mcdonald@sask.UUCP (Shane McDonald) (09/26/84)
[Funny message goes here.] Things are getting interesting as the playoffs get nearer. Ottawa 32 Edmonton 23 Running back Tim McCray was Ottawa's main scoring weapon, running for 213 yards on the ground and catching two passes for 37 more yards. He scored TDs on one-yard runs in the third and fourth quarters, and on a 64-yard romp on Ottawa's last offensive series of the game. Hamilton 29 Calgary 26 DB Felix Wright returned an intercepted Greg Vavra pass 26 yards for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter to spur a Hamilton rally from a 23-7 deficit. Calgary dominated most of the game, with a total offense of 366 yards to Hamilton's 166, but were shut down in the last quarter. Saskatchewan 37 B.C. 28 Homer Jordan came off the bench for an injured Joe Paopao to lead Saskatchewan past 2nd-place B.C. Jordan was 10-17 for 171 yards and 2 TDs, and ran for another 55 yards on 5 carries. Ron Robinson caught 7 passes for 171 yards in a losing cause. Montreal 14 Winnipeg 14 Nick Arakgi scored on an 82-yard reception, and Don Sweet kicked his 300th (and 301st) field goal of his career for Montreal. Willard Reaves led Winnipeg with 143 yards on 24 carries, but DB David Shaw scored their only TD on a 35-yard interception return of a Turner Gill pass. This Week's Games B.C. at Edmonton Montreal at Calgary Winnipeg at Toronto Ottawa at Saskatchewan Standings are now: East W L T Pts. Toronto 7 4 0 14 Montreal 4 6 1 9 Ottawa 4 8 0 8 Hamilton 3 8 1 7 West W L T Pts. Winnipeg 9 2 1 18 B.C. 8 3 0 16 Edmonton 6 5 0 12 Calgary 5 7 0 10 Saskatchewan 4 7 1 9 Everything below here is opinion, and may not represent actual fact! Saskatchewan can't be ruled out yet! They've now won two games in a row (maybe not impressive to any one else, but to Rider fans it sure is), and the key thing to note here is that this week they made no roster changes - the first time in 2 years. GM John Herrera has kept a swinging door policy, and now it appears that he's got the team he's been looking for. Saskatchewan plays an exciting game of football now, and they've got the talent and depth to make the playoffs. I am sure they won't end up in the cellar this year, being only one point behind a weak Calgary team. They've got a shot at an equally weak Edmonton team, who they are only three points behind, but Edmonton has a game at hand. I don't know too much about putting the single into the NFL (ok, ok, it's probably a dumb idea - the endzones are too darn small), but I think the CFL should consider the faircatch. Our present rule is that the punt returner must be given a 5-yard restraining zone, and any infringement on that zone when he catches the ball results in a 15-yard penalty. Sure, it prevents guys getting smoked like Leon "the Neon" Bright for the NY Giants, but if the kicker blows the punt and creams one of the linemen in the head, or puts it straight up, besides penalizing themselves with the bad punt, they'll more than likely get the 15-yard penalty. Any opinions? Shane McDonald (sask!mcdonald)