The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will have all kinds of “motivational forces” to spur them on for the final home game of September on Friday night at IG Field against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
First and foremost will be ridding themselves of that horrible feeling from last Saturday’s extremely disappointing 38-37 loss to Montreal.
And another item on the list would be gaining some revenge against an opponent who ended their season-opening five-game winning streak. There is no way the Blue Bombers want to give the Ticats the satisfaction of also becoming the first visiting team to win on their home turf in 2019.
Bob Irving and the broadcast team will begin breaking all of this down, and more, on the pregame show at 5:30 p.m. from the IGF tail-gate area. But here are some primer notes to get you ready for Friday Night from Ed Tait, the Director of Digital Content for Bluebombers.com
1. Friday’s game features a showdown between the Canadian Football League’s two first-place clubs in the 10-3 Ticats and the 9-4 Blue Bombers.
It’s also Retro Night at IG Field, as the clock is turned back with old-school tunes and retro concession prices that include 12-ounce fountain drinks for a buck, $2 popcorn and $3 hot dogs. The Bomber Store will have all retro merchandise on sale at a 25-per cent discount and there will be a halftime performance by the band Jenerator.
The tailgate area will have fire pits and hay bales and there will be warm-up stands on the concourse offering hot chocolate, and coffee and Baileys.
Just to continue the Retro Night theme, hall of fame punter Bob Cameron — who played 23 seasons for the franchise — will be added to the Ring of Honour.
2. Friday will be an important game for the Bombers in their pursuit of a home playoff date. The Bombers and Calgary Stampeders are both 9-4, while the 8-4 Saskatchewan Roughriders are all jockeying for the top two spots in the West Division. Winnipeg has five regular-season games remaining: this matchup against Hamilton, next week in Regina, followed by a visit from the Alouettes, and a critical home-and-home series with the Stampeders.
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3. Andrew Harris returned to the lineup last weekend following his suspension and made an immediate impact for the Bombers with 188 yards in combined offence — 76 rushing and a team-best 112 receiving. He was named one of the CFL’s Top Performers for his efforts.
Harris continues to lead the CFL in rushing and with 16 yards Friday night would hit the 1,000-yard mark for the third consecutive season. He’s also attempting to become the first Bombers’ running back to win three straight rushing titles.
4. Quarterback Chris Streveler continues to show improvement with each start: he rushed for three touchdowns in Montreal — he has 12 rushing scores this year to lead the CFL — while passing for another. Streveler has moved up to the sixth spot among the league’s rushing leaders.
5. The Bombers hope to get more help this week with the return of defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat to the lineup after a six-game absence. Jeffcoat had three sacks in seven games before his injury.
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