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CFL.ca Game Notes: A look at Labour Day Weekend

TORONTO — One of the most anticipated weekends on the CFL schedule is right around the corner as OK Tire Labour Day Weekend gets underway on Friday night.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS and Montreal Alouettes kick off Week 13’s slate of games at Percival Molson Stadium. Montreal returns from their bye week looking for a win, while the REDBLACKS are hot off a victory over the Edmonton Elks last week.

We then jump to Sunday where the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both teams were victorious in Week 12 and each will look to keep that momentum going at Mosaic Stadium. With a win, the Bombers could be the first team this season to secure a spot in the playoffs. Saskatchewan likely wants to spoil that for the visitors.

Monday’s doubleheader features two heated rivals. Things start in Hamilton as the Tiger-Cats welcome the Toronto Argonauts to Tim Hortons Field for the teams’ fourth and final regular season meeting. Toronto leads the season series 2-1 and will hope to win it on Labour Day.

And finally, Labour Day Weekend ends in Calgary as the Battle of Alberta hits the field at McMahon Stadium. The Edmonton Elks are still looking to make some noise in the West Division while the Stampeders eye keeping pace at the top with BC and Winnipeg.

Buy OK Tire Labour Day Weekend Tickets
» Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET: Ottawa at Montreal
» Sunday, 10:00 p.m. ET: Winnipeg at Saskatchewan
» Monday, 1:00 p.m. ET: Toronto at Hamilton
» Monday, 4:30 p.m. ET: Edmonton at Calgary

LDC SPOTLIGHT: OTTAWA AT MONTREAL

  • This will be the 23rd time that Montreal and Ottawa have met in this Labour Day Classic (LDC) series. The 22-game history of the matchup:
    • Series start: Sept. 3, 1949
    • Series tied 11-11
    • 10 games have been decided in the final three minutes
    • Points in the series | Montreal 462 – Ottawa 459
  • In 2021, Montreal won 51-29, with receivers Eugene Lewis (5 rec. 120 yards) and Jake Wieneke (7 rec. 118 yards) each surpassing the 100-yard mark and registering a pair of touchdowns.
  • Trevor Harris has started in the last six Labour Day Weekend matchups for three different clubs, going 3-3; this will be his first for Montreal. In those six games, he has 1,720 passing yards and nine touchdown passes, including four last year against Calgary.
  • Nick Arbuckle has one LDC start – a losing effort with Toronto in 2021.
  • Montreal defensive lineman Almondo Sewell has played in 162 career games with his lone touchdown coming in last year’s LDC via a one-yard rush.

LDC SPOTLIGHT: WINNIPEG AT SASKATCHEWAN

  • This will be the teams’ 58th contest in the holiday series with the Roughriders holding a 37-20 advantage. The two teams will meet three times in the next four weeks.
  • Saskatchewan has taken 14 of the past 16 editions of the LDC with Winnipeg’s victories coming in 2021 (23-8) and 2016 (28-25).
  • Mike O’Shea is 2-5 as a Head Coach in the LDC.
  • Cody Fajardo is 1-1 in the LDC.
  • Of their 57 LDC contests, 31 were decided in the final three minutes.
  • Zach Collaros is 5-0 in the LDC: 3-0 for Hamilton, 1-0 for Saskatchewan and 1-0 for Winnipeg, accumulating 11 touchdown passes to three interceptions, while passing for 300+ yards twice, including a 400+ yard performance in 2015.
  • The teams have followed up the LDC with the Banjo Bowl in the previous 17 seasons. Saskatchewan has swept the series seven times (’08, ’09, ’11, ’12, ’14, ’18), and Winnipeg has taken both games on three occasions (’04, ’16 and ’21).

LDC SPOTLIGHT: TORONTO AT HAMILTON

  • This will be the 51st edition of this East Division LDC. It will be the teams’ final regular season meeting, concluding a stretch of four head-to-head matchups in the past 30 days.
  • With Toronto winning two of the first three games this season, Hamilton needs to win by at least 25 points to own the tiebreaker.
  • Hamilton holds a 36-13-1 grip on the series.
  • Hamilton won nine of the previous ten LDCs with Toronto last winning on September 3, 2012.
  • The Tiger-Cats have yet to lose an LDC at Tim Hortons Field. Their seven-game winning streak is the most in the series (the teams did not play in 2013).
  • Since the 2002 LDC, they have gone down to the final three minutes on 10 occasions. ​
  • In 17 of the past 19 LDCs (since 2002), the team that won the fourth quarter went on to win the game. The two exceptions came in 2017 (Toronto took the fourth 8-7, but Hamilton emerged with a 24-22 victory) and 2021 (Toronto won the fourth 15-7, but lost 32-19).
  • Of the 50 LDCs in the series, 26 have been decided in the final three minutes.
  • Both quarterbacks (Dane Evans and McLeod Bethel Thompson) will make their third LDC start. Evans is 2-0, while MBT is 0-2.
  • Evans has passed for 690 yards and five touchdowns (4 Pass, 1 Rush) in his two LDC starts. His 442 passing yards in the 2019 LDC is his career-high.

LDC SPOTLIGHT: EDMONTON AT CALGARY

  • This will be the 61st LDC played between the provincial rivals. Calgary will play host for the 57th time.
  • Edmonton has a slight LDC edge in the series at 30-29-1.
  • With a 32-20 victory last season, Edmonton snapped Calgary’s eight-game winning streak in the series, ending the longest consecutive run between the two foes.
  • Calgary’s Jake Maier is set for his second LDC start in a row, while Edmonton’s Taylor Cornelius will start his first.
  • Last year, Maier threw for 328 yards on 63 per cent passing, and a touchdown in a losing effort.
  • Calgary’s Dave Dickenson is 4-1 in the LDC, while Edmonton’s Chris Jones is a combined 2-3 as a head coach in LDCs.
  • Since 1989, Calgary and Edmonton have used the LDC to kick off a home-and-home. Calgary has swept the series in nine of the past 14 years. Edmonton’s last sweep was in 2004. The teams split the series last season.

QUICK SLANTS

  • In Ottawa’s first nine games this season, the average start of their drives came at the 37-yardline. Last week with DeVonte Dedmon’s return to the lineup, they started on their 42-yardline, accumulating a total of 75 yards worth of field position.
  • In Winnipeg’s 31-29 victory over Calgary last week,
    • The game was decided in the final three minutes
    • There were four lead changes
    • There were seven touchdowns in 19 possessions with only three two-and-outs – both were CFL bests in 2022
    • Both teams gained more than 400 yards in a game that took just 2:37 to play
    • Winnipeg was successful on 16-of-20 second down conversions – 80 per cent for a CFL record
  • Winnipeg’s Nic Demski’s 117-yard performance in Week 12 was his third career game breaking the 100-yard mark.
  • Vernon Adams Jr. was traded to BC on Wednesday. Career highlights:
    • Seven CFL seasons
    • 29 career starts (17-12)
    • Five games in 2022 with two starts
    • 43 TD passes to 26 interceptions, while adding 19 rushing TDs
    • 6,988 passing yards and 978 rushing yards
  • BC’s Dominique Rhymes leads the league with 893 receiving yards, following an 83-yard effort last week.
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