Argonauts.ca staff
TORONTO – The Argonauts will look to keep the Riders winless this season as they face off in the Argos 2015 home opener at the Rogers Centre. It’s been exactly 274 days since the Argos last played in their home stadium, and the boys in blue return home from a five-game road trip to start the season with a winning record and a chance to remain at the top of the East Division. From the Argonauts return home to the Riders’ quarterback situation, here are five storylines to watch in tonight’s game.
Homecoming:
Though the Argonauts have technically already played a ‘home’ game as far as the CFL schedule is concerned – the season opener in Fort McMurray counts as one of nine home dates this season – Saturday will mark the Argonauts first game in the friendly confines of the Rogers Centre. With a 3-2 record after a gruelling start to the season, The Argonauts are now looking at a favourable schedule down the stretch, with eight of their final 13 games being played at home.
Rough Riding:
After defeating the Riders at Mosaic Stadium in week one, the Argos return home to conclude the season series on Saturday. A win against Saskatchewan in the home opener would give the Argonauts their first season sweep of the Roughriders since the 2004 season, when Michael “Pinball” Clemons coached the Argos to a Grey Cup Championship. In an odd bit of coincidence, current Roughriders P/K Paul McCallum was also on that 2004 Saskatchewan team, and is one of only three Roughriders players to be still in the league in 2015, along with Jamel Richardson and Henry Burris.
Opportunity Knocks
The mostly-healthy Argonauts were hit by the injury bug after a week six loss to the Tiger-Cats, with starters Chad Owens, Anthony Coombs, Cory Greenwood and Jeff Keeping all ruled out for Saturday’s contest against the Riders. The Argos’ depth will be tested, with Natey Adjei, Greg Van Roten, James Yurichuk and Diontae Spencer all stepping into the starting lineup. Van Roten spent the first three weeks of the season as the starting centre while Keeping was hurt, and moved to right guard when he returned. Adjei is now in his second season with the Double Blue and has made an impact in a limited role so far this season, scoring a late touchdown against the B.C. Lions which helped propel the argos to victory. Yurichuk is well-regarded as a special teams ace and has stepped up when given an opportunity on defence, including a game-ending sack against the Tiger-Cats in 2014. Finally, Spencer will make his CFL debut tonight in Owens’ stead, while also expected to take on some kick return duties.
Quick Starts:
The Argonauts haven’t finished the first quarter with a lead since week one against the Eskimos, and one thing head coach Scott Milanovich stressed during the week leading into week seven was how important it is for his team to start the game quickly. So far the Argonauts have been able to dig themselves out of early holes with relative success, with comeback wins against the Roughriders and Lions, but being forced to come back late is not a habit good teams fall into. With the team returning home to the dome and playing in front of their home fans for the first time in 2015, expect the Argonauts to get out to a quick start this week.
The Back-up’s Back-Up:
The 2015 season has been lethal for CFL quarterbacks, with nearly half of the league, including the Argonauts, relying on their back-up quarterback week in and week out. The Riders will feel no sympathy for Toronto however, as they lost both starter Darian Durant and back-up Kevin Glenn to long-term injuries. CFL rookie Brett Smith will make his second start for the Roughriders at quarterback this week, facing off against Trevor Harris of the Argonauts. Smith hasn’t yet thrown a touchdown pass while throwing two interceptions, but he has found the end zone twice with his legs. The Argos won’t be underestimating Smith, who was a member of the team’s practice roster in 2014.