GAME 4 | CALGARY STAMPEDERS (1-2) at WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (2-1)
THE 4-1-1
Kickoff: Tonight, 6 p.m., IG Field
Know before you go
TV: TSN 1/3, RDS, ESPN2, Yare
Radio: 680CJOB, Sirius XM (Canada Talks, channel 167)
BetRegal.ca odds: Bombers by 7 points.
Streaks: Winnipeg: 1L. Calgary: 1W. The Bombers are 2-1 after falling last week in Toronto, a defeat that ended a six-game win streak dating back to the 2019 playoffs. The Stampeders are 1-2, knocking off the Montreal Alouettes 28-22 a week ago to avoid an 0-3 start.
Home/Road: The Bombers are 2-0 at IG Field this season and are 13-1 in their last 14 in Winnipeg dating back to the last three home games of 2018. Calgary will be playing its first road game of 2021 after starting out the season with three home dates. The Stamps were 5-4 on the road in 2019.
Head to head: The Bombers won two of three regular-season meetings with Calgary in 2019, and three of four if the win in the West Semi-final is included. Dating back to 2014, Calgary holds a 10-5 head-to-head record against Winnipeg.
The QBs
- The Bombers will start veteran Zach Collaros. He is 37-33 in his career starts and 6-1 as a Bomber. He is 4-4 in his career against Calgary.
- The Stamps will roll with Jake Maier, who is 1-0 in his career after last week’s 28-22 win over Montreal.
The Coaches
Winnipeg: Mike O’Shea: 58-53; vs. Cal: 5-10
Calgary: Dave Dickenson: 54-19-2; vs. Wpg: 6-4
Blue Roster Shuffle
The Bombers have made two roster changes from Week 3. Coming aboard are RB Andrew Harris and DB Alden Darby. Off are K Tyler Crapigna and DB Josh Miller. Crapigna has been moved to the six-game injured list, meaning rookie Marc Liegghio will handle all the kicking chores on Sunday.
Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said Crapigna has a ‘soft-tissue injury’ – it’s listed as a hamstring – and that the injury happened at practice.
“We’ll move forward with Marc Liegghio,” said O’Shea. “He’s a very accomplished kicker at the CIS (U-Sports) level, so he’s been waiting for this opportunity. No player likes getting an opportunity based on an injury, but they all have to prepare to take it. Full confidence in him.”
Milestone Watch
Bombers linebacker Adam Bighill needs seven tackles to reach 700 in his CFL career. He is in 10th spot on the CFL’s all-time tackles list, with Kevin Eiben at #9 with 722 tackles.
3 Bombers to Watch
#33 Andrew Harris, RB: Three-time reigning CFL rushing champ. Future hall of famer. Enough said.
#94 Jackson Jeffcoat, DE: The CFL adjusted its stats for last week’s game in Toronto and the correction has given Jeffcoat three forced fumbles in that contest, tying a league record. Jeffcoat has six tackles, three sacks and now four forced fumbles in three games this year.
#13 Marc Liegghio, K: He’s been solid as a punter through three games, but the former Western star and Bombers draft pick will now handle all the kicking chores. He had a 92 per cent field-goal percentage in 2019.
X Factor
#22 Alden Darby, DB: Expect Darby to see action in certain defensive formations as the club’s ‘Dime’ back. The veteran DB was acquired from the Argonauts during training camp following the season-ending Achilles injury to Mercy Maston.
“I expect – and he would expect it, too – to be in the right position,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “I expect him to communicate well with the guys around him. I expect him to find the ball, a lot. Those are the things experience brings and to me he is a high football IQ guy. He understands what CFL offences are trying to do and how it affects not just his position, but the entire defence.
Notable
The last five meetings between the Bombers and Stamps have all gone down to the final three minutes before being decided. The margins in those games are one point (29-28 Winnipeg), four points (37-33 Calgary), two points (26-24 Winnipeg), eight points (29-21 Winnipeg) and 13 points (39-26 Calgary).
Quotable
“I think it was the steaks we ate, so just stick to the veggies this week and I think we should start a little faster. It’s just about execution, man. It’s about staying in second and short. We just got caught second and long and when you’re at the sticks like that it’s easier for the defence to call plays to keep everything in front of them and eliminate that deep-shot ability. It’s just about first-down production. It’s something every team focuses on and it’s very important.” – receiver Drew Wolitarsky, offering his take on what happened to the Bombers offence last week.
Critical Number: 1-2
The Bombers and Stampeders sport the two best records in the CFL since 2016 with Calgary having gone 54-19-2 and the Bombers 46-29.
FYI:
- After three straight games against the East in which the Bombers went 2-1, the club’s next eight games are all against the West. It starts with Calgary tonight and is followed by the annual Labour Day Classic-Banjo Bowl doubleheader with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and then three games against the Edmonton Elks and two vs. the B.C. Lions through to the end of October before a season-ending home-and-home series with the Montreal Alouettes.
- The Bombers are 26-9 at IG Field since August of 2016.
- Winnipeg has not allowed a point in any of the three fourth quarters played this season.
- The 83-yard fumble return TD last week by Jesse Briggs was the fourth-longest in club history. The longest was a return by Tyrone Jones in 1987, covering 92 yards.
- The Bombers had 20 rushing TDs in 2019, third-best in the CFL. The club has yet to find the end zone along the ground in ’21.
