The Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions meet in a rematch of last year’s Western Semi-Final on Saturday night at BC Place.
It was the Lions who escaped with a 41-30 win in that game but this time around it’s BC who’s looking up at Calgary early in the season.
The Stampeders held on for a 32-24 win over Hamilton in Week 1, while the Lions let a 20-6 second quarter lead slip away in Toronto.
Stamps quarterback Jake Maier is attempting to make it back-to-back strong performances after throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns against the Ticats.
To do it, he’ll have to evade an aggressive Lions front and talented secondary eager for a bounce back effort.
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Linemen Joshua Archibald and Marcus Moore each have a sack on the season and are joined by Sione Teuhema and Pete Robertson in making Maier feel pressure in the pocket.
If the offensive line gives Maier time, he’ll be on the lookout for several receivers.
Clark Barnes, Reggie Begelton, Cam Echols and Marken Michel all provide options in the pass game. Barnes and Echols have already caught a Maier touchdown pass.
Watch live. Calgary Stampeders @ BC Lions, June 15, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm EDT)
Garry Peters and Jordan Perryman flank the Lions secondary, while Emmanuel Rugamba had an impressive first game. The three need to find a way to limit the Stamps receivers and avoid big plays.
Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson was happy with the play of his receivers and expects more of the same against another talented secondary.
“It was a good start,” Dickenson told reporters. “We caught the ball well and knew what we were doing. It’s going to be build on it, build on it. One game is just one game. Build on it, get better and take your game to that next level.”
The duo of Dedrick Mills and B.J. Emmons are again responsible for the success of Calgary’s ground game after combining for 110 yards.
When the Lions get the ball in their hands, their focus will be on giving quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. time to make smart decisions. Adams Jr. threw for 363 yards despite being sacked six times in Week 1. If Jarell Broxton and Sukh Chungh can protect their quarterback, another big game could be in order.
When Adams Jr. is able to get the ball off, he’ll try to shy away from the direction of defensive back Demerio Houston. With plenty of familiarity from his time in Winnipeg, Houston has been a thorn in the side of the Lions for years.
Houston will be in tough with the playmaking ability of Alexander Hollins and Justin McInnis. The pair own a combined 193 yards and have proven to be hard to stop.
The play of their receivers is going to be important as Lions have once again stumbled in the run game, accumulating just 60 yards against the Argos. It’s an area of their offence that needs to pick up and take the onus off the arm of Adams Jr.
While getting acclimated with a new playbook can take time, running back William Stanback is tasked with finding his groove in his new surroundings sooner than later.
Linemen Mike Rose and James Vaughters, along with linebacker Micah Awe are the face of the Stamps defence. They’ll provide another test for the Lions offensive line that struggled in Week 1.
Lions head coach Rick Campbell isn’t discouraged by being 0-1 but understands the importance of fixing their mistakes.
“We have to stay away from negative plays, whether it’s turnovers or losing yards,” Campbell told reporters. “I like our team but we definitely have work to do. As a football team we have to take care of the football better.”
A win would not only move the Stamps to a 2-0 record, but would put early distance between themselves and their division rivals.
For a Lions team with high expectations, finding a way to be 1-1 after two games is an important step in the direction they hope to go.