Toronto Argonauts head coach Marc Trestman during the game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Horton's Field in Hamilton, Friday, June 16, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
The Toronto Argonauts (4-6) travel to Tim Hortons Field on Monday to take on their QEW rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-8-0) in the 46th edition of the Labour Day Classic.
Coming off of a 23-7 road loss to the Calgary Stampeders, the Argos will look to get back into the win column and retake the top spot in the East Division from the Ottawa Redblacks (4-6-1).
With a win, the Argos would clinch a season series win over the Ticats for the first time since 2014. The last time the team won its first two meetings of the season with Hamilton came back in 2007 when now-special teams coordinator Kevin Eiben was nominated as the team’s Most Outstanding Canadian.
The Ticats enter the game fresh off a bye week with a new head coach and a fresh face under the centre. Newly-appointed head coach June Jones has named Jeremiah Masoli the starter in Monday’s game, marking the first time he’ll start since October 21, 2016.
LABOUR RAY CLASSIC:
Ricky Ray entered last year’s Labour Day Classic vs. Hamilton as the league’s all-time leading passer in Labour Day games. Passing for another 386 yards in that game, Ray became the only quarterback in league history with 3,000+ passing yards on Labour Day.
In 12 Labour Day starts between Edmonton and Toronto, Ray is 5-7 with 3,255 yards and 13 touchdowns on 269-of-411 passing.
In 28 career starts against the Ticats, Ray holds a record of 18-10, including a win in the Argos’ 2017 home opener in which he threw for over 500 passing yards.
GREEN ON CAREER PACE:
After suffering a significant season ending knee injury just one year ago, SJ Green has proved doubters wrong so far this season.
In his 11th professional season, the Florida native has put together the strongest first half of his entire career.
Ranked second in the CFL in receiving yards (899) and receptions (60), the 11-year veteran has already hauled in the third-highest single-season touchdown total (5) of his career.
Green is currently on pace to record the best season of his career with 108 catches for 1,618 yards. Those single-season totals would rank him fourth in Argos history for receiving yards and fifth in single-season receptions.
SCORELESS QUARTERS:
In 10 games so far this season, the Argos have played 40 quarters of football and the Double Blue defence has held the opposition without a touchdown in 23 of those quarters (58%).
The team opened the season by holding the opposing offence to seven consecutive quarters without a touchdown and they strung together another seven-quarter streak between the last three games. After holding Montreal’s offensive unit to three points during the second half of Week 8 and blanking them during the Week 9 home game, the Boatmen held Calgary without a touchdown for the duration of the first quarter last Saturday.
After holding Hamilton’s offence without a touchdown for the entirety of the Week 1 divisional showdown, the Week 9 game vs. Montreal was particularly unique, as the defence did not allow a single point. The six points scored by the Als were registered on an INT return touchdown.
Quick Hits:
- Entering Week 11, the Argos are a perfect 4-0 when winning the turnover battle against their opponents; however, when creating the same or fewer number of turnovers as their foe, the team is a combined 0-6. League-wide, teams that win the turnover battle have gone 27-6 and were perfect 2-0 in Week 10.
- The Argos lead the league with 32 sacks through 10 weeks. Last week’s game was the fourth straight game with 7+ pressures and the team’s eighth game with multiple sacks.
- In Week 10 action, the Argos defence blanked their opponents in the red zone for a second straight week. In the last three games, the unit has allowed just one touchdown in six trips inside their own 20-yard line.
- After missing six games on the injured list, WR DeVier Posey returned to the lineup last Saturday, catching all five of his targets for a team-high 59 receiving yards and the team’s only reception of 20+ yards.
- Despite missing three opening-day starters on the defensive line – Ken Bishop, Victor Butler and Cleyon Laing – the Argos have managed to total 35 quarterback sacks + pressures over the last three games. Help has come in the form of Troy Davis (1 QBS, 6 QBP), Jeff Finley (2 QBS), Dylan Wynn (4 QBS, 6 QBP) and Linden Gaydosh (2 QBS) while Shawn Lemon (2 QBS, 8 QBP) ranks third league-wide with 22 total sacks + pressures this season.
- Defensive lineman Ken Bishop hopes to make his return to the lineup on Monday night after missing the last seven games on the injured list. Bishop, has been a consistent force up the middle for the Argos since signing with the team last season. He has totaled 35 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in 19 games.
- LB Bear Woods leads all Argos with 60 defensive tackles, ranking third in the league behind Solomon Elimimian (74) and Kyries Hebert (61). Woods is joined by Marcus Ball (43) in the league’s top 10 tacklers while the two rank fifth and seventh in total defensive plays.
- Running back Brandon Whitaker rushed six times in Week 10 against the Stampeders, recording his 1000th career CFL carry in the process. It took the Argos RB 91 games to become the 32nd player in league history to break the 1,000-carry mark. His 5,312 rushing yards ranks 36th all-time as he approaches Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons’ career total of 5,341.
Milestone Watch:
- Ricky Ray…..Career 300-Yd. Games (2nd – 93)…..85 (9)
- Brandon Whitaker…..Career Rushing Yds. (35th – 5,341)…..5,312 (30)
- Brandon Whitaker…..Career Touchdowns (40)…..39 (1)
- SJ Green…..Career Receiving Yds. (45th – 7,637)…..7,525 (113)
- SJ Green…..Season Receiving Yds. (1,000)…..899 (101)
- Bear Woods…..Career Def. Tackles (300)…..291 (9)
- Marcus Ball…..Career Def. Tackles (200)…..180 (20)
- Rico Murray…..Career Interceptions (10)…..9 (1)
- Shawn Lemon…..Career Sacks (50)…..48 (2)