Go Lions Go!!!
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Go Lions Go!!!
as i predicted. winnipeg lost to edmonton which shouldnt happen with edmontons defense. next week montreal will pick them apart!
and as for the rider, why they let bishop start is beyond me, like christ, he sucked. yes others dropped the ball too, but bishop was brutal!
all i can say is go stamps! i cant live in this province when Bc wins at anything. hell right now canuck fans are planning the stanley cup parade because of 3 shut outs in a row. like give me a break!
Edmonton Eskimos at Montreal Alouettes
Saturday, November 15 - 1pm et/10am pt on TSN and TSN HD
Season Series
Edmonton 4 at Montreal 40
Montreal 14 at Edmonton 37
When the Alouettes have the ball
Quarterback: Anthony Calvillo is the East Division's nominee for Most Outstanding Player. At 36, he has turned back time, passing for over 5,600 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Running Game: Avon Cobourne found his stride in late July, racking up six straight 100-yard games. He also collected over 600 yards in receiving out of the backfield. But he was hobbled by an ankle injury late in the season that caused him to miss some action.
Passing Game: Newcomer Jamel Richardson racked up the most yards for the Alouettes this season but Ben Cahoon was once again Calvillo's favourite target with 107 catches. Kerry Watkins gives the Alouettes a third receiver with over 1,000 yards, one of only teams to do so.
Offensive Line: Player award nominee Scott Flory, Bryan Chiu and Paul Lambert are part of a solid unit that has performed at a high level for a nubmer of years. And they're all Canadians, too!
Special Teams: Rookie Larry Taylor does his best to give Calvillo a short field to work with. Damon Duval is always among the leaders in scoring and this year was no different. And with a net average of 38 yards, his punting has been impressive as well.
Eskimos' Defence: The Eskimos have had difficulty stopping the run this season but the secondary has fared better. When the ball goes in the air, only three things can happen and two of them are bad. The Eskimos are proof of that, having allowed the fewest completed passes and picking off 20 opposition throws. The late-season return of veteran Fred Perry should help the pass rush that has managed 30 sacks.
When the Eskimos have the ball
Passing Game: Ricky Ray is undoubtedly among the best passers in the league today and proved it again this year by leading the way in yardage with 5,661. He's the key to any post-season success for the Eskimos.
Running Game: Another year goes by with the Eskimos' severely lacking in a rushing attack. A.J. Harris emerged as the feature back early but Canadian Calvin McCarty seems to have supplanted him of late. Ironically, when the Eskimos outgain their opposition on the ground, they win.
Receiving Game: After years of struggling to find his niche, Canadian Kamau Peterson has found a connection with Ray. He joined the 1,000-yard club this season along with rookie speedster Kelly Campbell. The loss of Jason Tucker to a serious neck injury early in the season has been a tough one to overcome, both on and off the field.
Offensive Line: Run-blocking is not a strength of this group but the emphasis is on the passing game anyways. If they can keep Ray on his feet, they are doing their job.
Special Teams: Tristan Jackson has ignited the fans at Commonwealth Stadium on many occasions this season, returning two punts and one kick-off for touchdowns. Kicker Noel Prefonatine has been solid if not spectacular taking over for fan favourite Sean Fleming.
Alouettes' Defence: The Alouettes have had a great deal of success stopping the run, giving up less than 100 yards per game. And statistics say the passing defence is weak with only the Hamilton Tiger-Cats giving up more yards but when you have a winning record and score over 600 points, teams tend to throw the ball against you when the game is already decided.
B.C. Lions at Calgary Stampeders
Saturday, November 15 - 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt on TSN and TSN HD
West Semi-Final - Lions vs. Roughriders
Season Series
B.C. 18 at Calgary 28
Calgary 36 at B.C. 19
B.C. 30 at Calgary 41
When the Stampeders have the ball
Passing Game: If not for Anthony Calvillo's outstanding season, Henry Burris would be the talk of the league among pivots. Passing for over 5,000 yards with 38 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions in the tough West Division is remarkable.
Running Game: Joffrey Reynolds reached the 1,200-yard for the fourth straight season. He was struggling down the stretch until he picked up 128 yards against Hamilton in Week 18 to help the Stampeders clinch first place.
Receiving Game: Ken-Yon Rambo led the league in yardage, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. Five-year veteran Nik Lewis has reached the milestone every season and this year, led the team in touchdowns. Jeremaine Copeland and Canadian Brett Ralph complete a fearsome foursome.
Offensive Line: Diaper dandies Jesse Newman and Dimitri Tsoumpas have surprised everyone with their ability to step in and have an impact. This unit allowed the second fewest quarterback sacks on the season.
Special Teams: Markus Howell is steady in the return game. Special Teams award nominee Sandro DeAngelis made good on 85% of his field goal attempts while Burke Dales led the league in net punting.
Lions Defence: While the offence has been the calling card of the Lions in recent years, the defence has stepped up this year. Led by shoo-in Most Outstanding Defensive Player Cameron Wake, the Lions lead the league in fewest yards allowed, interceptions and quarterback sacks.
Matt Dungian says the Lions win if:
They can tackle, not give up the big play and hang on to the football...Duh.
Limiting turnovers was critical on the road last week at Mosaic and even more so this week at McMahon.
If the Lions cough up the ball as much and early as Saskatchewan did last week, this game could be over quickly. Why, because the Stamps will make you pay!!! It's like giving extra outs in Baseball, it will get you beat. Buck Pierce must manage the game like he did last week and let the game come to him. He must distribute the football and keep the car on the road.
Pierce has to feed Stefan Logan the football....again, duh. Get Stefan at least 20 touches and watch the magic happen. Establish Logan and watch Geroy Simon and Co. come to life. Imagine yourself as a quarterback in any of these two offensive huddles at McMahon and you should have a huge smile on your face. Potential shoot out in Calgary. Kick back and enjoy the game exclusively on TSN.
Defensively, do what you do. Continue to get to the QB, (68 times so far this season) and let the athletic ability of the secondary flock to the ball. Cam Wake, Brent Johnson, Tyrone Williams, Aaron Hunt and Rick Foley should and will be a factor!!! Barron Miles will be huge in this ball game with his ability to roam the middle. He does it better than anyone in the league and will be crucial against Henry Burris and Co. limiting the dreaded "Big Play" that has hurt the Lions this season.
I love Otis Floyd's mindset and comment of hitting Calgary right dead in the mouth. This is so true, as I feel like that is the Lions strength, a strength that has been inconsistent up until last week. In short the Lions must out physical the Stamps.
Paul McCallum and Ian Smart have been tremendous up until this point and will play a huge factor in establishing excellent field position for the Lions offence.
When the Lions have the ball
Quarterback: Last season, Jarious Jackson appeared to be the future for the Lions. But after struggling early on this year, Buck Pierce stepped in and led the Leos to a resurgence down the stretch.
Running Game: Rookie Stefan Logan played well enough to replace perennial MOP candidate Joe Smith this season. Even the arrival of Charles Roberts, another perennial MOP candidate, did not affect Logan's status as the feature back in Vancouver. With Roberts out for the season with a torn achilles, the spotlight is on Logan.
Passing Game: Another season, another 1,000 yards for Geroy Simon, the sixth straight time reaching that mark. Canadian Paris Jackson broke through the 1,000 yard barrier for the first time this year and last year's Outstanding Canadian Jason Clermont is back from an MCL injury.
Offensive Line: Outstanding offensive guard Rob Murphy has annoyed almost every defensive lineman in the league and even chalked up a fine for "clearly inappropriate" conduct. He's a force to be reckoned with.
Special Teams: Ian Smart set a new league record for kick-off return yards and he's not too shabby on punt returns, either. At 38, kicker Paul McCallum may not have the distance anymore but he connected on over 85% of his field goal attempts.
Stampeders' Defence: The Stampeders rely on a total team concept on defence. No player had more than five sacks, for example, but five Stampeders had at least four QB drops. The scheme certainly worked, as no defence gave up fewer touchdowns or fewer points than Calgary's this season. Defensive back Wes Lysak topped the team with four interceptions while linebacker Shannon James was among the league leaders in tackles.
Matt Dunigan says the Stampeders win if:
The offence can take care of the football, period.
Turnovers have been the difference in the past and certainly proved to be true in the Semifinals.
Henry Burris has protected the football all season long and has played with poise and confidence. His off-season workout program, which added more size, speed, and strength to his game, has been apparent and the difference.
Henry's ability to create, elude, and knife a defence with speed and quickness coupled with Joffrey Reynolds league leading, hard-slashing running style will give the Lions D plenty to worry about on the ground. Establishing the ground attack will set up Calgary's play action prowess. CFL leading receiver Ken Yon Rambo and his teammates, Nik Lewis, Jermaine Copeland, Brett Ralph, Teyo Johnson, and Ryan Thelwell all possess explosive big play capabilities across the board and must produce "Big Plays." The play action will give this group just that half-a-second more to set up defenders and stretch the Lions defence vertically. The young offensive line of the Stamps has done an incredible job in 08', allowing the second fewest sacks in the league and will benefit from a balanced attack.
Defensively the Stamps must swarm and gang-tackle Stefan Logan. The return of a healthy Saleem Rasheed, and Juwann Simpson has added even more team speed to an already fast Calgary defence. The addition of Milton Collins on the back end has been a big boost and getting JoJuan Armour back will help deal with the Lions offensive weapons.
Chris Jones has challenged his defense all season with man-to-man coverage and now will be their biggest test to date. The secondary must blanket the talented Lions receiving corps. The Stamps blitz package on second down and long, (one free defender coming of each edge) must be timed up perfectly and not allow Buck Pierce to set his feet and deliver into that one-on-one coverage. Therein lies the key: force the Lions into second and long situations so you can dictate defensively.
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CFL West Semi Final: BC at SSK- November 8, 2008
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CFL East Semi Final: EDM at WPG- November 8, 2008
I don't think that the Stamps are going to be able to keep Cameron Wake off of Henry Burris, and I think that will make the difference in their game.
The CFL West Division Final was a tale of two halves as the Calgary Stampeders came from behind to knock off the B.C. Lions 22-18.
The Western Division Most Outstanding Player nominee Henry Burris was able to recover from a poor opening half to give the Stampeders their first shot at the Grey Cup since 2001.
Calgary will travel to Montreal to face the Alouettes for Lord Earl Grey's chalice Sunday, November 23rd in a game you can only see on TSN starting at 3pm et/noon pt. The game will also be available in TSNHD.
"I told our players to enjoy the moment and enjoy the night and understand what they accomplished because what they accomplished was something good," said Calgary coach John Hufnagel.
Burris, who entered the game with a 1-4 record in the playoffs, finished the game 17-for-27 for 236 yards, one touchdown pass and one interception. He also rushed for a touchdown. The win meant that the Stamps swept the season series going a perfect 4-0 against the Lions.
While Burris' play in the second half was the key to the comeback he credited the entire team for the victory.
"We did the little things and we put enough together to get the job done," Burris told TSN. "Our defence played a heck of a game and our special teams gave us great field position and we were able to do just enough to pull it out."
Calgary's defence dominated the play as the Lions were unable to find the end zone all afternoon. Kicker Paul McCallum was responsible for all of the Lions scoring as he was a perfect six-for-six on field goal attempts as BC's offence repeatedly stalled in crucial situations.
"Very disappointing," Lions quarterback Buck Pierce told TSN. "To control the ball the way that we did for most of the game and you don't score when it counts, it's going to come back and get you."
There was extra motivation for the Stamps defence after the CFL's All-Star team was announced. The Lions had five players named to the squad while only one Stampeder made the team, cornerback Brandon Browner.
"We wanted to take it upon ourselves to show that we were the number one defence," Stampeders defensive lineman Mike Labinjo told TSN.
With only 46 man-games of playoff experience on their roster, the Stampeders lack of post-season familiarity was exposed early on. Calgary's offence was held in check by the top rated Lions defence forcing two straight two-and-outs to start the game.
Pierce was having no such problems in the early going as he spread the ball around the field to his receivers while running back Stefan Logan softened up the Stampeders defence with his tough interior running picking up 94 yards on 13 carries in the half.
Unfortunately for the Leos, their offence repeatedly stalled as McCallum split the uprights three times to give B.C. a 9-0 lead.
"Football is a game of opportunities," Lions coach Wally Buono told reporters following the loss. "And when you look at it, we squandered them away."
The Stamps finally hit the scoreboard in the second quarter with a safety as McCallum chose to run through his own end zone as opposed to punting from deep inside his own half.
The defensive struggle continued as B.C. drove the ball 67 yards, killing over five minutes off the clock before McCallum finished off the drive with a 32-yard field goal to increase the Lions lead to 10.
The Stampeders offence finally appeared to find a rhythm late in the quarter as Calgary picked up one of only four first downs of the half before Burris connected with Ken-Yon Rambo in the end zone for a 22-yard strike. That touchdown pulled Calgary within three as the teams headed to their respective locker rooms for the half-time break.
With only 89 yards worth of offence in the first half, Burris put it upon himself to turn the Stamps fortunes around. However he was unable to muster any yardage on Calgary's opening drive of the second half as Burke Dales was forced to punt once again.
The Lions held their collective breath on the ensuing drive as Logan took a big hit from Browner and remained down on the field.
Although Logan made it to the sidelines under his own power his absence was felt on the very next play as Jarious Jackson, subbed in for Buck Pierce, fumbled on a quarterback sneak to give the Stampeders the ball at their own six yard line. It was a play that Buono felt was a defining moment in the game.
"There were a lot of things that we did well and there were a lot of things that we didn't do well," Buono stated. "The big thing is when you are on the one yard line you've got to put it in. You can't fumble the ball at critical times. Those things always come back to haunt you."
With seemingly all the momentum heading in the Stampeders direction, Burris was picked off by Lions defensive back Korey Banks who took it all the way to the Stampeders one-yard line.
Instead of folding, Calgary's defence held strong as Labinjo, who was a monster all-day, stonewalled Ian Smart twice from the one-yard line to limit the Lions to another McCallum field goal. It was a play that turned out to be pivotal in the game's outcome.
"Our coaches told us 'no matter what happens just hold them to three points,'" Labinjo told TSN. "We knew that if we came up with a big stop there our offence could come back and win this game."
With the momentum back on their side, Burris led the Stamps down the field once again, however he was unable to find the end zone this time. A 42-yard field goal by Sandro DeAngelis pulled Calgary to within three.
The Stampeders defence turned up the intensity as Labinjo beat a pair of linemen to sack Pierce for the second time on the afternoon.
The defensive stand appeared to spark the Calgary offence. With his confidence growing Burris drove the Stamps downfield, however the Lions defence came up strong stopping the drive. DeAngelis was called upon once again and he tied things up with a 27-yard field goal.
Burris' second half resurgence continued as he connected with Jermaine Copeland and Teyo Johnson on back-to-back plays for big gains through the air. Burris then called his own number to bang it in from one-yard out to give the Stampeders their first lead of the game.
While everything appeared to be headed in Calgary's direction, the Lions responded immediately as Pierce connected with Geroy Simon for a 65-yard pickup to put B.C. in Stampeders territory. The Leo's were unable to build on that and McCallum kicked his sixth field goal of the afternoon.
The teams exchanged possessions as the three-minute warning came and went. Pierce was handed the ball at his own seven yard line with 1:38 left on the clock. He went deep with his first pass attempt as Ryan-Grice Mullen came up with a miraculous reception, tearing the ball away from Browner for a huge gain.
Feeling that luck was on his side, Pierce aired it out on the very next play, however Browner made up for the previous play by coming up with an enormous interception that should have killed off the Lions season.
A pair of kneel downs and an incompletion meant that Pierce would be given the ball back with a chance to win it with one-second on the clock. His Hail Mary attempt was batted down in the end zone and Calgary could finally punch their ticket to Montreal for a date with the Alouettes.
"It's going to be the best against the best," Labinjo told TSN. "We're really fired up and looking forward to it."
Larry Taylor set a CFL record with two punt returns for touchdowns as the Montreal Alouettes rolled to a 36-26 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos in the Wendy's CFL on TSN East Final at Olympic Stadium.
The Alouettes will host the Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Cup, which will also be played at Olympic Stadium in Montreal next Sunday.
''Our team has tremendous backbone,'' Als head coach Marc Trestman told TSN following the game. ''We took Edmonton's best shots today and withstood the test. I'm just proud to be on this field and be part of it all today.''
Taylor scored his first touchdown late in the first half to give the Alouettes their first lead of the game. He took Noel Prefontaine's punt and darted up the field for a 64-yard major.
''It's a great feeling in the eastern championship game to make it happen,'' said Taylor. ''Hats off to my teammates for springing me on both returns.''
Taylor's second score came early in the fourth quarter and sealed the win. He started on his won 13-yard line and found himself in the end zone 97 yards away.
''Larry Taylor, playing on special teams, didn't catch a pass all year and yet was the difference maker here today, CFL on TSN's Duane Forde said. ''His two huge punt return touchdowns made the difference and turned the tide.''
Anthony Calvillo completed 20 of 32 passes for 295 yards with one touchdown while Jamel Richardson led the way with 91 yards on six catches and one touchdown. Avon Cobourne rushed for another major.
''It's an emotional day, Calvillo told TSN. ''We've been working so hard all year long and this is what we envisioned. But our vision's not over yet.''
Ricky Ray threw for 339 yards and one touchdown in a losing effort with Outstanding Canadian nominee Kamau Peterson his favourite target, catching nine balls for 127 yards. Kelly Campbell scored the only offensive touchdown for the Eskimos.
The Eskimos jumped out to an early lead when back-up defensive end Justin Cooper blocked Damon Duval's punt deep in Montreal's end and recovered the loose ball in the end zone.
Duval came back on the next series when he put the cap on a long drive with a 27-yard field goal. But on the first play of the second quarter, Noel Prefontaine made good on a 45-yard field goal attempt to restore the Eskimos' lead.
Then, Peterson came up big, hauling in two key passes from Ray, allowing Prefontaine to extend the Edmonton advantage with a 22-yard field goal.
Late in the second frame, Calvillo connected with Richardson on a 7-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 13-12. Richardson led the league in touchdowns during the regular season with 16 majors.
After a two-and-out from the Eskimos, Larry Taylor returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown to give the Alouettes a huge boost heading to the locker-room. And the crowd started to become a factor.
Early in the second half, the Eskimos lost defensive back Jason Goss with an ankle injury and that would turn out to be costly.
Special teams standout Tristan Jackson replaced Goss in the backfield and was promptly penalized for pass interference in the end zone trying to cover slotback Ben Cahoon. That allowed Cobourne to redeem himself with a 1-yard plunge to cap off another time-consuming drive. Momentum was clearly on the side of the Alouettes.
One play earlier, third-string quarterback Adrian McPherson appeared to score but officials determined that an inadvertent whistle had blown the play dead before the ball was snapped.
Early in the fourth quarter, Taylor put an end to any thoughts of an Eskimos comeback when he returned his second punt for a touchdown. He took the ball deep in his own end and didn't stop until he reached the Edmonton end zone.
On their next possession, the Eskimos began their comeback attempt when Ricky Ray hooked up with speedster Kelly Campbell on a 55-yard touchdown pass.
But when the Eskimos gave up the ball on downs on the next drive, it appeared to be all over for the visitors from Alberta.
''The Alouettes got to Ricky Ray all day and he really wasn't able to get the throws he wanted,'' Forde said.
Jackson gave the Eskimos a spark when he returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown with less than a minute to go in regulation. Despite recovering the onside kick, it wasn't enough as the Eskimos went down to defeat.
''I'm not sure if it was them or us,'' said Eskimos receiver Kamau Peterson. ''I just felt we didn't capitalize on the spaces they were giving us and, as a result, we had way too many two-and-outs.
''But hats off to them. They sustained drives and we didn't.''
For the first time, the Grey Cup will be seen live on TSN and TSN HD next Sunday with the pre-game show getting underway at 3pm et/Noon pt.
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CFL West Final: BC at CGY- November 15, 2008