THIS WEEK IN THE CFL - WEEK 11

Week 11 bring us to Hamilton on Thursday night when the Tiger-Cats tangle with the Edmonton Eskimos. It’s a special night as the Tiger-Cats will add Canadian Football Hall of Famer Joe Montford to their Wall of Honour at halftime. Hamilton comes off a bye and are looking to sweep the season series against Edmonton for the first time since 2006. Edmonton will try to win their second game in a row and their fifth game in six games. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Friday Night Football features an East Division clash. The Toronto Argonauts travel to take on the Montreal Alouettes beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. The surging Argonauts seem to be hitting their stride, winning their last two games and looking to make it three as they eye their Mark’s Labour Day matchup with Hamilton. The Alouettes come back home searching for their first home victory of the season at Percival Molson Stadium.

Week 11 concludes Saturday with a pair of games. First Winnipeg takes on Calgary at McMahon Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET. Both teams are coming off losses and looking to get back to their winning ways. Last year the teams split the season series with Winnipeg winning on the road in Calgary.

At 10:00 p.m. ET Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the BC Lions at BC Place. Saskatchewan comes in following their victory over the undefeated Calgary Stampeders while the Lions come off a one-point loss to the Argonauts. A Lions win would have them tied with Saskatchewan and make the ultra competitive West Division even closer.

**The Winnipeg/Calgary game will be the CFL on TSN mic’d up game in Week 11. The Ref Cam will be used in the Toronto/Montreal Game. Hamilton, Montreal, Calgary and BC will be hosting their ‘Diversity is Strength’ games.**

TICATS WALL OF HONOUR: JOE MONTFORD

• On Thursday night, Joe Montford will be honoured at halftime where he will be added to the Tiger-Cats’ Wall of Honour. Montford will be the 22^nd player inducted to the Wall of Honour and the 24^th name.
• He will be joining the following players who have been inducted to the Wall of Honour: John Barrow (2001), Willie Bethea (2012), Less Browne (2008), Tommy Joe Coffeey (1999), Grover Covington (2004), Bill Danychuk (2006), Rocky DiPietro (1997), Bernie Faloney (1997), Jake Gaudaur (2004), Tommy Grant (2010), Garney Henley (2000), Ellison Kelly (1998), Bob Krouse (2007), Angelo Mosca (1998), Pete Neumann (2011), Paul Osbaldiston (2011), Vince Scott (2009), Don Sutherin (2008), Earl Winfield (2005), Ben Zambiasi (2002) and Joe Zuger (2007).
• The Wall of Honour also has two builders: Ralph Sazio (2003) and Jake Gaudaur (2004).
• Montford played 12 seasons in the CFL, appearing in 185 games. He racked up 135 sacks (#5 all-time), 51 tackles for a loss, 18 fumble recoveries, four touchdowns and 577 tackles.
• The only players to amass more sacks in their career are Grover Covington (157), Elfrid Payton (153), Bobby Jurasin (140) and James Parker (139.5).
• Montford reached 20+ sacks in three consecutive seasons (1998-2000), including 26 sacks in 1999 which is the second-most ever recorded in a single season in the CFL, half a sack short of the record held by James Parker (26.5).
• As a Ticat, Montford played 141 games over eight seasons (1996-2001, 2003-04), winning the Grey Cup in 1999 and sitting second in franchise history in career defensive tackles (460), quarterback sacks (115) and fumble recoveries (18).
• He was ranked #40 in in TSN’s Top 50 CFL Players of All-Time in 2006 and was inducted to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

FLASHBACK: STANDINGS THROUGH 10 WEEKS IN 2017

2017

2018

THE LAST TIME…

• The Calgary Stampeders lost following a bye week (July 1, 2005)
  • Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” was the #1 hit song on the Billboard Hot 100
  • The #1 movie in Canadian box office was ‘Batman Begins’
  • Microsoft released the Xbox 360 gaming console in North America.
  • Carrie Underwood won American Idol
• A quarterback scored 50 TDs in a season (Doug Flutie 1997)
  • Titanic, Men in Black and The Lost World: Jurassic Park were the top three movies in 1997
  • The #1 song of 2017 was Elton John’s “Something About the Way You Look Tonight”
  • Michael Jordan’s ‘flu’ game and the Bulls won the NBA championship over Utah
  • The hottest tech toy was Tamagotchi
• A QB passed for 6,000+ yards in a season (Anthony Calvillo, 2004)
  • Facebook was founded
  • #1 song of 2014 on the Billboard Hot 100 was ‘Yeah’ by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris
  • The Show ‘Friends’ aired its finale in 2004
  • The top three movies were Shrek 2, Spider-Man 2 and The Passion of the Christ 

CFL BIG PLAYS

• There have been 214 Big’ Plays this year, an average of 5.6 per game.
• Here is a breakdown:
  • 20+ yard Rushes: 48
  • 30+ yard Receptions: 127
  • 30+ yard Punt Returns: 19
  • 40+ yard Kickoff Returns: 15
  • 30+ yard Missed Field Goal Returns: 5
• Calgary and Winnipeg are tied for the most ‘Big’ Plays with 29 each.
• Two teams have double digit instances of 20+ yard rushing plays; Hamilton and Winnipeg have 11 each.
• Calgary has the most 30+ yard receptions with 22.
• Edmonton has 0 30+ punt returns.

QUICK SLANTS

• Reilly’s 50 TD Pace: After his four-touchdown game in Week 10 (three passing, one rushing), the QB is on pace for 54 total touchdowns. This season he has 19 passing and eight rushing. The only player to record 50 TDs in a season is Doug Flutie, who did it four times. His best was 56 (48 pass, eight rush) in 1994.
• Reilly is also on pace to pass for 6,092 yards. The last time a QB passed for 6,000+ was in 2004 by Anthony Calvillo.
• 55% of games this season have been decided in the final three minutes.
• Eight teams have won this season when trailing after the third quarter. The Argonauts have three of those victories. Ottawa is the other team to have multiple fourth-quarter comeback victories with two.
• Calgary Quick Start: When Calgary has the lead after the first quarter this year, they are 5-0. They are the only team not to lose a game when leading after 15 minutes.
• Ottawa are off to their best start since they started 7-1 in 1978.
• Trevor Harris has recorded three consecutive 300+ yard passing games.
• Lewis Ward, who has made 27 of 28 field goal attempts, has a 96.4% field goal percentage. The record for a single season is 94.7%, set by Rene Paredes in 2013.
• Ward has made 24 in a row, a rookie record that is also tied for the eighth-longest streak in CFL history. He has competition with Brett Lauther, who has made 25 of 27 attempts.
• Ottawa, Toronto and Edmonton are the only teams this year to win a game while losing the turnover battle.
• Toronto has been involved in four games that have been decided by four points or fewer and are 3-1 in those games.
• The last time Calgary allowed 40 points in a game was in Week 6 of the 2016 season versus BC. Despite allowing 41 points, Calgary scored 44. In their last 122 games they have only allowed 40 points twice.
• Montreal has allowed 500+ yards four games straight.
• Home Sweet Home: Hamilton has 35 home wins since 2011 vs. just 24 on the road (59% of their victories over that time).
• Nick Marshall scored via INT return and rushed for a TD. The last time a player scored a TD both offensively and defensively in a single game was Milt Stegall on July 15, 1999. Milt caught a 37-yard TD pass and returned a fumble 52 yards off a blocked kick.
• Sean Graham of BC on October 19, 1998 scored on a 17-yard pass from Damon Allen and then 7:53 later in the 1st quarter scored on a 50-yard fumble return off a blocked kick.
• The Eskimos reached 1,000 penalty yards last week with their 6th game of 100+ yards or more this year.