With their backs against the wall in the East Division standings, the Ottawa REDBLACKS begin their final, critical six-game stretch on Saturday, with a visit to the 8-4 BC Lions.
Ottawa came up just short on home field a week ago, falling 27-24 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in a Divisional matchup. Devonte Williams stole the show, with 146 yards on the ground, and 69 through the air, leading the REDBLACKS in both categories. Dustin Crum threw for 265 yards, and added a rushing major to go with ground scores from Tyrrell Pigrome, and Ante Milanovic-Litre, respectively. On defence, Frankie Griffin and Justin Howell had a team-high nine and eight respective tackles, and Blessman Ta’ala recorded a strip sack.
Ottawa makes a couple of changes in the secondary, heading into Vancouver. With Abdul Kanneh suffering a season-ending injury against the Ti-Cats, Damon Webb slots into his halfback spot, and on the other side, DeAndre Lamont starts in place of Cariel Brooks. Zack Pelehos will dress as the sixth offensive lineman.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Lions enjoyed a Week 14 bye, after beating the Montreal Alouettes 34-25 on the road in Week 13. Vernon Adams threw for 306 yards, and a trio of touchdowns — two to Alexander Hollins and one to Keon Hatcher — while Taquan Mizzell rushed for 68 yards and a major. Adams also found success on the ground, with 54 yards on eight carries.
Lions halfback TJ Lee came up big in la belle province, with a team-high nine tackles, and an interception of Cody Fajardo. It will again be a unit that needs to step up vs the REDBLACKS, with standout linebacker Bo Lokombo remaining out with a rib injury. Cornerback Garry Peters is listed as questionable.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
Jacob Ruby, guard, on how the REDBLACKS can end their current slide: “It’s those five or six plays that can define a game. If we can swing those plays in our favour, we can string together some wins. When you find yourself on the losing end of a lot of close games, you have to eliminate the mistakes and make sure you capitalize on your opportunities. We have to find a way to be better at that, have the killer instinct to put teams away and be at our best when it matters the most.”
Lorenzo Mauldin, defensive lineman, on finding the team’s killer instinct: “We just have to finish. We’re in the games, it’s not like we’re getting blown out. Finishing will get us to where we need to be.”
Bob Dyce, Head Coach, on the urgency of winning games down the final stretch: “We need to be 100% laser-focused on everything we do because we don’t have any time to waste. We always talk about wanting a sense of urgency. But if you’re a dog backed into a corner, there’s nothing you can do but fight. You don’t get second chances at this point. We have to play our best football from this point forward.”
BROADCAST INFORMATION
7:00 PM ET | TV (ENG): TSN / RDS (French) / CFL+ | Radio: EN: TSN 1200, SiriusXM (ch. 167) | FR: 104,7 FM Outaouais
