Friday night’s game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Elks at Tim Hortons Field is a far cry from the proverbial unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.
Both Canadian Football League clubs have started the season with an 0-3 record and occupy the basement of the East and West Divisions.
The Pregame Show on 900 CHML begins at 6:30 p.m. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. and you can listen to the action on 900 CHML radio. A half-hour after the final whistle, catch The 5th Quarter postgame show on CHML, 900chml.com and on CHML’s Facebook page.
Hamilton has been outscored 89-55 in their three losses, and it is even more lopsided in Edmonton where the Elks have been outpointed this season 115-54, including a 59-15 defeat in their season opening game in B.C.
“Is this the way we want to start? Are we going to brush it under the rug and act like it hasn’t happened? Of course not,” said Ticats head coach Orlondo Steinauer.
The Tiger-Cats have made a handful of roster changes in advance of their first and only meeting against Edmonton in 2022, highlighted by a revamped offensive line.
Days after he was acquired in a trade with the Elks, Colin Kelly will start at left tackle for the Tiger-Cats while all-star left guard Brandon Revenberg is back from the injured list.
Left guard Coulter Woodmansey replaces Travis Vornkahl at right guard while Jesse Gibbon and veteran Chris Van Zeyl remain at centre and right tackle respectively.
One other key change brings Wes Hills onto the roster to start at running back for the first time in his CFL career in place of Canadian Sean Thomas Erlington.
“We haven’t played our best football,” said Steinauer. “At times we have, in spurts, but it’s gotta be consistent.”
Edmonton is also making a roster change and it’s a major one – rookie quarterback Tre Ford will make his first career start in place of the ineffective Nick Arbuckle.
In his first season with the Elks, Arbuckle has thrown for 795 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions.
The 24-year-old University of Waterloo star has appeared in all three games for the Elks but has completed one of three pass attempts for eight yards and has thrown an interception.
3 quick stats:
Friday’s game marks the 99th regular season game between Hamilton and Edmonton with the Elks holding the all-time edge with a record of 59-39-1. Hamilton has won five straight games against Edmonton.
Hamilton and Edmonton enter their Week 4 matchup having the two worst rushing offences in the league. The Ticats have averaged 44 yards per game on the ground which is dead last. The Elks rank eighth in the league with 54.3 rush yards a game.
The Tiger-Cats are second best in the CFL with an average field position of their own 42 yard line, including eight drive starts in opponent territory. Edmonton’s average drive start is their own 35, the third worst in the league.
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