CFL Regular Season: Week 4

Friday Night Football heralds week number four of the CFL season, the first of the four games of the weekend, with two games set for Saturday and the wrap to the week arriving on Sunday.

Toronto at Winnipeg (Friday, July 19)
(8 PM ET, 7 MT, 5 PT)

A tough road beckons for the Toronto Argonauts, who head into Winnipeg on Friday night looking to take two points out of some hostile territory, with another large crowd anticipated for the new showcase stadium in the CFL Investors Group Field.

The Argos head into the Friday night game coming off shellacking at the hands of the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week, the Riders controlled the bulk of the action through the sixty minutes, with the running game of Kory Sheets providing particular difficulty for the Argonaut defensive unit.

That will be a glaring hole that the Bombers will seek to exploit, as they seek to regain some momentum in the CFL east after their loss to the Ti Cats last week.  Winnipeg has yet to secure a victory at home in their new digs, having spent two of the first three weeks on the road, so the home side fans will be eager to see the Blue put it all together at the expense of their eastern visitors.

The success of that game plan will involve keeping the Argo defensive front line at bay, giving QB Buck Pierce time to set the offensive game plan in motion and more importantly keep the sacks, hits and rushes on the QB to a minimum.

The Argos however will have some home side rooting of their own at Friday night's game, with Mayor Rob Ford apparently having made the trek west to take in some football at the new football palace of the CFL.

Some snippets of preview of Friday nights game can be found below


Toronto Sun-- Argos have to pull it together
Winnipeg Sun -- It's early but this is already a huge game for Blue Bombers

CFL.ca Argos/Bombers preview

Twelve Men Argo page
Twelve Men Bombers page

Montreal at Calgary (Saturday, July 20)
(5 PM MT, 7 ET, 4 PT)

Fans of the Montreal Alouettes haven't seen this kind of inside turmoil with the Als for a number of years, the franchise that normally works with a clock like precision, suddenly is starting to resemble your grandfathers old timepiece, it runs a little slow, sometimes the hands stick and while it still looks nice, there's a bit of dust, a little tarnish on the casing.

The start to the 2013 season has not been the Als finest of hours, frustration at a game plan that doesn't seem to be catching on has provided for an outburst from the team's leader Anthony Calvillo, a most unguarded moment that saw him blast everyone but the owner (always a good strategy) but even Bob Wetenhall must realize that the changeover from the Marc Trestman era has not been a smooth one.

The Als are having problems protecting their QB, the playbook is seemingly leaving many of them a little confused as to their place on the field and the results are a 1 and 2 record and frankly, they're lucky to have the one at this point.

The Als have surrendered 74 points thus far in 2013, 52 of them in two contests with Winnipeg, which is a team that isn't exactly showing that it's going to make a run for the Grey Cup this year, in their first test against a Western team last week, the Stamps marched into Montreal and offered up just how much work Montreal has ahead of it this year, lesson number two arrives on Saturday when the Als play the second of a home and home at McMahon Stadium.

Calgary too has a few issues to sort out, a rough start to the year so far already has them looking way up the standings board at the surging Saskatchewan Roughriders, a situation that will probably make those Rider fans that call Calgary home (count the Green Jersey's at Stamps games later this year) but for the true believers in the Red and White, the need to kick it in gear quickly is here.

The Stamps have already suffered an early season setback with starter Drew Tate suffering injury in week two, however Kevin Glenn has the kind of CFL experience that is beyond value for a team that wants to keep in the hunt in the West.

Glenn is back under the centre for week four, hoping to recapture his efforts of last week when he made rather quick work of the Montreal defensive unit, keeping them on the field for lengthy periods of time, followed up by scoring drives that propelled the Stamps to victory, Glenn had a stand out game with 268 yards on 22 of 28 passes.  One of the reasons, that the Als defensive unit is atop the CFL East in points allowed.

Week three offered up some evidence that the Stamps are inclined to the get their game back on track for  a run in the CFL West, whether Montreal has similar inclinations for the east will get another review on Saturday.

Some pre game thoughts can be found below.

Montreal Gazette-- Calvillo will face Stampeders after injury scare
Calgary Sun-- Calgary Stampeders to go without Maurice Price against Alouettes

CFL.ca Als/Stamps preview

Twelve Men Alouettes page
Twelve Men Stampeders page


Edmonton at British Columbia (Saturday, July 20)
( 7 PM PT, 10 ET, 8 MT)

Kavis Reed probably knew that the 2013 season was going to be a frustrating thing, the Eskimos rebuilding on the fly as they are, does not leave room for much in the way of error, and errors have been a plenty in the first three weeks of the current campaign.

Nothing indicates Reeds' level of concern more than his now much reviewed post game comments from last weeks loss to the Lions.  He clearly knows what the problems are with his squad, their lack of discipline and the effects that those mis-steps have provided for.

You get the feeling he will address those concerns, however, he clearly needs some help from the upper office holders that put him into this mess, the Eskimos are still clearly trying to recover from the great steal of 2012, when Eric Tillman sent the face of the franchise Ricky Ray to Toronto, securing a Grey Cup for the Argos, leaving the Eskimos to try and pick up the pieces of that now legendary error.

Coaches coach, but they need some players that can play, the Esks once a team that had so much depth that the practice roster could probably challenge for a first place finish, now have problems executing simple game plans and make those mental errors that clearly is placing no shortage of stress on their coach.

While the Lions may not wish to add to Reed's stress levels, they won't be particularly accommodating when they take to the home field at BC Place Saturday night, with Saskatchewan off to a lightning fast start, keeping pace with the Riders is key to any first place ambitions that the Lions may have.

Last week, the Lions began to shape up into the kind of team many expected to see out of the gate in the CFL west, despite torrential rains and a first half of some ugly football, the second half for BC was the kind of offensive mastery that Travis Lulay has been able to summon in the past.

The Lions QB made the most of all of his offensive weapons, a strong running game, sure handed pass receivers and his own scrambling kept the Eskimos off their defensive game for most of that second half, the now identified problem area of Eskimo penalties and turnovers only aiding the Lions cause.

The conditions will be very much more enjoyable for both squads at BC Place, perhaps providing a much better arena to showcase the showdown between the teacher an his understudy, as Lulay once again matches up with Mike Reilly, his one time back up in BC who now has the starting duties in Edmonton.

Reilly has been inconsistent thus far, though considering the last two Eskimo games have been played with an Ark under construction beside the stadiums, it's perhaps unfair to judge his stats just yet.  His chance and that of the Eskimos will get a more controlled environment in week four.

The Esks head into Vancouver on Saturday seeking to regain some kind of forward momentum, last weeks loss in the Edmonton monsoon perhaps the lowest point of the season thus far for the Green and Gold, at least, we imagine coach Reed is hoping that marks the lowest point of the season.

A look ahead to Saturday night can be found below:

Edmonton Journal-- Reed's message to players: Be responsible
Vancouver Sun-- Tiny Tim back in as Lions look for some good returns

CFL.ca Esks/Lions preview

Twelve Men Eskimos page
Twelve Men Lions page


Hamilton at Saskatchewan (Sunday, July 21)
(6 PM ST, 7 ET, 4 PT)

Three weeks in and the Riders are already the team to beat, three consecutive victories the testimony to the standard for the CFL, West or East in 2013.

With Kory Sheets literally running away with MOP honours thus far and an offence that when it is clicking, is the highlight reel machine the Riders are providing for much to appreciate among the huge crowds that pack themselves into Mosaic Field.

Add on a defensive unit that is punishing opposing squads in this early portion of the CFL season and you begin to understand the challenge that the visiting Hamilton Tiger Cats are up against, now mix in the drama of the return of Ti Cat head coach/GM Kent Austin to where he was once idolized , to give you a sense of the importance of football in Saskatchewan is, the main topic of conversation this week has been will the fans salute him for his years of success in Regina, or will they treat him along the lines of a Winnipeg Blue Bomber on Labour day.

As you can tell , Sunday offers up some fascinating plot lines to bring to an end week number four.

There are sub plots galore mark the lead up to Sunday's contest, while the main homecoming belongs to Kent Austin this time, let's not forget a fellow named Henry Burris who once called Regina home and well, the locals still remember him, not always with a gentle wave (of all their fingers on one hand)

Not enough drama for you, how about an injured Darian Durant, the Riders starter, who may or may not take the field to lead the Riders, if his sprained foot is not game ready, it will be Drew Willy into the line up as starter, not that the Riders seem to miss a beat when he gets his playing time.

That offence comes from the play designs of George Cortez, who of course is familiar to Ti Cat fans, in much the same way Rider fans salute Burris, the former TiCat coach struggled in Steeltown, but back in Saskatchewan it's his play designs that have led to the 3 and 0 start for the Riders. Suggesting perhaps, that some of the problems in Hamilton may not have been totally involving the coaching.

Under Cortez the Riders offensive unit is the talk of the CFL, a machine already in high gear with but three weeks under their belt, record books could be in peril if such pace continues on into October.

Though, with head coach Corey Chamblin, the  Riders have been able to take it all just one week at a time, with a total focus on the game at hand.

And on Sunday a good bit of that focus will be on the Hamilton Defensive unit,  for good reason, the Cats bring a struggling group that far to often this season have allowed a turning point that seems to have cost Hamilton a game.

The Cats D unit so far this year has been the polar opposite of the one they face in Regina Sunday, where Rider fans watch a unit that closes doors and then blots them up it seems.

Oh, did we mention Geroy Simon? No we didn't?  Well just for fun we can also factor Superman into the equation for today.

The long time CFL star, who signed with the Riders this year, has yet to even get on the field, recouperating from injury in training camp, that all changes for kick off, as he has  been give the Green light to play on Sunday, just one more thing for the Hamilton defence to keep in mind.

The challenges for the Ticats are many, inconsistent play in the previous three weeks has delivered them a 1 and 2 record so far, if they haven't worked that out of their system, 1 and 3 won't be much more than 60 minutes away.

Some pre game thoughts can be found below:

Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats bracing for Rider Nation
Regina Leader Post-- Durant's status still doubtful after return

CFL.ca Ticats/Riders preview

Twelve Men Ticats page
Twelve Men Riders page



The week four schedule, with Reviews from CFL.ca can be found below:


July 21-- Hamilton 0 at Saskatchewan 37 ( 37,732 )
July 20-- Edmonton 21 at British Columbia 31 (26,623)
July 20-- Montreal 27 at Calgary 38 (27,378)
July 19-- Toronto 35 at Winnipeg 19 (31,257)

All Games on TSN

Gibson's Players of the Week: Week Three

The running game once again held the highlight reel for  yet another week, with Kory Sheets yard gobbling efforts of week three on behalf of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of particular note.

The Riders Renauld Williams also found Gibson's Player of the Week fame, as  did Argo Slot back Andre Durie who picked up the third Gibson's of week three from the  Argos/Riders game.

Only the Stamps Rene Paredes, kept it from being a Thursday night sweep for the Gibson's, his special teams selection, breaking the monopoly of Blue and Green for week three.

The Gibson's panel, which seemed focused on the Riders and Argos for week three offered up their  four top selections for Week Three, details on which can be found below:

Offensive Player of the Week
Kory Sheets, RB, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Defensive Player of the Week
Renauld Williams, DT, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Special Teams Player of the Week
Rene Paredes, K, Calgary Stampeders

Canadian Player of the Week
Andre Durie, SB, Toronto Argonauts

CFL.ca review of the Players of the Week

Video review of the Players of the Week

Top Ten Plays of Week Number 3

Ultimate Replay for Week Number 3

Twelve Men on the Field Archive of the Players of the Week Listings for the 2013 season

CFL Regular Season: Week Three Review

Week Three gave Rider nation one more week to strut across the land, Saskatchewan remaining undefeated as the third week of CFL play came to an end, elsewhere the fans perhaps are a little more concerned.

Montreal continued to struggle, Toronto's defensive unit clearly needs a bit of work and those Edmonton's fans that sat through the monsoon rains at Commonwealth probably had wished they'd stayed somewhere nice and dry when week three came to an end.

The reviews of the week that was below.

Saskatchewan at Toronto

The Riders remained the CFL's sole undefeated team at the end of week number three, registering a convincing 39-28 victory over the Toronto Argonauts, in front of a small crowd at Rogers Centre that at times seemed to feature a fair amount of green among the mix.

It was the Darian Durant show for Saskatchewan as the Rider QB put on an impressive display, one that serves to remind the CFL and perhaps more importantly TSN, that there are other quarterbacks in the league not named Ricky Ray.

Durant was 14 for 19 for 245 yards, tossing three TD passes before injury sent him to the sidelines, giving way to Drew Willy for the remainder of the game in the fourth quarter.

When CFL fans weren't marvelling at the passing accuracy of Durant they were mesmerized by the running of Kory Sheets, he had his third straight 100 yard game picking up 2 touchdowns in the 26 times he was handed the ball, by games end Sheets had accumulated 178 yards rushing.

The stats package for Durant and Sheets alone tells you much about the dominance of the Riders over the Argos, who held their own for the first quarter but the Riders grabbed control of the game in the second and built upon that through the third and fourth quarter.

While the scoreboard didn't indicate it much, Argo QB Ricky Ray had some decent numbers, though the finishing aspect in the end zone was lacking for the Argos on Friday night.

With the Riders building up their lead as the game moved into the final stages of the fourth, the Argos turned the final moments of the fourth quarter into a learning situation.

The Argos building a bit of confidence in the final frame to bring the score a little closer as backup QB Zach Collaros led an impressive drive downfield. Though we imagine any thoughts of usurping Ray as the Argos starter probably don't last much beyond the day dream stage for the young understudy.

The Riders head home for week four the talk of the CFL, the only issue of concern the status of Durant, the most recent diagnosis being that x rays had come back as negative, with rehab on the schedule for the Riders Starter with hopes of being ready for Sunday's home game with the


You can review the CFL.ca recap of the game here.

Calgary at Montreal

Week two offered up a bounce back week for two CFL teams but only one found some bouncing in Montreal, as the Calgary Stampeders took advantage of another struggling performance on the offensive side of the ball for the Alouettes.

The Stamps surrendered an early lead to Montreal who gave the appearance that they had solved their offensive woes with an impressive first quarter drive that propelled them to  the end zone and the early lead, however, the Stamps quickly shored up their defensive ways, making the rest of the night a most miserable experience for Anthony Calvillo and the Als.

There was a bit of rust for Kevin Glenn to shake off after taking charge of the offence for Drew Tate who was injured last week, but once he found some pace Glenn had a successful outing in his return to starters duties.

When the final gun had sounded Glenn had put together a nice stats package for review, 22 of 28 in passing, with 268 yards in the air and most importantly his team featuring 22 points on the scoreboard as opposed to the Alouettes 14.

While the Stamps QB was busy getting his game plan in place, the Als were going in the other direction, Montreal's offensive line clearly had troubles holding back the Stampeder attack, when Anthony Calvillo wasn't being sacked (twice), he was busy scrambling for his life, something that does tend to make the playbook options rather limited.

Even more concerning than the lack of protection, was the inability of Montreal to keep their drives alive, at one stretch recording three consecutive two and outs, the Als QB fumbled once and was  intercepted once in a frustrating sixty minutes.  Overall, the Als turned over the ball four times before the Stamps went home with the win.

The Als QB touched on that inconsistency in his post game comments, though he was more measured in his commentary after game two than he was in game number one, however, many of his concerns of game one were reprised against the Stamps, showcasing the work ahead for the Als to try and turn around what is shaping up to be a rather tough year.

You can pick up the full review of the Stamps victory over the Als from the CFL.ca recap.

Winnipeg at Hamilton

The weather was certainly more agreeable for the crowd (and the players for that matter) last week's torrential rains that washed through Guelph long gone, giving way to a bright sun filled afternoon at Alumni Field, all that was missing was a win for the home side Ti Cats and the day would be a perfect family outing, by the time sixty minutes had passed the temporary home side team had delivered.

Henry Burris shook off the disappointments of the past two weeks with a rather impressive performance Saturday as his Ti Cats held off the Blue Bombers, claiming the first victory of the young CFL season for the Guelph based Cats a 25-20 victory over Winnipeg.

Burris through for 362 yards and ran for another 47 as the Cats battled the Bombers back and forth through four quarters, a half time score of 13-12 for the Blue indicative as to how close the two teams were through the first thirty, with the second half providing much of the same.

The Bombers built much of their success on the day on the legs of Chad Simpson who rambled for 100 yards on five carries in the first half alone, yet for all the passing and the running, it would be the kickers that provided a fair amount of the entertainment, as drives stalled and field goals exchanged.

Things finally broke in the third when Henry Burris altered the CFL history books,  with  a third quarter passing play to fullback John Delahunt for a touchdown, beyond the seven points on the board for  25-13 lead, the touchdown moved Burris into a tie with Matt Dunnigan on the all time TD passing list, both Burris and Dunnigan have 306.

The Bombers launched a bit of comeback, narrowing the lead to five points, but the Stamps would seal the win with some great clock management and successive first downs, the Bombers reduced to spectators by the end of the game.

The full review of the Bombers and Cats can be found at CFL.ca.

British Columbia at Edmonton

The Eskimos training and equipment staff are probably wondering if perhaps a mega order of water wings should not be in the budget for Eskimo football this week, with the Eskimos playing their second game of the year in some of the worst weather conditions imaginable for July.

With the Esks perhaps not even dried out from last weeks deluge in Guelph, they took to the field at Commonwealth in a driving rain storm, one which didn't seem to let up until the late stages of the fourth quarter, not good for an offence that has struggled much this season and as the first half stats showcased not good for the usual high octane offence that the CFL is known for.

The poor weather played havoc with the game plan for both squads, indicated by the 3-1 half time lead that the Esks carried into the dressing room after thirty minutes.  Those three Eskimo points a gift of sorts from the Lions who had attempted a third and short gamble only to have the ball come lose giving the Eskies some fine field position which they translated into their three points, as things would turn out the only points they would have on the night.

The Lions finally generated some offence in the third quarter with Travis Lulay leading a nine play drive down field capped by a toss to Emmanuel Arceneaux for 12 yard touchdown pass, the Lions followed up that drive with another shortly after with Andrew Harris taking a backfield pass into the end zone  building up the Lions lead to 15-3, the Lions picked up two more points with a safety late in the fourth, marking the final score of 17-3.

It was another frustrating night out for Esks QB Mike Reilly, who with nasty weather proving to be as large an obstacle as defending units, though the Eskimos offensive line will need to provide better protection should the Esks hope to keep their offensive unit on the field for any length of time.

And considering some of the defensive woes of late, giving the Defensive unit some rest would be most beneficial for the Green and Gold. The Eskimo defensive unit is spending far too much time on the field, getting worn down and making mental mistakes.

Another concern for head coach Kavis Reed will be the undisciplined play of some of his players, once again untimely penalties proved troublesome for Edmonton, moving them out of field position and giving the Lions opportunity to keep control of the ball.

With the Esks 1 for 2 in back to back monsoon games, we imagine they are looking forward to Saturday night in Vancouver, where the field will be dry and the opportunity to return the favour of a home field loss will present itself in week four.

The CFL.ca review of Saturday night's week three finale can be found here.

CFL Regular Season: Week 3

The CFL kicks off week number three in Toronto on Thursday, the first of the four games set for the weekend, with a solitary Friday night matchup on the sched followed by a Saturday double header.


Saskatchewan at Toronto (Thursday, July 11)

The Saskatchewan Roughriders seek to keep their undefeated status in place as they take on the Argonauts at Rogers Stadium.

A match up that will offer the Riders opportunity to show that they learned a few lessons from last weeks game with the Stamps which saw them seemingly only focused on one half of football.

Perhaps not unexpected early in the season, but CFL games for the most part so far have been two mini games in one, momentum shifts seemingly taking place at the half time point when coaches readdress their concerns and set a new course.

Likewise, the Argos need to put together a complete game, they had similar troubles as the Riders pop up in Vancouver last week, though in the case of the Double Blue they did not have a comeback to secure a victory in the second half.

Key to the Argos approach to Thursday night will be in getting their high octane offence untracked, as well as some attention to special teams.

For the Riders, the focus will be on consistency for both halves of football, that and keeping up with the roll that they have developed after successive victories over Edmonton and Calgary.

Some snippets of preview of Thursday nights game can be found below


Toronto Sun-- Argos need to get in line
Regina Leader Post-- Players remain focus of Riders, Argos co-ordinators

CFL.ca Argos/Riders preview

Twelve Men Argo page
Twelve Men Rider page

Calgary at Montreal (Friday, July 12)

Two teams looking to bounce back from worrisome efforts of last week meet on Friday night in Montreal, the Stamps and Als, with many an issue to sort out look to change their direction in week number three.

The Als, who heard some uncharacteristic venting from their iconic QB last week following their loss to Winnipeg will try to all be on the same page once they kick off week three, all facets of the Als game plan seemed to be steeped in a bit of confusion last week, something noted by Anthony Calvillo in a now much discussed outburst post game.

While he was talking back some of his anger earlier this week, his thoughts on the Als effort of last week did highlight some of the frustrations for all in Montreal in the post Marc Trestman era of Alouette football.

Patience and a few wins as one time coach Doug Berry advised will cure many ills in Montreal, something that the Als will be working towards at Molson Stadium Friday.

For Calgary, the early season has provided for a number of challenges, the latest one being the loss of starter Drew Tate, who was forced out of last weeks loss to Saskatchewan due to injury and continues to recuperate, bringing Kevin Glenn back to starter status for Friday's game.

That may be the least of John Hufnagel's concerns in week three, Glenn is a proven pro, he knows the Stamps playbook as well as anyone and stepping in for Tate is probably less of a worry than many might think.

Where Hufnagel and his coaching staff may wish to address their thoughts will be with the defence which last week collapsed in the face of a Rider attack, most of it in the last thirty minutes of football.

That shellacking of the second half should serve as a wake up call for the Stamps Defensive unit to knuckle down and secure both halves of football.

Friday offers up the opportunity for both teams to show that they've learned from last week and have made the necessary adjustments, three hours of football at Molson will show which one studied harder in the run up to week number three.

A couple of key observations for Friday's game can be found below

Calgary Sun-- Stampeders QB hunters to set sights on Als veteran Calvillo
Montreal Gazette-- Als get chance to prove they can play defence

CFL.ca Stamps/Als Preview

Twelve Men Stamps page
Twelve men Als page

Winnipeg at Hamilton (Saturday, July 13)

After last week's home season debut in Guelph, the Tiger Cats have a guy named Noah on standby, ready to launch the Ark just in case,  though we imagine that the Cats would prefer that Saturday afternoon at the ballpark be a much calmer affair, weather wise at any rate.

Week Number three brings the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, hot off a hard fought victory over Montreal last week into Alumni Stadium, their task to keep the Tiger Cats off the win side of the CFL ledger for another week.

The Cats have struggled out of the gate once again, turnovers at key times proving to be their undoing for the last two weeks of the 2013 season. No doubt a frustrating situation for Head coach/GM and Lord of all he surveys Kent Austin.

The Cats have generated some offence in the last two weeks, with 54 points on the board, however a defensive deficit of 69 points after 120 minutes highlights the struggles for Austin and his team, that and the turnovers, concerns that have provided for untimely interruptions to drives and taken away from scoring possibilities. Perhaps just the nature of a team learning to get on the same page early in the season, or maybe indicators of a larger issue to come.

Week three will tell Austin much about his squad and their ability to get back on track.

For the Bombers the third week of the season offers them to take yet two more points from their Eastern Division competition, a placement in the standings tables that will provide for benefit in October when it counts the most.

The Bombers were full value for their win in Montreal last week, their defensive unit made life quite difficult for Anthony Calvillo, no doubt a theme they will wish to revisit as they seek to make for another long and frustrating day for Henry Burris.

Last week produced an effective game for Buck Pierce, even if he wasn't involved in the two key offensive pushes that resulted in the Bombers win, for much of those drives it was Pierce at the helm leading the Bombers down field, the short yardage game (and subsequent touchdowns) turned over to back up Justin Goltz.

Perhaps a little frustrating for the starter to not get the final drive in, but clearly effective in the short term, mixing up the offence and with causing a bit of confusion for defenders, it may not be a long term plan (CFL defences will figure it out sooner rather than later) but in the early weeks, it's providing points and for a Bomber squad looking to build up some momentum, it's working.

Some observations prior to kick off can be found below.

Winnipeg Sun-- Bombers ready to roll up Ticats to win
Hamilton Spectator-- This is not a must-win game, but it sure comes close to that

CFL.ca Bombers/TiCats Preview

Twelve Men Bombers page
Twelve Men TiCats page 



British Columbia at Edmonton (Saturday, July 13)

It's a reunion of sorts as the BC Lions arrive at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, a chance for some of the Leos to catch up with their former back up QB Mike, who is on a steep learning curve with the Eskimos as he takes the helm of the struggling Edmonton squad.

Reilly acquired the starters job in the pre-season when injury to Matt Nicholls reduced the competitive nature to the Eskimos camp, since then the Esks have been Reilly's team, though not without a few bumps along the way.

The quest to try and help the Eskimo fans get over the departure of Ricky Ray last year (the chorus of damn you Eric Tillman can still be heard in the stands Commonwealth) has been a hard one for the Green and Gold, the fond memories of Ray's time in Edmonton still part of the football culture in the Alberta capital.

A rough start to week one at the hands of ever present rival Saskatchewan didn't help matters, but an impressive bounce back in the monsoon rains of Guelph last week provides hope for Eskies fans that all may not be lost this year after all.

It may still be a rebuilding year for the Esks as the various pieces attempt to move in sync, but there are signs of both offensive and defensive units are beginning to find their place in Kavis Reed's big picture.

The task Saturday however isn't going to provide for a true test for Edmonton, the Lions roll into town with an impressive victory of their own under their belts from last week where they schooled the Argos (and that Ray fellow) for the majority of the game.

Injuries however are starting to provide for an impact on the Lions roster, both Adam Bighill and Shawn Gore will be out of the lineup owing to injury from last week's Argos game, Paris Jackson fills in for Gore, so there is some veteran comfort for Travis Lulay to call on, filling the shoes of Bighill will no doubt be the larger of challenges for head coach Mike Benevides.

With Saskatchewan running up to a 3-0 record, the pressure is already on the CFL West to try and keep up with the pace of the Riders, BC will be looking to keep nipping at the Riders heels with a victory at Commonwealth.


The winner of Saturday will be keeping the Riders in sight, the loser slips a little in the CFL West, a place where a few bad weeks in a row can prove fatal by November.

Some pre game thoughts can be found below.

Edmonton Journal-- Eskimos young-gun quarterback out to shoot holes in the B. C. Lions' defensive game plan
Vancouver Sun-- Lions turn once again to receiver Paris Jackson

CFL.ca Lions/Eskimos preview

Twelve Men Lions Page
Twelve Men Eskimos Page 

The week two schedule, with Reviews from CFL.ca can be found below:

July 13-- British Columbia 17 at Edmonton 3 (31,310)
July 13-- Winnipeg 20 at Hamilton 25 (Guelph)  (13,085)
July 12-- Calgary 22 at Montreal 14 (23,184)
July 11-- Saskatchewan 39 at Toronto 28  (18,211)

All Games on TSN

CFL Players of the Week: Week Two

The running game held the highlight reel for week number two, making space on the Players of the Week roster for a pair of tailbacks, a pair that gained recognition for their work from the Gibson's Players of the Week panel.

The four top selections for Week Two can be found below:

Offensive Player of the Week
Hugh Charles, RB Edmonton Eskimos

Defensive Player of the Week
Bryant Turner, DT, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Special Teams Player of the Week
Jock Sanders, KR, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Canadian Player of the Week
Andrew Harris, SB, British Columbia Lions

CFL.ca review of the Players of the Week

Video review of the Players of the Week

Top Ten Plays of Week Number 2

CFL Power Rankings for Week 2

Twelve Men on the Field Archive of the Players of the Week Listings for the 2013 season

CFL Regular Season: Week 2 Review

Week two featured a few surprises and perhaps items of concern for a few CFL coaches, with losses for Montreal and Calgary suggesting that there is a bit of work to be done to get everyone on the same page in those two camps.

On the West Coast the Lions regained some roar for a new season and in Guelph, the Ticats learned that their temporary home is apparently located in a monsoon rain forest (at least for one game anyway).

The reviews of the week that was below.

Winnipeg at Montreal

You know things are going the wrong way in Montreal when Anthony Calvillo throws everyone from coach to player to himself under the bus. Following Montreal's 19 to 11 loss to the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Als QB unleashed to the media, some of the frustration that was becoming quite apparent on the field in the last few games.

Calvillo proclaiming that everyone needs to be better, the efforts against the Bombers a measuring stick that he wasn't pleased with, nor we imagine anyone else in the Als organization.

There clearly are some growing pains for the Als in the post Marc Trestman era, something that their fellow teams in the East may wish to take advantage of while the Als try and find their balance.

For the Bombers, the victory over the Als was a salute to their defence which as through Calvillo's frustrations, made his life quite miserable through the night. Interestingly enough it was back up QB Justin Goltz who scored the bulk of the Bombers offensive points, put in for starter Buck Pierce to handle short haul running plays, he engineered two TD's on the night, though to be fair to the starter the bulk of the offensive load was his to bear on the night.

You can review the CFL.ca recap of the game here.

Toronto at British Columbia

They're celebrating 60 years of football in British Columbia this year and while the start of the year of celebration got off to a rough start in Calgary in week one, the Lions home debut provided for a fair amount to enjoy in week two.

The Lions were quick out of the gate to get some points and mark their game plan by picking up their first TD of the game on the second possession, if not for a Khalif Mitchell tackle (cue the villain music here) the Lions may very well have been ahead by 14 points heading into the half. Instead, on the strength of the Mitchell tackle, the Lions settled for a field goal the second of the half.

The Lions defence kept Ricky Ray off balance for the majority of the first quarter, however he finally got in sync with his offence into the second, though the Argos would be limited to but three points by the half time mark.

The second thirty minutes saw a bit of the momentum shift to the double blue, though increased yardage didn't translate into much in the way of points, by three quarter time the score was 17-6 Leos.

The fourth quarter saw the Lions turn to Andrew Harris who put the game away for BC with a pair of key runs, a lengthy ramble for yardage at a key point of the fourth, followed by a four yard scamper into the end zone to put away the Lions first victory of the regular season.

The game however came at a cost for the Lions, Adam Bighill was lost with a leg injury, while Shawn Gore left the game with a concussion.

The CFL.ca review of the Lions/Argos can be found here.

Calgary at Saskatchewan

For all their good work in week one, the Stampeders were quickly given a lesson for week two, it takes a full sixty minutes to secure a wain, especially if you're playing a team in Regina.

The Riders and Stamps put on an offensive explosion at Mosaic Field for the Riders home debut, a tale of two games crammed into one sixty minute shell.

The Stamps were all control in the first thirty, rolling over the Riders to a quick 21 points, holding a seven point lead heading into the half, at which point it appears that the Riders head coach Cory Chamblin reminded his charges that defensive play was part of the package in the CFL.

A message clearly heard as the Riders shut down the Stamps completely in the second half, Ralph Tate's air offensive of the first thirty minutes was grounded, Jon Cornish also found the slogging tough at Mosaic, in week one he tore up the field with yardage, week two was a much more limiting experience for the Stamps explosive running back.

For the Riders, the final thirty minutes provided some head turning offensive moments for the crowd at Mosaic, Darian Durant loaded and reloaded his throwing arm, tearing apart the Stampeders defensive backfield almost at will.

When they weren't throwing the ball to success, Kory Sheets was rumbling down the field untouched for the most part, helping the Riders turn around that horrid first half and taking all the misery to the Stamps, who will no doubt be paying much more attention to defensive tasks in the run up to week three.

With the Riders momentum in full swing, the scoreboard continued to rattle off the points for the team in Green, a 36- 21 final score securing the second half smack down and moving the Riders into uncontested control of the lead in the CFL West.

The CFL.ca account of the Riders/Stamps can be found here.

Edmonton at Hamilton

We're not sure if the story is true, but rumour has it that Noah left his seats in Guelp at half time, seeking to finish off the Ark just in case the water levels crested at Alumni Stadium.

The wrap up to the CFL's week number two took place at the temporary home of the Hamilton Tiger Cats and with Mother Nature rolling in to take in some CFL action, the option of water wings probably could be a future addition to CFL equipment bags.

The weather proved to be the story for both the Edmonton Eskimos and Tiger Cats, a torrential downpour seemed to settle over Guelph for the majority of the Sunday wrap up, making the task of moving the ball rather challenging and no doubt providing for no amount of misery for players and fans alike.

Once you ignored the gigantic rain drops that seemed to pound the field, the two teams put on a fairly entertaining game,  the teams going back and forth in the first quarter, the rains arrived in the second quarter and the passing game was all but put away for the short term, as both teams made do with the run, hoping that running backs would secure the ball for the jaunt through the puddles.

Edmonton took their 16-13 lead to half time, allowing for everyone to take shelter from the storm for a brief respite (the fans a little less sheltered than the players we imagine judging by the nature of Alumni Stadium.

Those that stuck around for the final thirty minutes and there were quite a few, were treated to much of the same as the first half, the rain would stop for a bit, but the ominous clouds from the west suggested and then delivered that even more rain was soon to arrive.

The momentum turned to the Eskimos for good in the third as they picked off a Henry Burris inside the Hamilton 25 yard line, converting that to an offensive touchdown.

In the fourth, Mike Reilly tucked the ball away himself and scrambled into the Cats end zone, the final Esks TD of the game securing the victory for the most part, though the Tiger Cats would gain seven points back late in the game, but it proved to be not enough scoring with not enough time left, the Cats losing to the Esks by 10 points, 30 to 20.

Clearly the elements played a role in the outcome for the Tiger Cats, but both teams were playing in the rain and the Eskimos made less errors, provided for fewer turnovers and found a way to win despite the torrents of rain.

For Hamilton, beyond the need to stiffen up the defensive play, the untimely turnovers whether by fumble or interception could prove to be a theme that they will need to address as the season moves forward.

The review of the final game of week two can be found from CFL.ca here.

CFL Regular Season: Week 2

The second week of the CFL's 2013 campaign kicks off on the 4th of July,  with two Thursday night match-ups that may provide for a few fireworks to fill in for what the American roster players may be missing out on from back home.

Winnipeg at Montreal 

The Blue Bombers head off to Montreal, the guests for the Alouettes home opener for 2013. There's no particular love lost between the two team as recent history has shown, the Als having ruined the Bombers grand opening celebrations of InvestorGroup field with a late game comeback to topple the Blue.

Add on some interesting comments making it into the newspapers heading up to Thursday and the attitude may be one of payback in any number of ways.

The Als of course will be relying on Anthony Calvillo, who continues on with his legendary ways, last week's comeback just another chapter in the game isn't over until AC says it's over.

Winnipeg heads into Montreal a little banged up, Buck Pierce as always will be in the back of the minds of many Bomber fans, hopeful that the Bombers offensive line can keep him from harm for the full sixty minutes.

A sample of some of the pre game anticipation can be found below.

Winnipeg Sun-- Alouettes even stronger with Whitaker back in lineup against Bombers
Montreal Gazette-- Calvillo won't let age change his playing

CFL.ca preview


Toronto at British Columbia

Game number two on Thursday takes us out to BC Place, where the Lions who have struggled through the pre season and their first regular season game will try to get things back on track, eager to send them to an 0 and 2 regular start will be the Toronto Argonauts, who with a squeak out win over Hamilton under their belts in week one, will seek to register another win and hold their lead atop the East Division.

Both Toronto and BC showed weaknesses on defence, gaps that both defensive coordinators will be eager to fix before the season gets too long into July.

When it comes to scoring, both have the potential to light up the board, by way of the run, the pass or with some dangerous talent on special teams.

It all should make for an interesting test for both squads early in the season.

Some of the talking points for Thursday's night cap can be found below.

Toronto Star-- Reformed Bad Boy Khalif Mitchell '100 per cent committed' to team's success
Vancouver Province-- B. C. Lions' Solomon Elimimian brimming with motivation

CFL.ca preview

Calgary at Saskatchewan

Friday Night's marquee matchup brings the two teams atop the CFL West at the moment together for a week two showdown, with the Calgary Stampeders heading east to Regina and a matchup with the always challenging Riders.

Calgary dominated much of their season opener against the Lions, while Saskatchewan provided the Eskimos with the realization that there is still much work to do to keep pace in the CFL West.

Both teams offer some high octane offence and a stingy defence and for motivational purposes, a win from either propels them to the top of the CFL West with all other Western teams looking up.

A snapshot as to what some see as the key points to Friday night's game can be found below.

Calgary Herald-- Calgary Stampeders won't bite on Dwight Anderson's trash talk
Regina Leader Post-- Geroy Simon remains a spectator for Roughriders

CFL.ca preview

Edmonton at Hamilton

The final game of the weekend arrives on Sunday when the Hamilton Tiger Cats open up their home season at their temporary home in Guelph, playing on the Campus of the University of Guelph the Cats will have a very cosy (and rather small capacity) atmosphere, never a good thing for visiting teams when they travel to the Hammer, with the collective of Cats fans hoping to transfer that bit of nasty to their neighbours in Guelph.

In town for the Cats home opener, a struggling Eskimo team that has its work cut out for it. Besides addressing many of their own numerous concerns, they face a Hamilton team still snarling over a loss to Toronto last week.

A game that they could have won at any number of times, but let slip away. Something we imagine Kent Austin has addressed in full for the week leading up to Sunday's game, not a good omen for the Eskimos who have to head into that cauldron of Catdom and try and steal themselves a victory.

The look ahead to Sunday's match up can be found below

Edmonton Journal-- Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly aims for 'quick start' against Hamilton...
Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats defence shakin' up

CFL.ca preview

The week two schedule, with Reviews from CFL.ca can be found below:

July 7-- Edmonton 30 at Hamilton 20 (Guelph) (12,612)
July 5-- Calgary 21 at Saskatchewan 36 ( 35,296)
July 4-- Toronto 16 at British Columbia 24 ( 25,255 )
July 4-- Winnipeg 19 at Montreal 11 ( 22,134 )

Gibson's Players of the Week Archive for 2013

Our Archive of the Selections for the Gibson's Players of the Week for the 2013 CFL Season.

For the Players of the Month Selections for the 2013 Season click here.

Week Seven (Ending August 11)
Week Six (Ending August 4)
Week Five (Ending July 30)
Week Four (ending July 21)
Week Three (ending July 14)
Week Two (ending July 7)
Week One (ending June 30)

Selections by Player


August 13-- Jon Cornish, Calgary
August 13-- Alonzo Lawrence, Toronto
August 13-- Chad Owens, Toronto
August 13-- Jon Cornish, Calgary

August 6-- Travis Lulay, British Columbia
August 6-- Solomon Elimimian, British Columbia
August 6-- Luca Congi, Hamilton
August 6-- Samuel Giguere, Hamilton

July 30-- Bo Levi Mitchell, Calgary
July 30-- Kyries Hebert, Montreal 
July 30-- Sean Whyte, Montreal
July 30--  Shea Emry, Montreal

July 23-- Darian Durant, Saskatchewan
July 23-- Renauld Williams, Saskatchewan
July 23-- Rene Paredes, Calgary
July 23-- Robb Bagg, Saskatchewan

July 16-- Kory Sheets, Saskatchewan
July 16-- Renauld Williams, Saskatchewan
July 16-- Rene Paredes, Calgary
July 16-- Andre Durie, Toronto

July 9-- Hugh Charles, Edmonton
July 9-- Bryant Turner, Winnipeg
July 9-- Jock Sanders, Saskatchewan
July 9-- Andrew Harris, British Columbia

July 2-- Ricky Ray, Toronto
July 2-- Charleston Hughes, Calgary
July 2-- Lindsey Lamar, Hamilton
July 2-- Jon Cornish, Calgary

Selections by Team

Montreal-- 3
Toronto-- 4
Hamilton-- 3
Winnipeg-- 1
Saskatchewan-- 6
Edmonton-- 1
Calgary-- 7
British Columbia-- 3

Repeat Winners this year

Jon Cornish, Calgary (3)
Renauld Williams, Saskatchewan (2)
Rene Paredes, Calgary (2)


Players of the Week for 2012

CFL Players of the Week: Week One

Jon Cornish's offensive display in week one made him an obvious selection for the debut week of the Gibson's awards. The rest of the roster decisions required a bit more consideration from the Gibson's Players of the Week panel.

The four top selections for Week One can be found below:

Offensive Player of the Week
Ricky Ray, QB, Toronto Argonauts

Defensive Player of the Week
Charleston Hughes, DB, Calgary Stampeders

Special Teams Player of the Week
Lindsey Lamar, KR, Hamilton Tiger Cats

Canadian Player of the Week
Jon Cornish, RB, Calgary Stampeders

CFL.ca review of the Players of the Week

Video review of the Players of the Week

Top Ten Plays of Week Number 1

Ultimate Replay for Week Number 1

Power Rankings for Week Number 1

Twelve Men on the Field Archive of the Players of the Week Listings for the 2013 season

CFL Players of the Week: Week One

Jon Cornish's offensive display in week one made him an obvious selection for the debut week of the Gibson's awards. The rest of the roster decisions required a bit more consideration from the Gibson's Players of the Week panel.

The four top selections for Week One can be found below:

Offensive Player of the Week
Ricky Ray, QB, Toronto Argonauts

Defensive Player of the Week
Charleston Hughes, DB, Calgary Stampeders

Special Teams Player of the Week
Lindsey Lamar, KR, Hamilton Tiger Cats

Canadian Player of the Week
Jon Cornish, RB, Calgary Stampeders

CFL.ca review of the Players of the Week

Video review of the Players of the Week

Top Ten Plays of Week Number 1

Ultimate Replay for Week Number 1

Power Rankings for Week Number 1

Twelve Men on the Field Archive of the Players of the Week Listings for the 2013 season

CFL Attendance Tracker 2013

Overall Attendance Leaders
(Regular Season Only -- Average of Attendance)

Saskatchewan  37,768
Edmonton 35,011
Winnipeg 32,251
Calgary 29,880
British Columbia 26,984
Montreal 22,574
Toronto 21,788
Hamilton 12,959 (Temp Home in Guelph this year)

League Average

26,674
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Team by Team
Week by Week


Montreal Alouettes

August 22-- British Columbia 38 at Montreal 39 (22,465)
August 8-- Toronto 38 at Montreal 13 (22,068)
July 25-- Edmonton 27 at Montreal 32 (23,021)
July 12-- Calgary 22 at Montreal 14 (23,184)
July 4-- Winnipeg 19 at Montreal 11 (22,134)

-------------------------

Pre Season-- June 13-- Hamilton 33 at Montreal 26 (20,514)

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Toronto Argonauts

August 23-- Calgary 35 at Toronto 14 (21,157)
August 18-- Edmonton 33 at Toronto 36 (19,656)
July 30-- British Columbia 12 at Toronto 38 (20,064)
July 11-- Saskatchewan 39 at Toronto 28 (18,211)
June  27-- Hamilton 34 at Toronto 39 (29,852)

-------------------------

Pre Season-- June 20- Montreal 20 at Toronto 24 (6,204)

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Hamilton Tiger Cats

August 24-- Winnipeg 14 at Hamilton 37 (13,138)
July 27-- Saskatchewan 32 at Hamilton 20 (13,002)
July 13-- Winnipeg 20 at Hamilton 25 (13, 085)
July 5-- Edmonton 30 at Hamilton 20 (12,612)

--------------------------

Pre-Season-- June 20-- Winnipeg 0 at Hamilton 52 (12,732)

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Winnipeg Blue Bombers

August 16-- Hamilton 37 at Winnipeg 18 (32,409)
July 26-- Calgary 37 at Winnipeg 24 (31,567)
July 19-- Toronto 35 at Winnipeg 19 (31,527)
June 28-- Montreal 38 at Winnipeg 33 (33,500)

--------------------------------

Pre-Season--June 12--  Toronto 24 at Winnipeg 6 (28,642)

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Saskatchewan Roughriders

August 17-- Montreal 21 at Saskatchewan 24 (40,637)
July 21-- Hamilton 0 at Saskatchewan 37  (37,372 )
July 5-- Calgary 21 at Saskatchewan 36 (35,255)

----------------------------------

Pre-Season-- June 20-- Calgary 24 at Saskatchewan 23 (32,003)

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Edmonton Eskimos

August 24-- Saskatchewan 30 at Edmonton 27 (41,868)
August 2-- Hamilton 30 at Edmonton 29 (31,006)
July 13-- British Columbia 17 at Edmonton 3 (31,310)
June 29-- Saskatchewan 39 at Edmonton 18 (35,869)

-------------------------

Pre Season-- June 14-- Saskatchewan 31 at Edmonton 24 (26,623)

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Calgary Stampeders

August 9-- Saskatchewan 27 at Calgary 42 (35,637)
July 20-- Montreal 27 at Calgary 38 (27,378)
June 28-- British Columbia 32 at Calgary 44 (26,625)

-----------------------------

Pre-Season--June 14-- British Columbia 29 at Calgary 27 (26,328)

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British Columbia Lions

August 17-- Calgary 22 at British Columbia 26 (29,201)
August 5-- Winnipeg 20 at British Columbia 27 (26,856)
July 20-- Edmonton 21 at British Columbia 31 (26,623)
July 4-- Toronto 16 at British Columbia 24 ( 25,255)

--------------------------------

Pre Season--  Edmonton 27 at British Columbia 22 (26,733)

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CFL Regular Season: Week 1 Review

A pair  of opening week of thrilling finishes for the most part (sorry Edmonton/Saskatchewan, British Columbia/Calgary, you missed the cut on that) heralded the first week of action for the CFL.

Montreal at Winnipeg

In Winnipeg, the Blue Bomber showed off their new stadium and put on an entertaining home opener for the 33,500 faithful, however, if the script writer had included a Blue Bomber victory, he or she neglected to tell Anthony Calvillo.

The long time CFL icon, may have slowed a step and may not have that same mobility as in the past, but when it comes to football smarts and the ability to lead a drive down the field, there's not a team in the CFL that wouldn't want AC at the helm.

It was through his late game dramatics that the Alouettes crashed the Blue Bomber's party, though they are not alone in the category of teams that AC has crushed at the last minute.

You can review the Als rally from the CFL.ca recap

Hamilton at Toronto

In Toronto, close to 30,000 fans took in the Argos home opener/Grey Cup remembrance celebration, giving hope to Mark Cohon that the Southern Ontario market may yet be salvaged (especially after the pre season Argos game, which saw them evicted from the Rogers Centre destined to Varsity station and a friends and family gathering of 6,204).

Once the Argo boosters celebrated the success of last year they settled in for a preview of a new one and for most of the game probably found much to like (special teams and offence) and a little to worry about (hello defence) oh oh, the kicker is hurt...

The game in typical Argo/TiCat fashion came down to the last minute, an impressive drive by Henry Burris almost snatching victory from the hands of the Double Blue. In fact, Burris was busy celebrating the final play, in thought that he had connected with Andy Fantuz, however, the catch was not made, (we'll leave it to the CSI team to determine if interference may have been warranted) and the Argos took the win. A great advertisement for the season to come, though the defensive unit may find that there's extra work in their future.

The review of the Argos/Cats can be found at CFL.ca

British Columbia at Calgary

The Stampeders at home proved invincible in their home opener, partly a result of the emotional impact of recent events in that city and partly through some serious deficiencies with the Lions defensive unit.

The Lions were picked apart regularly in the first half of their trip to Calgary, the Stamps finding many a hole in the defensive schemes. A fair amount of that success came though the feet of Jon Cornish who picked up a number of huge rambles through the Lions defence.

Between he and Drew Tate's pinpoint passing the Stamps were off to an impressive debut to the CFL season.

The Lions battled back in the second half, Travis Lulay began to gain some pace to his game and brought the Lions closer, but the Stamps built on their first half lead to easily secure the 44 to 32 victory

While the night provided for a good start for the Stamps, it was a rewarding one for the Red Cross as well, the Stamps Jon Cornish had promised 10 dollars for every yard gained on Friday night, with 172 yards on the run and another 20 through the air, the Red Cross will be receiving a nice contribution from the community minded Cornish.

Providing yet more reasons for the Stampeder fans to realize their good fortune to have Cornish in their lineup.

You can review the Lions/Stamps recap here.

Saskatchewan at Edmonton

Depending where you were sitting at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday night, the Riders/Esks game was either a great indication of the year to come, or a cause for concern that the season may be one of yet more rebuilding.

The Riders in Edmonton is almost a home game, the caravan of cars with Saskatchewan plates indicative of the fanatical nature of those that done the Green and White colours. Friday was no exception as a healthy number of Saskatchewan fans watched on with delight as their Riders tore apart an Eskimo team, that clearly is still trying to find its footing after the tumultuous year of Eric Tillman last season.

The Riders had little trouble on their way to a season opening 39-18 victory over the Green and Gold, the offensive unit was clearly in sync as they powered down the field scoring almost at will, the defensive so impressed that they too got in on the scoring

Edmonton who clearly have work to do, provided for the debut of Mike Reilly as their starting quarterback, inheriting the job when Matt Nichols went down in pre season. An unfortunate development for the Eskimos and for some an omen that 2013 may be shaping up to be reprise of 2012.

One thing seems certain from game one, the Esks will need to provide better protection for Reilly, beyond the obvious danger of injury, the Eskimo offence doesn't seem to be able to gain enough time to develop an attack in the face of defensive pressure.

If the Esks don't find a way to provide for some time for receivers to run routes and to push open some holes, the 2013 season is going to be a very long and tiring one for all.


Details on the Esks/Riders review can be found here.

CIS Headlines: Archive of CIS University notes for August 2013

Our archive of developments with the CIS for the month of August


Canada West

Alberta
August 15-- U of A Golden Bears football program undergoes plenty of changes
August 15-- Golden Bear veterans, hopefuls bond at first Captain's Camp

Calgary
August 14-- Monster task lies ahead for University of Calgary Dinos football team
August 14-- Youth movement afoot as Dinos reload with strong recruiting class

Manitoba
August 6-- CIS dream realized as big man joins Manitoba Bisons

Regina
August 17-- Rams add another former NCAA recruit
August 17-- O-line needs time to grow
August 16-- U of R Rams set to open training camp

Saskatchewan
August 15--  Riders-tested Burko heads U of S Huskies' offence
August 14-- University of Saskatchewan Huskies ready to hit the gridiron...

UBC



OUAA

Carleton/Ottawa U
August 17-- Emery Headed to Carleton
August 16-- Carleton Ravens football team returns
August 16-- Carleton Ravens reboot nears kickoff; 'the amount we'll have grown will be astronomical'
August 16-- An elder statesman at 22
August 15-- Say hello to the new era of Carleton Ravens football
August 8-- Ottawa Gee-Gees, Carleton Raves giving Panada Game a very 2013 makeover
August 8-- Carleton Ravens, University of Ottawa Gee-Gees eager to reignite rivalry


Guelph
August 14-- Gryphons football training camp kicks off at Alumni
August 3-- Football Gryphons eager for training camp to start

McMaster
August 17-- Mac's QB quartet: It's Fergie and the Freshmen
August 16-- McMaster Marauders get new defensive coordinator
August 15-- Laurier's beloved football coach jumps back in the game with McMaster
August 15-- Now starting at quarterback... Marshall Ferguson
August 15-- Who want's Ontario's university football title the most?
August 15-- Mac's newest edition getting lots of help from pivots of the past
August 14-- Marauders football set to begin
August 12-- Mac's offensive line a question mark after losing four starters

Queens
August 16-- Gaels open training camp

Western
August 15-- Finch at quarterback for Western Mustangs amps ups Garret Sanvido's ground game
August 15-- Mustangs prepare for season opener in Toronto
August 14-- Western has some huge holes to fill but it also has a huge pool of talented prospects
August 14-- Western Mustangs training camp opening early as squad keeps eye on Ontario Universtiy Football Championship


Toronto/York
August 15-- Desmond Howard helps kick off Toronto Varsity Blues football camp

Waterloo/Laurier
August 16-- Fresh Start for Hawks
August 16-- Is black back?
August 15-- Laurier's beloved football coach jumps back in the game with McMaster

Windsor
August 16-- McEwan on the Rise
August 15-- Receiver McEwen impressive at Lancers camp
August 15-- Time for real Lancers to stand up and be counted

Quebec

Bishop's

Concordia

Laval
August 15-- Rouge et Or: Mathieu Bertrand dans ses fonctions d'entraineur
August 15-- Soulagement pour Grenon
August 12-- Le camp d'entrainement debute cette semaine

McGill

Montreal

Sherbrooke


Atlantic

Acadia


Mount Allison


Saint Mary's
August 9-- QB Rossong eyes top spot with Huskies
August 8-- SMU stadium bids sought

St FX

CIS Headlines: Archive of CIS University notes for July of 2013

Our archive of developments with the CIS for the month of July


Canada West

OUAA

Carleton/Ottawa U
July 31-- Barresi looks to return Gee-Gees to OUA elite
July 25-- Ottawa's Sport Systems Canada building stands for Carleton and Ottawa university football programs
July 24-- Steeltown boys set to rebuild Ravens

Queen's
July 31-- Temporary seating arrives at Richardson
July 28-- Gridiron grads go to the pros

Toronto/York
July 25-- Hamilton's Rob Underhill joins Varsity Blues football coaching staff

Windsor
July 31-- Max Fantuz Commits to Windsor Lancers

Quebec

McGill
July 30-- 2013 McGill football season tickets now on sale

Atlantic

Mount St. Allison
July 31-- Football Mounties head coach promises more balanced attack

CIS Headlines: Archive of CIS University notes for 2013 season

Our monthly archive developments with CIS teams for the 2013 season

August
July