Ed Tait’s ‘Five Things You Need To Know’ for Saturday’s Banjo Bowl

First place in the CFL West will be on the line Saturday afternoon at IG Field, when the 8-3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers square off against the 7-3 Saskatchewan Roughriders.

680 CJOB’s Broadcast with Bob Irving, Doug Brown, Ed Tait, Greg Mackling, and Christian Aumell gets underway at 1 p.m. with the pregame show from the IGF tail gate area. And below are just a few of the talking points to prep four – courtesy of the Director of Digital content on bluebombers.com.

1. 1. The Bombers and Riders meet for the second time in six days in the 16th edition of the Banjo Bowl. The Bombers hold an 8-7 edge in the history of the game following last year’s 48-28 loss in which Saskatchewan converted five Winnipeg interceptions into 23 points.
      This is a critical contest in terms of a potential tiebreaker, as the two clubs play three times this year with the final regular-season matchup going October 5th in Regina.
   2. Just as a refresher, here’s how the Banjo Bowl got its name – It was on the eve of the 2003 West Division Semi-Final between the Bombers and Riders when kicker Troy Westwood referred to our neighbours to the west as ‘banjo-pickin’ inbreds.’ He was kidding, of course, but then Westwood further fuelled the fire with a follow-up apology, saying: “I had referred to the people of Saskatchewan as a bunch of banjo-pickin’ inbreds.’ I was wrong to make such a statement, and I’d like to apologize. The vast majority of the people in Saskatchewan have no idea how to play the banjo.”
      The Bombers marketing department then turned that into a signature game here in Winnipeg — the same way the Labour Day Classic is in Regina — beginning in 2004. The game has sold out in each of the last 14 years.
   3. Chris Streveler will make his third consecutive start for the injured Matt Nichols. The Bombers are 1-1 with him at the controls and his passing numbers are improving. He was 7-of-17 for 89 yards in the win over Edmonton and 16-of-24 for 161 yards in the Labour Day Classic loss. He has also rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns in his last two games.
   4. The Banjo Bowl will also be the second start for running back Johnny Augustine. Filling in for Andrew Harris last week, Augustine rushed for 98 yards on 12 carries, including a 55-yard gallop that left Rider defenders grasping at air. Harris is expected to return to the starting lineup for the next game.
   5. Finally, a couple of notes for fans who are heading to IG Field. The tailgate opens at noon and there will be a special ‘Banjo Bowl Burger’ available on Saturday. It’s not as enormous as the infamous ‘Walby Burger’, but early scouting reports have described it as absolutely delicious. This week’s artist is Tyler Del Pino, who has been described as ‘an organic hybrid of pop/rock and country.

Next: The Bombers enjoy their second of three bye weeks after the Banjo Bowl and are then on the road to Montreal for a game on Sept. 21.

The next home game at IG Field is Friday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m., when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are in town.

Fans seeking tickets should call 204-784-7448 or visit bluebombers.com/tickets.

Subscribe now to the Blue Bombers Podcast on Apple Podcast or Google Play