It's not exactly a clash of the titans, but the Ticats and Argos have a lot to play for when they meet Thursday night at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Hamilton (1-5) and Toronto (3-3) have slumped through the first six weeks of the CFL season and both clubs badly need a win when they meet for the second time this season.
The Tiger-Cats have lost four consecutive games and will be without two key starters due to injuries: quarterback Casey Printers (thumb) and running back Jesse Lumsden (ankle).
Lumsden was especially effective in the first meeting between these teams on July 3. The Burlington, Ont., native rushed for 189 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns in Hamilton's 32-13 win over Toronto at Rogers Centre.
The Ticats boast the league's top rushing attack, averaging a 167 yards per game. Even without Lumsden, the Tabbies are expected to run the ball against a Toronto team that has allowed a league-high 150 yards per contest.
"They really were able to run against us," Argos linebacker Michael Fletcher said of the last game. "We can't afford to forget about that and I don't think we will, to be honest."
Terry Caulley will start at running back for Hamilton, and even though he's smaller than Lumsden, he does possess blazing speed.
Ticats' backup quarterback makes 2nd straight start"They're different runners, really," Fletcher said. "But we still have to be able to control the run because it's what Hamilton does."
Backup quarterback Richie Williams will make his second straight start in place of Printers.
Williams completed 18 of 24 passes for 260 yards and threw two interceptions in last week's 40-33 road loss in Montreal.
He also proved to be a threat on the ground, rushing for a team-high 79 yards and scoring two touchdowns against the Alouettes.
Although Toronto has had trouble stopping the run, its defence did limit the Blue Bombers to 70 yards on the ground in a 19-11 win over Winnipeg last week.
Linebacker Kevin Eiben missed two games with a knee injury and is expected to return Thursday, giving the Argos' defence a big boost.
Toronto won't be taking Hamilton lightly.
"We did play well last week," Fletcher said. "But like I said, we can't take Hamilton for granted because the run is such an important part of what they do on offence."
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Contact Us About Us HomeTuesday, November 18th, 2008