The Ottawa REDBLACKS carry their 2-0 record to start the season to a sold out TD Place on Friday night as one of the CFL’s hottest teams finally opens its home schedule against the Calgary Stampeders.
Despite a tough start to the calendar that sees Ottawa play four of its first five games on the road, the REDBLACKS have seen immediate success out of the gates – first downing the Edmonton Eskimos in overtime to open the schedule followed by decisively defeating the Montreal Alouettes 28-13.
The big story so far as been the instant chemistry between quarterback Trevor Harris – who was pressed into duty in Week 1 after starter Henry Burris went down with a finger injury – and receiver Chris Williams, arguably the fastest player in the CFL.
Harris connected with Williams on the quarterbacks’s first snap in Ottawa colours, launching a 71-yard bomb for the score, only to do it again a handful of plays later. And while the two were both named to the CFL’s list of Top Performers of in both Week 1 and Week 2 – Harris passed for 395 yards and three touchdowns, while Williams caught 137 yards, including a 53-yard score – the whole team has been contributing in key areas through the first two games.
Williams, who now has 15 catches for 363 yards and three touchdowns on the season, said the players are familiar with each other after Ottawa’s charge to the finals last year, and new players like Harris have fit in seamlessly.
“We’re rocking and rolling right now.”
– receiver Chris Williams
“We’re rocking and rolling right now,” said Williams. “We put a lot of work in this off-season and, with the guys being so familiar with each other, we knew we had a good opportunity to hit the ground running.
“We’re definitely doing some good things and we want to keep going, keep getting better.”
The REDBLACKS will need similar efforts Friday when they host the Stampeders in the first non-preseason game to be played at TD Place since last year’s wild East Division Final against Hamilton.
With all the excitement surrounding the opener, REDBLACKS head coach Rick Campbell said his players will have to tune out some of those distractions.
“The key is to stay focused on what’s going on on the field,” Campbell said. “Calgary plays hard, they play as a team, they’re well coached and that’s why they win a lot more than they lose.
“It’s going to be a very tough game, just like it normally is for us. We’re going to make sure we’re ready and put our best foot forward.”
It will be a quick turnaround for the REDBLACKS following Friday’s game as the team will begin preparing to face the Argonauts in Toronto on Wednesday their second short week in the opening four weeks to the season.
WHERE TO WATCH
You can watch all the action on TSN, RDS and the TSN GO app.
You can also listen to Friday’s game on TSN 1200. Their pre-game show gets started at 5 p.m. and features former Ottawa Rough Riders greats Ken Evraire and Darren Joseph. 104,7 FM Outaouais will also broadcast the game in French.
Fans south of the border can also catch tonight’s REDBLACKS game on ESPN3 and WatchESPN.com.
Across the pond, BT Sport will broadcast REDBLACKS games live and on delay in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
BROADCAST INFO
TV (EN): TSN1, TSN 3, TSN4, TSN 5
TV (FR): RDS
TV (USA): ESPN3
TV (UK/Ireland): BT Sport
Stream (EN): TSN GO
Stream (USA): WatchESPN.com
Radio (EN): TSN 1200
Radio (FR): FM 104,7 Outaouais
