ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO — Each week, argonauts.ca showcases one of the marquee matchups for fans to watch out for before the Argos’ next game. This could be one of the most anticipated head-2-head matchups of the season and both players are entering Friday’s game red hot. It is a battle of the two most electric special teams players in the league in the Argos’ Chad Owens and the Ticats’ Marcus Thigpen.
In just over seven weeks, Chad Owens has gone from forgotten man in a Montreal offence filled with firepower to one of the most exciting players in the CFL.
The electric receiver and return specialist has been a stud since arriving in Toronto via trade just prior to the regular season, leading the league in combined yards with 1,197.
Last week, Owens had a career game, generating 291 all-purpose yards and his 163 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns are what helped propel the Argos into a first place tie with his former club in Montreal.
The pint-sized speedster has recorded a combined four touchdowns on the season but his biggest asset could be his ability to keep the Argos in solid field position all season long – something that ailed them heavily last season.
Sitting third in the league in combined yards, Marcus Thigpen has been nothing short of spectacular for the Tiger-Cats this season, generating over 1,000 yards by returning punts, missed field goals, kickoffs as well as becoming a legitimate threat in the passing game and on the ground.
The 24-year-old who scored three special teams touchdowns in his first two games has instantly become one of the league’s most versatile weapons, setting a CFL record last week by becoming the first player in history to score a touchdown five different ways in one season.
What makes Thigpen’s feat all the more remarkable is that he is not even the ‘Cats focal point on offence. One could argue that receivers such as Arland Bruce, Dave Stala, Maurice Mann, Marquay McDaniel, Matt Carter and running back DeAndra’ Cobb are quarterback Kevin Glenn’s primary reads on most plays. Yet somehow Thigpen finds a way to get his hands on the ball in situations other than just the return game.