ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO – It has been a long time since the last meeting between the Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions took place at Empire Field in Vancouver. In fact, August 29, 1982 marks the last time that these two teams met up during the field’s final year before the Leos moved into B.C. Place.
Condredge Holloway was the Argos’ all-star quarterback that year and he led the Argos to a tight 20-19 victory over the Leos.
Twenty-eight years and a B.C. Place renovation later, and the Argos are back at Empire to take on the Lions in the unofficial start of the second half of the season. The Boatmen are entering the game on a mini-slide, losing back-to-back contests with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. It’s the first time in 2010 the Argos have lost consecutive games.
On paper, the 2-7 Lions may be the cure for what ails the struggling Argos but head coach Jim Barker is quick to point out that there is no such thing as an easy win, especially against a team that is coming off a huge win.
“They have great offensive players and a defence that has been very solid all year. They are looking for their first win at Empire Field so we know they are going to come out and play hard,” said Barker. “They are not a 2-7 team and we don’t look at them that way at all.”
The Leos come into the matchup with a huge weight lifted off their shoulders by defeating an Anthony Calvillo-less Montreal team and snapping a seven-game losing streak in the process. Factor in the reality that they have had an extra two days of preparation and one cannot help but assume that this matchup will be as tough as any the Boatmen have faced this season.
That being said, Argos’ guard Taylor Robertson believes that although extra prep is nice, getting back on the field as soon as possible does have its advantages when coming off a loss.
“Yes, an extra couple days of rest would be great but you always want to get back out there, correct your mistakes and get back on the winning track,” said Robertson. “It’s no fun to lose so the faster you can get out there and get a ‘W’ the better.”
Despite the short week, there is one area on the schedule that could be advantageous to the Double Blue. For the first time in many years, the Argos will play a rare afternoon game in British Columbia; a stark contrast to the late evening games (which usually begin at around 10:30 ET) which have been the norm for visiting teams from the east.
Timing remains the least of the Argos’ concerns for Saturday since it is likely they will enter the game with three starting offensive linemen on the shelf. Offensive guard Cedric Gagne-Marcoux and right tackle Chris Van Zeyl have already been ruled out, and Rob Murphy is also expected to miss the contest. Despite being on the Argos’ 46-man roster in hopes of playing, Murphy was left in Toronto and did not even make the trip out to Vancouver.
Newly acquired OT Calvin Armstrong has been added to the 46-man roster and, should enough roster juggling occur, could likely find himself in the lineup.
Kickoff is at 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT) at Empire Saturday and can be seen on TSN or heard online at FAN590.com.