game – 4 tackles, 1 sack – Week 14 at Wpg.; sacks in five straight games
2015 vs Ham. – 3 tackles, 1 sack – Week 1

The Tiger-Cats                   

With starting QB Zach Collaros lost for the season due to injury, Hamilton’s Grey Cup hopes fall on the shoulders of rookie QB Jeff Mathews (#15) and it will Mathews’ challenge to keep the Ticats offence at the top of the league’s rankings.

Hamilton does not run the ball well (eighth ranked) but does have a dangerous receiving corps. SB Terrence Tolliver (#80), SB Luke Tasker (#17) and WR Terrell Sinkfield Jr (#14) are all on or around a 1,000-yard receiving pace and veteran SB Bakari Grant (#84) is set to return from injury.

Hamilton’s defence is solid and has been spectacular at takeaways and scoring defensive touchdowns, leading the league in both categories. Hamilton’s D has scored eight touchdowns this season including six interceptions returned for majors.

DE Jonathan Hickman (#5) leads the team in sacks with eight while DT Ted Laurent (#97) was an all-Canadian at tackle in 2014.  LB Simoni Lawrence leads the team in tackles with 55 and both Lawrence and MLB Taylor Reed (#44) are in the top 10 in CFL stops, Taylor with 48.

DB Emanuel Davis leads the CFL in picks with five while S Craig Butler (#28) provides veteran leadership at safety. 

Jeff Mathews – QB, #15
2015 stats – 29 attempts, 18 completions, 62.1% completion rate, 247 passing yards, 0 TDs, 3 int., 46.2 QB rating – making first CFL start this week
Last game – 20 attempts, 12 completions, 60.0% completion rate, 157 passing yards, 0 TDs, 3 int.,  22.3 QB rating –  Week 13 vs Edm.;  replaced injured starter Collaros
2015 vs Calgary – did not play

Luke Tasker – SB, #17
2015 stats – 47 receptions, 667 receiving yards, 14.2 yard average, 4 receiving TDs – second on team in receiving
Last game – 6 receptions, 67 receiving yards, 11.2 yard average, 0 TDs – Week 13 vs Edm.
2015 vs Cgy. – did not play due to injury

Emanuel Davis – DB, #20
2015 stats – 39 tackles, 8 special teams tackles, 1 sack, 5 int., 8 pass knockdowns,  1 fumble return, 3 TDs – leads CFL in interceptions
Last game – 1 int. – Week 13 vs Edm.
2015 vs Cgy. – 3 tackles, 1 special teams tackle – Week 1

Stats (through Week 14)

Week 15 in the CFL

Thursday, Oct. 1, 5:30 p.m. – Montreal at Ottawa
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2 p.m. – Edmonton at Winnipeg
Sunday, Sept. 27, 5 p.m. – Saskatchewan at BC

Bye – Toronto