Pre-Game Breakdown: Ticats at Roughriders

The Tiger-Cats are looking to regroup in Saskatchewan this week, after a hard-fought loss against the Alouettes. This week, they’ll be up against a Riders team who are hungry for a win, following four close defeats to kick off their 2015 season.
The Ticats (1-2) will enter this week’s game looking to even out their record at 2-2 on this early-season road trip. The team enters this week’s game following a tough 17-13 loss in Montreal, where the game never seemed to get any type of flow to it. The Ticats managed just one touchdown against the Als, who have allowed a league-low 17.3 points per game to the opposition; however, they also further solidified their claim as one of the CFL’s best defences, ranking first in yards allowed per game (285.6) and average gain per rush (4.2), and second in the league in average gain per pass (7.0) and first downs allowed (56). The Cats offence faces a great opportunity to get back on track this week against the Roughriders, who have allowed a league-high 33.5 points per game.
The Roughriders (0-4) enter the game with their backs up against the wall, after losing their first four games of the 2015 season. Despite losing all four games, the Riders have not been out of the running in any of them, losing all four by an average differential of just three points. On top of that, the team leads the league in total scoring (122 points) and total touchdowns (13), and have the league’s leading passer (Kevin Glenn) and rusher (Jerome Messam) on their roster. At home amongst their passionate fans, the Riders will look to right the ship and begin the climb out of their early 0-4 hole.

The Week Five matchup will kick off tonight at Mosaic Stadium at 7:00 p.m. ET (TSN / 1150 CKOC).

TIGER-CATS HISTORY AGAINST SASKATCHEWAN

KEYS TO THE GAME:

Get the ground game going: The Ticats have had a slow start to the season in the running game, averaging just 4.0 yards per carry and 62.0 rushing yards per game. The Riders have allowed 130.2 yards per game on the ground, and the Ticats have CJ Gable back in the lineup; it appears the time is right for Hamilton to unleash the ground game.
Win the red zone game: In 2015, the Tiger-Cats defence has been a rock wall in the red zone, allowing touchdowns on just four of 10 opposition opportunities. The Riders have not fared as well in keeping opponents out of their end zone, allowing opponents to score on 76.5% of their red zone opportunities. The Ticats must capitalize on this high success rate to improve their own 50% offensive success rate in the red zone, while continuing to shut the door when the Riders enter the all-important area of the field.
Improve on poor field position: Through three games, the Ticats have an average starting position of their own 28 yard line. The number has them ranked last in the league, seven yards behind the league average (35 yard line). Poor starting position makes it harder on the offence to score, and it makes it more likely that the defence faces short fields as well. Winning the field position battle is an amalgamation of a number of factors, but the Ticats must find a way to do this in their fourth game of the season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

CJ Gable: The East Division’s leading rusher from 2013 is healthy and back in the Ticats lineup. Gable missed much of 2014 with injuries, while also sitting out the first three games of the 2015 campaign, but he’s back and ready to roll now. Gable provides the Ticats with a multi-dimensional threat out of the backfield, with the ability to run inside and outside the tackles, as well as contributing in the passing game.

Rico Murray: The Ticats also get strong-side linebacker and halfback Rico Murray back in the lineup in Saskatchewan. Murray, who missed the first three games as well, was the team’s leader in interceptions in 2014 with five. He provides the team with another defensive threat, and adds continuity to a unit that has seen plenty of changes early in the season.

Adrian Tracy/Justin Hickman: Tracy is back in the lineup against the Riders, and ready to wreak havoc in the backfield along with Justin Hickman. The rookie and veteran rush end combo had a very strong first game together against the Blue Bombers in Week Two, and will play a key role in making Kevin Glenn uncomfortable in the pocket this week.

Brandon Banks: Banks is a threat every time he touches the ball. He’s already returned two punts for touchdowns early in the season, and he’s had two other touchdowns called back on penalties. The Alouettes chose to keep the ball out of his hands in Week Three, and it will be interesting to see if the Riders take the same route.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME:

Riders running backs vs. Ticats run D 
Jerome Messam has been on a tear to start the season, leading the league in both rushing (306 yards) and yards from scrimmage (509) through four games. Meanwhile, change of pace back Anthony Allen is fourth in rushing (264 yards) in the same number of games.
Messam and Allen have been a force for the Riders, but they’ll have to face the Ticats dominant run defence in Week Five. The Ticats have been very strong against the run in 2015, building off of last year’s success in the same category.
Through three games, the team is allowing just 4.2 yards per carry, a league low, and they’ve limited opposing teams to just 68 yards on the ground per game.
Messam is a threat out of the backfield as a pass-catcher as well, so the Ticats linebackers will have their work cut out for them in coverage against him.
One of the most important factors in this battle will be to limit the big plays from the Riders talented back. On 24 separate occasions, the two Riders backs have rushed for 10+ yards, including seven gains of 20 or more yards.
Limiting these game-changing plays by closing running lanes early and rallying to the ball-carrier will go a long way in slowing down the Riders running attack.

TEAM CONNECTIONS:

Two prominent Ticats players, Andy Fantuz (85 games) and Craig Butler (57 games), spent significant time with the Riders before coming to Hamilton. Other than the two veteran leaders, no player on the Ticats roster has spent time as a member of Saskatchewan’s team.

On the other side of the field, there are just three former Ticats on the opposition’s roster. Most notably, quarterback Kevin Glenn, who played 54 regular season games in Hamilton, starting in 42 of them, while also playing in four playoff games with the team. Michael Carter (4 games) and Hamilton draft pick Chris Getzlaf (2 games), are the other two players with Ticats experience.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Coach Kent Austin on playing in Saskatchewan: 

“That’s the way football should be–like here– great fans, they’re invested, they’re committed.”

Taylor Reed on facing veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn:

“We’ve got some things that we’re cooking up for Kevin Glenn.”

Quarterback Zach Collaros on the hostile crowd at Mosaic Stadium:

“It’s a hostile environment. It’s up there with the best in the league, behind Tim Horton’s Field…They love their football out there, it’s going to be loud.”