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July 13, 2017

REDBLACKS visit Eskimos for Friday Night Football

Carlos Verde | @Carlos77Verde

The Ottawa REDBLACKS will look to break into the win column on Friday night in Alberta, where they will face the Edmonton Eskimos on TSN Friday Night Football (10 p.m. ET).

For the REDBLACKS (0-2-1), Friday’s contest represents a chance gain momentum in what’s been a trying start to 2017.

“It’ll be a tough game out in Edmonton, but I like our guys (and) their attitude,” Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell told TSN 1200. “There’s no reason we can’t go out there and beat those guys — it’s always tough out there, but we had a good few days of practice.”


Campbell’s group will see some familiar faces around the Eskimos (2-0) both on and off the field including recently appointed general manager Brock Sutherland (former REDBLACKS Asst. GM – 2013-2017) and head coach Jason Maas (former Ottawa Off. Coordinator – 2015).

Despite last week’s heart-breaking loss to Toronto, the REDBLACKS head coach remains confident in his group.

“It’s a gut-punch when you lose a game like that, (but) we do a whole lot of things well,” said Campbell, a fourth-year head coach. “There’s a lot to work with, and we’re not playing our best football — if we improve slightly, a lot of good things are going to happen.”

While the rivalry between Ottawa and Calgary has been contested, make no mistake that the REDBLACKS always have a spirited battle again the other Albertan side in Edmonton. The two sides battled it out in the 103rd Grey Cup in Winnipeg that saw the green and gold prevail before Ottawa ousted the Esks in last’s years Eastern Final en route to winning the 104th Grey Cup.

Game On!


Storylines

Running Game With news breaking last week that star Edmonton running back John White will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, Ottawa will likely see a mix of Travon Van — another former REDBLACK — and the recently-signed Kendial Lawrence. After missing last week’s contest against the Argos, William Powell is expected to handle rushing duties in his return to the Ottawa lineup on Friday night.

Time to Make a StandThe REDBLACKS defence has created just one turnover through three weeks of play, but has enough playmakers — Khalil Bass, Taylor Reed, Jerrell Gavins, etc. — to turn it around. Mark Nelson’s defensive unit will look to turn the tide this week against a big challenge in the form of Mike Reilly and Edmonton’s diverse attack.

Different Schedules The Eskimos are coming off a Week-3 bye, while the REDBLACKS are on a slightly shortened six-day week; will Ottawa be sharper early, or will Edmonton’s extra prep time give the hosts an advantage? Friday’s matchup kicks off a wild three-game, 11-day stretch for the REDBLACKS, who will then host Montreal (Wed. Jul. 19) before heading south to face Toronto (Mon. Jul. 24).


Scouting the Opposition

The Eskimos are once again led by all-star quarterback Mike Reilly and his league-best 92.9 quarterback rating.

The two-time Grey Cup champion’s top receiving options include veteran Adarius Bowman (130 receiving yards, 1 TD) and newcomer D’haquille “Duke” Williams (122 rec. yds., 1 TD), while Division-III product Brandon Zylstra continues to turn heads, with a team-high 188 rec. yds. thus far in his sophomore campaign.

Veterans Odell Willis (2 sacks) and Almondo Sewell (1 sack) anchor the defensive line, while rookie and former Clemson Tiger Da’Quan Bowers is an intriguing depth option at D-tackle.

With defensive captain J.C. Sherritt having suffered a season-ending achilles injury, Kenny Ladler (10 tackles, 1 INT) and Adam Konar (10 tackles, 1 sack) will have to elevate their game even further to keep the Eskimo defence in form.

What They’re Saying

“Whether you win or whether you lose, as coaches you need to identify strengths and what you need to work on. There’s a lot to be hopeful for; we’re going to have a bunch of close games this year, and we’re going to make sure we win them.”” — Head Coach Rick Campbell

“I think we’re playing pretty well. We’re meshing together as a group. There’s always a couple things you have to mix — little kinks in the scheme — but overall we’re meshing, we’re working together and I think we really feel great.” — Offensive lineman Alex Mateas

GAME INFO
Ottawa REDBLACKS at Edmonton Eskimos
Week 4 — July 12, 2017
Kickoff: 10:00 p.m. ET
Commonwealth Stadium

BROADCAST INFO
TV (EN): TSN | TSN GO | TSN.ca/LIVE
TV (FR): RDS
TV (INTL): ESPN NEWS | BT (UK and Ireland)
Radio (EN): TSN 1200 | TSN1200.ca
Radio (FR): FM 104,7 Outaouais | FM1047.ca
Radio (Satellite): Sirius XM Canada Channel 167 (EN) and 174 (FR)