Madferret
7-08-05, 11:44 AM
Lions host upstart Renegades
The Sports Network
On paper, this game looks like a huge mismatch. Then again, so did Ottawa's contest last week with Montreal. Last week, the Renegades bucked the odds, rallying from a 23-point deficit in the fourth quarter en route to shocking Montreal 39-36 in overtime. Kerry Joseph was instrumental in the comeback, completing 23-of-36 passes for 302 yards and a touchdown while running for three more scores.
The game can be seen live on TSN tonight at 10pm et/7pm pt.
Ottawa has never done well in head-to-head matchups versus the Lions. The Renegades are 0-6 against B.C. since their inception in 2002. Ottawa's last road win in Vancouver was in 1990 when the club was known as the Rough Riders and Ottawa is a dismal 5-21-2 on the road against the Lions since 1962.
The Lions are coming off a bye week after opening their season with a 27-20 road win over the Toronto Argonauts in a rematch of last year's Grey Cup.
B.C. secured the win in impressive fashion, too, with quarterback Dave Dickenson engineering a 16-play, 89-yard drive that culminated with Antonio Warren running in for the touchdown at 13:48 of the fourth. Dickenson then hit Geroy Simon on the two-point convert to give the Lions their seven-point winning margin.
Dickenson has firmly entrenched himself as B.C.'s starter ahead of youngster Casey Printers, the CFL's outstanding player last season who was hampered by ankle and shoulder problems in training camp and never was able to meet Dickenson's challenge for the No. 1 job.
Ottawa's defense is tied with Montreal for the CFL lead in interceptions, with both having three. But the Renegades have also averaged 479 total yards against in their opening two games of the season, a vulnerability a top-flight offense like B.C.'s will no doubt be anxious to exploit.
The game will be Ottawa receiver Frank Cutolo's first against his former team. The Lions released Cutolo, the CFL's top rookie two years ago, just before the start of the season. Cutolo's 17-yard TD pass from Joseph helped anchor Ottawa's comeback against Montreal.
The numbers: B.C. won the West Division last year with a 13-5-0 record while Ottawa was last in the East at 5-13-0. This marks the Lions first home game of the season while the Renegades lost their opening road contest 41-16 to Edmonton to start the '05 campaign.
Keys to the game: The Lions will undoubtedly score a lot of points against Ottawa. But B.C. has to make sure that if it has a chance to put the Renegades away early to do so.
Allowing the Renegades to hang around will only serve to give the visitors the feeling that they will be able to rally back and steal a win for a second straight week.
Containing Joseph, though, is no easy feat. Not only does the Renegades quarterback have a strong arm, but his mobility makes him a double threat. And in Jason Armstead, Ottawa not only has a big-play receiver but a very dangerous kick returner.
The Sports Network
On paper, this game looks like a huge mismatch. Then again, so did Ottawa's contest last week with Montreal. Last week, the Renegades bucked the odds, rallying from a 23-point deficit in the fourth quarter en route to shocking Montreal 39-36 in overtime. Kerry Joseph was instrumental in the comeback, completing 23-of-36 passes for 302 yards and a touchdown while running for three more scores.
The game can be seen live on TSN tonight at 10pm et/7pm pt.
Ottawa has never done well in head-to-head matchups versus the Lions. The Renegades are 0-6 against B.C. since their inception in 2002. Ottawa's last road win in Vancouver was in 1990 when the club was known as the Rough Riders and Ottawa is a dismal 5-21-2 on the road against the Lions since 1962.
The Lions are coming off a bye week after opening their season with a 27-20 road win over the Toronto Argonauts in a rematch of last year's Grey Cup.
B.C. secured the win in impressive fashion, too, with quarterback Dave Dickenson engineering a 16-play, 89-yard drive that culminated with Antonio Warren running in for the touchdown at 13:48 of the fourth. Dickenson then hit Geroy Simon on the two-point convert to give the Lions their seven-point winning margin.
Dickenson has firmly entrenched himself as B.C.'s starter ahead of youngster Casey Printers, the CFL's outstanding player last season who was hampered by ankle and shoulder problems in training camp and never was able to meet Dickenson's challenge for the No. 1 job.
Ottawa's defense is tied with Montreal for the CFL lead in interceptions, with both having three. But the Renegades have also averaged 479 total yards against in their opening two games of the season, a vulnerability a top-flight offense like B.C.'s will no doubt be anxious to exploit.
The game will be Ottawa receiver Frank Cutolo's first against his former team. The Lions released Cutolo, the CFL's top rookie two years ago, just before the start of the season. Cutolo's 17-yard TD pass from Joseph helped anchor Ottawa's comeback against Montreal.
The numbers: B.C. won the West Division last year with a 13-5-0 record while Ottawa was last in the East at 5-13-0. This marks the Lions first home game of the season while the Renegades lost their opening road contest 41-16 to Edmonton to start the '05 campaign.
Keys to the game: The Lions will undoubtedly score a lot of points against Ottawa. But B.C. has to make sure that if it has a chance to put the Renegades away early to do so.
Allowing the Renegades to hang around will only serve to give the visitors the feeling that they will be able to rally back and steal a win for a second straight week.
Containing Joseph, though, is no easy feat. Not only does the Renegades quarterback have a strong arm, but his mobility makes him a double threat. And in Jason Armstead, Ottawa not only has a big-play receiver but a very dangerous kick returner.