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Stephen: Silence is golden for Stamps at Mosaic
When the Calgary Stampeders landed in Regina, they discovered another opponent to battle. A glance at the south end of Mosaic Stadium reveals the Roughriders installing Grey Cup seating, some of which will be open for Friday night’s game with the Stampeders. And I’m willing to bet there will not be many Stampeder fans occupying those seats.
“It will be tough playing and with our cadence,” noted quarterback Drew Tate.
“We practiced for it all week, we’re going to try to stay with it and hopefully be consistent. We have to adjust, that’s football.”
The Stampeders practiced with simulated crowd noise at McMahon Stadium this week to prep them for the expected noisy reception. Reception aside, Tate is looking to build on a strong opening week effort against the BC Lions.
“I feel good, I feel very confident about our game plan,”said Tate, fresh from a 19-of-27 effort.
“We’re prepared for a lot of different kind of looks and a lot of different kind of scenarios.”
The Stampeders handled all scenarios well last week in their season opener with the Lions. Offensively, they racked up 44 points while yielding no sacks, committing no penalties and allowing just one turnover.
The Stamps will also be looking to kickoff their annual ‘Calgary Stampede’ road trip on a positive note.
This week, Jonathan Hefney will remain on the roster for the Stampeders after making his Calgary debut with a 10 tackle performance in Week 1.
However, his status was uncertain during the week as strong-side linebacker Keon Raymond tested his wonky ankle. After a couple of workouts, the determination was made to keep Raymond on the sidelines.
“It looked like it was going to happen, “said Coach John Hufnagel.
“But he came in on the morning of the third day of practice and it was sore and we just don’t want to rush it right now. Hef was also practicing the position so he is ready to go and excited to be here to play.”
Friday night’s clash will be the first time these two teams meet since last year’s Western Semi-Final, a game that saw the Stamps steal a victory away from the Riders in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
In the loss, Riders receiver Weston Dressler was almost unstoppable, registering 153 yards on six receptions. The speedy receiver always seems to have big games against the Stamps.
“When you play a team enough times, you’re bound to have a big game every now and then,” smiled Dressler.
“Offensively, we just have to make the most of the opportunities because when you’re playing a good defence, there aren’t a lot of opportunities.”
For the Stampeders to win, and silence, the crowd, they will have to implement the same formula that worked in their opener.
In that game, the Stampeders marched down the field and scored on their opening drive, something that ignited the crowd. On the road, they have to look to achieve the same goal, but use that success to silence the crowd.
Given the extra seating, they’ll need every possible tool at their disposal to quiet the gathering.
When the Calgary Stampeders landed in Regina, they discovered another opponent to battle. A glance at the south end of Mosaic Stadium reveals the Roughriders installing Grey Cup seating, some of which will be open for Friday night’s game with the Stampeders. And I’m willing to bet there will not be many Stampeder fans occupying those seats.
“It will be tough playing and with our cadence,” noted quarterback Drew Tate.
“We practiced for it all week, we’re going to try to stay with it and hopefully be consistent. We have to adjust, that’s football.”
The Stampeders practiced with simulated crowd noise at McMahon Stadium this week to prep them for the expected noisy reception. Reception aside, Tate is looking to build on a strong opening week effort against the BC Lions.
“I feel good, I feel very confident about our game plan,”said Tate, fresh from a 19-of-27 effort.
“We’re prepared for a lot of different kind of looks and a lot of different kind of scenarios.”
The Stampeders handled all scenarios well last week in their season opener with the Lions. Offensively, they racked up 44 points while yielding no sacks, committing no penalties and allowing just one turnover.
The Stamps will also be looking to kickoff their annual ‘Calgary Stampede’ road trip on a positive note.
This week, Jonathan Hefney will remain on the roster for the Stampeders after making his Calgary debut with a 10 tackle performance in Week 1.
However, his status was uncertain during the week as strong-side linebacker Keon Raymond tested his wonky ankle. After a couple of workouts, the determination was made to keep Raymond on the sidelines.
“It looked like it was going to happen, “said Coach John Hufnagel.
“But he came in on the morning of the third day of practice and it was sore and we just don’t want to rush it right now. Hef was also practicing the position so he is ready to go and excited to be here to play.”
Friday night’s clash will be the first time these two teams meet since last year’s Western Semi-Final, a game that saw the Stamps steal a victory away from the Riders in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
In the loss, Riders receiver Weston Dressler was almost unstoppable, registering 153 yards on six receptions. The speedy receiver always seems to have big games against the Stamps.
“When you play a team enough times, you’re bound to have a big game every now and then,” smiled Dressler.
“Offensively, we just have to make the most of the opportunities because when you’re playing a good defence, there aren’t a lot of opportunities.”
For the Stampeders to win, and silence, the crowd, they will have to implement the same formula that worked in their opener.
In that game, the Stampeders marched down the field and scored on their opening drive, something that ignited the crowd. On the road, they have to look to achieve the same goal, but use that success to silence the crowd.
Given the extra seating, they’ll need every possible tool at their disposal to quiet the gathering.
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