LIVESTREAM CFL: Calgary Stampeders @ BC Lions, Oct. 5, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm Oct. 4 ET)
A game with massive implications in the West Division standings closes out Week 18 when the Calgary Stampeders visit the BC Lions at Save-on-Foods Field at BC Place on Saturday night.
Calgary lost to Montreal 38-20 a week ago, falling to 8-6 on the season.
BC’s Week 17 win over Toronto improved their record to 8-7.
The Stampeders, Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers all currently have 16 points in the West.
Here’s three keys to victory for both teams ahead of Saturday’s 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff, which can be watched on TSN in Canada, and on CFL+ in the U.S. and internationally.
RELATED
» Depth Charts: CGY | BC
» Game Notes: Stampeders at Lions
Watch live. Calgary Stampeders @ BC Lions, Oct. 5, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm Oct. 4 ET)
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
1. CAN LORENZO MAULDIN IV MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Calgary showed it’s not standing pat, going out and acquiring defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin IV from the Ottawa REDBLACKS earlier this week. Now it’s up to Mauldin IV, who has 26 defensive tackles and two sacks, to prove the acquisition was worthwhile. The Stamps have allowed a league-high 112.6 rushing yards per game and are set to face the CFL’s top rusher after 17 weeks in James Butler.
2. MORE THROUGH THE AIR FROM ADAMS JR.
Head coach Dave Dickenson needs quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. to lead the offence the way he’s capable of. In his past three games, Adams Jr. has averaged 197.3 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. His worst performance over that stretch was in Week 16 when the Lions held him to 125 yards and picked off a pair of passes.
3. KEY IN ON KEON HATCHER SR.
The Lions have a plethora of options at receiver, but shutting down Keon Hatcher Sr. would be a place to start for the Stamps’ secondary. Hatcher caught all eight passes for 147 yards the last time these teams met, and it’s the collective job of Jaydon Grant, Adrian Greene and Damon Webb to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
BC LIONS
1. MAKE LIFE HARD FOR DEDRICK MILLS
In the Week 16 matchup, six different Stamps rushers combined for 142 yards. Linebackers Micah Awe, Ben Hladik and Josh Woods will have to provide support behind the line of scrimmage to help limit the impact of recently minted 1,000-yard running back Dedrick Mills.
2. LET ‘EM RUN
Those who are fans of the run game could be in for a show. The Lions can counter Mills with Butler and his 1,061 yards. Making things tougher on Calgary is the fact that its defence won’t have recent film to focus on, as Butler missed the last meeting with an injury.
3. TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Quarterback Nathan Rourke has been playing at a Most Outstanding Player-level this season, but he did throw three interceptions last week against Toronto. When going through his reads, he’ll need to be on the lookout for Greene, as he leads the team with four interceptions.
NEED TO KNOW:
- With Winnipeg on a bye week, the winner of Calgary and BC will take sole possession of second place in the West Division.
- Calgary is 6-2 against divisional opponents this season. BC is 3-4.
Watch live. Calgary Stampeders @ BC Lions, Oct. 5, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm Oct. 4 ET)
