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News September 3, 2022

Game Preview | LDC

before the Labour Day Classic game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina SK, Sunday September 3, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

@EdTaitWFC

THE LABOUR DAY CLASSIC | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

(10-1) at SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (6-5)

THE 4-1-1

Kickoff: Sunday, 5 p.m. CDT, Mosaic Stadium, Regina, SK
TV: TSN; ESPN+
Radio: 680 CJOB
Home/Road: The Blue Bombers are 6-0 on the road this season. Saskatchewan is 3-3 at home. Winnipeg’s 6-0 road start is the best since the club went unbeaten on the road – 8-0 – in 1960 and 1961.
BetRegal.ca odds: The Blue Bombers are favoured by 4 points. For more of Bet Regal’s numbers on this game, click here.
Streaks: Winnipeg: 1W; Saskatchewan: 1W.
Labour Day Classic numbers: This is the 58th edition of the Labour Day Classic. The Roughriders have won 14 of the last 16 Classics and have a 37-20 overall record against the Blue Bombers on this weekend.
Attention: A Blue Bombers victory would confirm a playoff spot for the sixth straight season, making their longest consecutive run since a 17-year run ended in 1997. This courtesy the CFL stats crew: clinching a playoff spot with six games remaining in the 18-game era (since 1986) would match their all-time quickest. The club also clinched with six games left in 2001 at 10-2.

The QBs

  • Saskatchewan starts Cody Fajardo at QB. He is 27-12 all-time and 2-3 vs. Winnipeg – 2-5 if the 2019 and 2021 Western Finals are included.
  • Winnipeg lines up Zach Collaros behind centre. He is 56-35 in his career and 27-3 in his games as a starter in Winnipeg, including playoffs and two Grey Cup victories.

The Coaches

Winnipeg: Mike O’Shea has a career won-lost record of 77-56. O’Shea’s 77 wins as a Blue Bombers head coach ranks third on the club’s all-time list, behind only Bud Grant (102) and Cal Murphy (86).

Saskatchewan: Craig Dickenson has a career record of 28-15 during his days as the Riders head coach. That includes a 2-3 regular season record vs. the Blue Bombers and 2-5 including playoffs.

Blue Roster Shuffle

The Bombers depth chart features five changes from the win over Calgary. Coming aboard are DBs Redha Kramdi and Evan Holm, receiver Brendan O’Leary-Orange, safety Malcolm Thompson and DE Cedric Wilcots II

Off are LB Malik Clements, CB Demerio Houston, FB Konner Burtenshaw, DB Patrice Rene and OL Tomoya Machino.

That means two changes to the starting lineup, with Jamal Parker making his first start for Houston at corner, and veteran Jesse Briggs stepping in for Clements at linebacker.

The Blue Bombers will be starting nine Canadians – OL Geoff Gray, Chris Kolankowski and Pat Neufeld, receivers Nic Demski and Drew Wolitarsky, running back Brady Oliveira, defensive tackle Jake Thomas, Briggs, safety Nick Hallett.

“It (starting nine Canadians) gives us some flexibility,” said O’Shea. “But when you look at it defensively our coaching staff on the defensive side have always rotated guys in and always believed that by the end of the year every guy will have played very meaningful snaps for us so we’re prepared going forward. I don’t think they bat an eye about who’s playing from one week to the next.”

BLUE BOMBER SPOTLIGHT: LB Jesse Briggs

The eight-year veteran will step in for Clements and the Blue Bombers have every confidence the defence won’t skip a beat. This will be the seventh start for Briggs in his career.

O’Shea on what Briggs brings to the defence: “He’s certainly very athletic, he’s incredibly smart, he understands the playbook inside and out and doesn’t need a lot of reps to get out there and execute at a very high level. It’s always fun to watch him get out there and play.”

NOTABLE

  • The Blue Bombers have trailed after three quarters three times this year – and won all three games, including last week
  • Brady Oliveira has had 408 yards rushing for a 6.0-yard average in his last five games, after averaging 3.2-yards per rush through the first six weeks.
  • The Riders started the season 4-1 but are 2-4 in their last six. They get receiver Shaq Evans back in the lineup – he’s been out for the past eight games after fracturing his ankle in Week 3.

MILESTONE WATCH

Zach Collaros moved into a tie with Dave Dickenson last week for 26th spot on the CFL’s all-time passing yardage list. Collaros is now at 22,619 yards in his career and needs 506 more yards to pass Danny Barrett and move into sole possession of 25th spot on the all-time list.

REMEMBERING HIS FIRST

Rewind to the 2015 Labour Day Classic… the Blue Bombers jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before a rookie returner from the University of Manitoba – the Roughriders first-round draft pick that year – evened the scoring with a 60-yard punt-return touchdown, the first of his career.

That player? Current Blue Bombers slotback Nick Demski.

“I grew up watching (the Labour Day Classic), so I knew what all the hype was about, how much emotion goes into this game, the rivalry and everything like that,” Demski said Saturday. “But probably the main reason this game holds a special place in my heart is because I scored my first CFL touchdown on Labour Day and that’s the memory that always comes back to me.

“I usually have pretty good games on Labour Day and Banjo Bowl, so I’m hoping to keep the streak alive that way.”

QUOTABLE

“It’s a great place to be. If you enjoy the CFL, then this is one of the places you want to be on the Labour Day weekend.” – Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea.