CFL.CA STAFF
TORONTO — The regular season continues with Week #2 games kicking off Friday night. Keep yourself updated on CFL action with important milestones and statistics before this weekend’s games.
This week in the CFL:
To start the 2011 CFL season, three of the four games were won by teams with the poorer record in 2010.
In 2010, the West won 18 of 32 inter-divisional games making it six straight seasons with a decided edge. Opening weekend featured two inter-divisional games to start the year and wins by Toronto and Montreal gave the East a 2-0 head start.
The other trend that took a beating was even more pronounced as three road teams captured opening weekend victories. Since 2000, the home team has won 60.5% of the time.
Last season, 35 out of 72 regular season games were decided in the final 3:00. In the opening weekend of 2011, three of the four games were not decided until the final 3:00.
Results from Week #1:
Montreal and BC did not commit a single turnover in their CFL opener on June 30, 2011. That has not happened in any CFL game since August 4, 2006 (BC vs Edmonton), a span of 332 games.
Edmonton won their 599th CFL regular season game by defeating Saskatchewan and need just one to become the only club with 600 wins in the post WW2 era (599-420-18 in 1,037 games since re-joining in 1949).
Geroy Simon (BC) moved into fourth place all-time in receiving with 13,852 yards passing Terry Vaughn. Simon’s five extended his streak to 143 games in a row with at least one reception. It was the 56th 100-yard game of his CFL career.
Ricky Ray (Edm) moved into tenth place all-time in passing yards with 36,231 yards, passing Kent Austin. Ray passed for 294 yards and 3 TDs in the 42-28 win over Saskatchewan.
Anthony Calvillo reduced the yardage needed to become the CFL’s all-time leading passer from 4,221 to 3,909 with a 312 yard, 3 TD performance. His three TD passes that day left him only five behind Damon Allen.
Henry Burris’ (Cgy) 34-yard run was the longest in the CFL last week and matched the third-longest of his career.
Buck Pierce needs just 35 passing yards to reach 10,000 in his CFL career after picking up 151 last week.
CFL Quarterbacks: No CFL rookie threw a pass in the opening week of 2011. CFL starting quarterbacks average 8.7 years of experience led by Anthony Calvillo (18th year), Henry Burris (13th), Kevin Glenn (11th) and Ricky Ray (9th). Only Travis Lulay (3rd) and Cleo Lemon (2nd) have moved into a starting role for any significant length of time with a CFL club since the start of 2009. Buck Pierce (7th) and Darian Durant (6th) became starters in 2008. Of note is Brad Sinopoli of Calgary, a 2011 draft pick, and the only Canadian active roster QB in the CFL.
TOR @ WPG
This will be the 100th time that the Blue Bombers have met the Argos in a regular season game since interlocking play began in 1961. The Argonauts hold a slight edge of 49-48 but Winnipeg has dominated at home with a decided 33-17 advantage at Canad Inns Stadium. Over the last eight games the clubs have each won four times.
62 – Winnipeg’s Terrence Edwards needs 62 yards to match Gerald Cox at 4,608 receiving yards in ninth place all-time.
10 – Doug Brown has 176 games of CFL experience, all with the Bombers, and can claim a spot in the all-time Top 10 after 10 games played in 2011.
100 – Cory Boyd rushed for 100 yards for the seventh time in his CFL career last week in Calgary.
2 and 5 – Claude Wroten made two sacks, five tackles and accounted for most of Toronto’s pressure applied to Henry Burris last week.
CGY @ BC
This will be the 172nd time that BC has met the Stampeders since 1954. Looking at the all-time matchups with Calgary shows that it has tended to go in streaks. From 1997 to 2007, the Lions took control with a 21-11-1 record before the most recent trend which has seen Calgary win the last 8 of the last 10 meetings. BC snapped an eight-game losing streak against Calgary last season and has won the last two meetings, both at McMahon Stadium. Calgary has won the last five times they have traveled to Vancouver.
4/34 – Geroy Simon needs 4 TDs to surpass Willie Fleming (87) for first on the Lions’ all-time list. He needs six TDs to reach 90 for his BC career and 34 receptions to hit the 800 mark and extend his club record total.
13/18 – No BC quarterback has started more than 12 games in a season since 2004 (Casey Printers 14 starts). Travis Lulay starts the 2011 season as the Lions’ #1 QB and will be looking to post the first complete 18-start season by any BC quarterback since Damon Allen in 2002.
100 – Brandon Smith reached 100 career tackles on July 1 for the Stampeders.
2 – Stampeder Milt Collins is two interceptions from 10th all-time for the Stampeders.
27 – Calgary’s Juwan Simpson celebrates his 27th birthday during Friday night’s game.
More to follow for Saturday’s games…