Stamps entertain Riders in Western Division fracas

Oct 22, 2014 - 3:52 PM Calgary, AB (SportsNetwork.com) - With the West Division title already wrapped up, the Calgary Stampeders continue to keep their eyes on the bigger prize, but for now they are preparing to meet up with the Saskatchewan Roughriders at McMahon Stadium on Friday night.

With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Stamps remain the best team in the league with 13 victories in 15 chances. The squad has put together a three-game win streak and has won nine of the last 10 overall, including a 33-23 triumph over Winnipeg on the road last weekend.

Against the Blue Bombers, Bo Levi Mitchell was back under center and made an immediate impact with a 25-yard major to Brad Sinopoli in the first quarter. Mitchell finished the outing 18-of-28 for 258 yards and a pair of scores, as well as two interceptions.

On the ground, Calgary was again sparked by the play of running back Jon Cornish who carried the ball 21 times for 160 yards and a score. Backup quarterback Drew Tate added a rushing TD of his own for the visitors, but the spotlight remained on Cornish who was named both the CFL's Offensive Player of the Week and the top Canadian.

Meanwhile, the Roughriders are in the midst of a four-game slide and have lost five of the last six overall, yet they are still one of three teams in the West Division that has already made the cut for the postseason.

During Week 17 action on Sunday, Saskatchewan held visiting Edmonton to only four points in the first half, but then it was the Riders who saw their offense disappear in the second half. The hosts turned to recently signed Kerry Joseph at quarterback and he responded by converting 17-of-36 passes for 213 yards, two TDs and two INTs in the setback.

Joseph was second in rushing with a mere 21 yards on seven carries, trailing Will Ford by six yards. This week, the signal caller might have a better chance at reaching the top of the rushing list after it was announced on Tuesday that Ford had been released by the Riders. Ford finished his stint in Saskatchewan with 452 yards and six touchdowns on 85 carries since coming on in Week 5.

With Ford now out of the picture, Anthony Allen and Jerome Messam will get their numbers called more frequently. Allen, who did not play last week, is second in the league in rushing overall with 849 yards on 156 attempts. He has three 100-yard games in 2014 and has reached the end zone five times.

But no matter who is coming out of the backfield for the Riders, all of the pressure again falls on the quarterback, whomever that may be over the next few weeks. So far, the track record for the Saskatchewan passing attack is less than stellar, as the program has the second-fewest passing yards (3,057) and has just as many INTs (15) as TDs (15).

Oddly enough, even though Calgary is far and away the best team in the league this season, the Stamps have the third-worst passing attack among the nine teams, at least in terms of yards (3,429). A closer look at the numbers shows a team that is second in TDs (23) and first with the fewest picks (nine).

It also makes sense that the Stamps are not the top passing squad in the CFL if for no other reason than they have Cornish on their side. The punishing running back is 23 yards shy of 1,000 for the season, and is fourth in the league in yards from scrimmage (1,110).

Calgary won the only other meeting between the teams this season by a score of 31-24 just a few weeks back on the road at Mosaic Stadium. During that Oct. 3 matchup, the Stampeders scored the only points of the first half (nine) and led 24-0 in the third quarter before taking their foot off the gas. Tate hit 16-of-29 passes for 194 yards and two scores, adding two more majors on the ground for the visitors.

That was the game where Saskatchewan head coach Corey Chamblin went with his gut and inserted Seth Doege into the starting lineup at quarterback. The move backfired however, as Doege completed just three of his nine pass attempts for 28 yards and three interceptions. Tino Sunseri reappeared for the hosts and connected on all but three of his 19 passes, leading to 289 yards and a score. Sunseri also scored once on the ground in the setback.

With the victory earlier this month, Calgary's lead in the all-time series with the Riders now stands at 122-89-9, taking into consideration only regular-season bouts dating back to 1946. The Stamps have won three straight and 10 of the last 12 meetings.