ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
Argos receiver Brad Smith understands that regardless of your record, the old adage of ‘it is not how you start but how you finish’ applies to each and every team in the Canadian Football League.
With the Argos mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the club is by no means taking a different approach to their Friday night contest with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“You are always remembered by the last thing that you did so as our season is ending, it’s time for some of us (like myself) to get a lot of reps that we wouldn’t normally get (earlier in the season)…We are going to go into it like every week, wanting a win”.
– Receiver Brad Smith on preparing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Friday night
“You are always remembered by the last thing that you did so as our season is ending, it’s time for some of us (like myself) to get a lot of reps that we wouldn’t normally get (earlier in the season)”, Smith told argoanuts.ca Wednesday. “We are going to go into it like every week, wanting a win”.
The Argos’ push for the playoffs officially came to an end last week when they fell to the Edmonton Eskimos by a field goal. However, any matchup against the Ticats, regardless of either team’s record, does not require much for the Boatmen to get motivated. After dominating the season series against Hamilton for five straight seasons, the Argos lost the season series with the Tabbies last year and can regain the Ballard Cup (awarded to the winner of the season series between the two clubs) with a win Friday night.
Smith added, “We know that they are in playoff contention and it would be nice, because they are our provincial rivals, to try and get them down a peg”.
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The Argos currently own the season series, winning two of the three meetings thus far in 2009 and Head Coach Bart Andrus stressed to the media that the key to having a chance against Hamilton is to pay close attention to QB Kevin Glenn. The veteran QB passed for over 500 yards last week in a loss to Montreal but Andrus is equally as concerned about his ability to escapes the pocket.
“We want to make (Glenn) a little uncomfortable in the pocket and get to him (frequently). I think that has more of an affect on a passer than anything…We also have to contain him. In the last game, he hurt us running the football”, said Andrus.
The Argos’ biggest roster shuffle will occur along the offensive line after veterans Jeff Keeping and Brian Ramsay suffered major injuries on the same play versus Edmonton in the first quarter. As a result, sophomore Mark Dewit will make his third career start (first of 2009) at left guard while Chris Van Zeyl will make his first start at right tackle.
The roster void left by Keeping and Ramsay have allowed newly re-acquired lineman Scott Evans and rookie J.F. Morin-Roberge to dress Friday night.
After being scratched last week with an injury, RB Dominique Dorsey has officially been added to the injured list. This allows CB Jordan Younger to return to the 46-man roster but it is unlikely that he will dress.
Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. Friday night at Rogers Centre and halftime will feature Wendy’s Kick for a Million, where one lucky contestant will have a chance to kick a field goal to win $1,000,000. For tickets, please call 416-872-5000 or click here to purchase tickets online.