OUT OF THE TUNNEL: SEMIFINAL WEEK!
BY: RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF
The CFL regular season finally came to a merciful end this weekend with five games that perfectly summarized 2021. Only one game had any consequences attached to its outcome after the Ottawa Redblacks pulled off the 18-17 victory over Montreal, it meant the Hamilton Tiger-Cats sewed up the home spot for the Eastern Semi-Final.
In five games, just three teams were able to crack 20 points. The Tuesday night game that saw Edmonton beat Toronto 13-7 in front of friends and family at BMO field and the final regular season game where Calgary won 13-12 over Winnipeg were absolutely embarrassing. If one was looking to relive pre-season football, week 15 of the Canadian Football League season gave it to us.
We, like the rest of you, are hoping the 2021 CFL playoffs will provide some sort of fireworks to give the season a decent conclusion.
Our Ups for this week will be the two divisional semifinal games.
Calgary Stampeders at Saskatchewan Roughriders
This is a battle of two teams that on paper, should have solid offences. The visiting Stampeders had a slow start to the season under future Hall of Famer Bo Levi Mitchell but he has struggled a lot this season. Mitchell has thrown 13 interceptions to just 10 touchdowns while missing a handful of games due to injury.
Still Calgary has been able to move the football through the air. They finished second in the CFL in total passing yards as a team but have a wretched time trying to crack the end zone.
Saskatchewan has struggled mightily moving the football. They had the second worst passing offence in the CFL with just 3,273 yards in 14 games, or a hair over 233 yards per game. Cody Fajardo has really struggled at certain points this season highlighted by his 14 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.
So, both Mitchell and Fajardo will throw a touchdown and an interception this game. Both teams also have very similar running games as well. This will come down to a pair of defences that will turn it into a low-scoring battle.
Calgary has been able to handle the Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium over the past few seasons, so a very loud crowd likely won’t impact their performance either. Saskatchewan has back-to-back playoff losses at home as well.
When it comes down to it, the Roughriders will make two more plays on defence and move on to Winnipeg for the Western Final with a 20-16 victory.
Montreal Alouettes at Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Our offensive entertainment hopes hang on Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton.
Montreal comes into Hamilton with the CFL’s top scoring offence (if 22.4 points per game is high scoring) and top overall offence with 5,178 yards. Though this might not be a true reflection of how the Montreal offence moves the ball now with Trevor Harris at the helm.
Harris has started the last four games with moderate success, but this offence begins and ends with the CFL’s top rusher, William Stanbeck. The league’s lone 1,000-yard rusher in the 14 game season is the top offensive weapon on either side of the ball and if he gets going it could be a long game for the Ticats.
Jeremiah Masoli will get the nod for the Ticats and is one of the streakiest passers in the CFL. If he is on, we should be in for some fun and if not, the very capable Dane Evans is waiting in the wings.
Both of these defences are very good but Hamilton’s is a shade better and that should be the difference in this game. The Ticats will move on to Toronto with the 27-22 victory.
The forecasts for Hamilton and Regina show that it should be above freezing and other than a small chance for snow in Hamilton, the weather will hold up for potential offensive fireworks.
Then again, this is the 2021 CFL season and if any team breaks the 30-point plateau it will be a shock to everyone and will more than likely win their game.
This week in Canada West
Hardy Cup
Saskatchewan Huskies 45
Manitoba Bisons 17
The Saskatchewan Huskies are back-to-back Hardy Cup champions by slow-cooking the Manitoba Bisons 45-17.
Manitoba jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter powered by their defence who forced a pair of Huskies turnovers but from there, it was all Saskatchewan.
In the second quarter, Huskies running back Adam Machart started to roll by scoring his first of three touchdowns helping to cut the lead to 16-12 at the half.
From there it was nothing but a University of Saskatchewan party outscoring Manitoba 33-1.
Machart finished the game with 223 yards rushing, 28 yards receiving and three touchdowns. The Huskies totaled 391 yards on the ground and 579 yards of total offence in the victory.
Next up Saskatchewan goes on the road to face the nation’s top ranked team, the Montreal Carabins in the Uteck Bowl. The Mitchell Bowl will see the Western Mustangs take on St. FX X-Men with the winners to square-off in the Vanier Cup on December 4 in Quebec City.
This Week in the Prairie Football Conference
Canadian National Semifinal
Langley Rams 17
Saskatoon Hilltops 14
In the biggest upset in Canadian junior football in the past 20 years, the Langley Rams are off to the national junior football championship with a 17-14 victory over the Sasktoon Hilltops.
In a very strange game, the Hilltops turned the ball over 13 times with four fumbles, three interceptions and six turnovers on downs. This led to a miserable day on offence for the Hilltops who held a 14-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Langley will now travel to Ontario to take on the London Beefeaters in the Canadian Bowl. Neither team has ever won a national championship.
This is the first time since 2009 that a team from Saskatchewan won’t win or participate in the Canadian Bowl.
Canadian to Watch in the NCAA
Nick Mardner (Junior)
Receiver
University of Hawaii
6’6”, 190lbs.
Mississauga, Ontario
High School – Clarkson Secondary
Standout receiver, Nick Mardner is the top performing Canadian in the NCAA so far in the 2021 season. The Ontario native has a chance top 1,000 yards receiving and over 50 catches. With a game remaining against the Wyoming Cowboys, Mardner has 885 yards and 44 catches.
A win over the Cowboys would give Hawaii six wins on the season and grant them an opportunity to play a bowl game.
In 2021, Mardner has three games with over 100 yards receiving with the best coming two weeks ago when he had four catches for 139 yards and a touchdown, averaging over 30 yards a catch.
When Mardner finishes his senior season in 2022 he will garner a solid NFL look along with being one of the top ranked players for the CFL Draft.
(RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF)
