Ottawa (6-4) @ B.C. (3-6)

Posted September 7, 20186 yr

2018 CFL GAME NOTES WEEK #13 • OTTAWA AT BC LIONS 1. CFL Game #56

Team Notes – Ottawa at BC:

- Taking the lead / BC's Close Encounters: Despite a 3-6 record the Lions have taken the lead in every game thus far including 4 times by 10 or more points. BC has led 4 times going into the final 15:00 but managed only a 2-2 mark in those games.

Since 2016 the Lions have played 14 games that were decided by 4 points or less and are 4-10 in those close contests. From 2013 to 2015 the reverse was true as BC went 9-6 in their 15 games of 4-point margins or smaller.

- Trevor Harris 300+ streak vs BC: Harris has saved his best for BC and has a remarkable streak going. He has started against the Lions 6 times in his career and thrown for 300+ in ALL 6 starts. He has averaged 374 yards per game against BC in his career.

Ottawa 41 & 44 points on the road: The REDBLACKS have scored 44 and 41 points in their last two road games. This two-game streak is the FIRST time that any Ottawa team has ever had 40+ in back-to-back away games. The last CFL team to score 40+ in 3 straight road games was Calgary in 2000 (Jul 14/00 - Aug 10/00).

- When Trevor Harris throws a TD pass: The REDBLACKS are 5-1 .667 this season when Harris connects for a TD pass; when he has not they are just 1-3 .250.

- Manny Arceneaux: The Lions will be without Emmanuel Arceneaux for an extended period for the first time since he missed two games in a row to start 2014. He has been in the lineup for 77 of the last 79 games (Jul 12/14 to Aug 25/18) - therefore BC will be missing his 375 receptions and 45 TDs over that 79-game period. Here is how that adds up:

BC Pass Completions / TD Passes since Jul 12/14: 1,685 116

To Emmanuel Arceneaux: 375 45 (22% of completions, 39% of BC TD passes)

- Lewis Ward 97%: Ward began his career with a 3-for-4 FG performance in the season opener and since then has not missed a FG attempt (though he did miss one conversion). Ward is now 30-for-31 97% with a streak of 27 makes in a row, the longest streak ever made by a 1st Year player and has included 8 makes from 40+ yards.

Overall, his 27 in a row is now #7 all-time in CFL history. Next ahead are 3 players tied at 28 in a row at #4 (Ridgway, Milo & Medlock). With another perfect game and 3 makes this week he can tie Paul McCallum for the 3rd-longest streak in CFL history. His 97% mark is well ahead of the CFL record set by Rene Paredes at 94.7% in 2013 (54-of-57).

Greg Ellingson going for 4 in a row: Ellingson comes in with a run of 3 consecutive 100-yard games and that has given him 19 for his career. The last Ottawa player to have 3 consecutive 100+ games was Chris Williams (Wk #1-3 of 2016). The Ottawa record for most consecutive 100-yard games was set by Gerald Alphin in 1989 at 5 in a row at 100+ (Aug 31/89 - Sep 24/89).

- Last 3 Ottawa vs BC: The REDBLACKS have won the last 3 games vs BC and that is the longest winning run by any Ottawa team over the Lions since 1974 (a 4-game Rough Rider win streak from 1971 to 1974). All three recent Ottawa wins over BC have been by 7 points or less - in fact the last 5 BC-OTT contests have all been decided by margins of 7 or less (average: 5.8 points).

- Since a 4-1 start in 2017: The Lions started last year at 4-1 but since then have been just 6-16 over their most recent 22 games. This is their poorest stretch since a 6-16 record from August 1997 to September 1998. In these most recent 22 games, BC has been much better at home however at 5-6 compared to a 1-10 away record.

- T.J. Lee: Leads the CFL with 10 pass knockdowns, 3 more than any other player and he has had at least one in the last 4 games. He is the only DB that currently leads his team in Defensive Plays (54). All other team leaders are Linebackers.

- High Offence BC-OTT recent games: The last 4 BC-Ottawa games have all seen high performance offence. BC went over 400 yards in all 4 vs the Ottawa defence, while Ottawa has averaged 454 yards vs the BC defensive unit. The 4 games have averaged 59.3 points and all were decided in the last 3:00.

- Ottawa vs the West: The REDBLACKS are the only East Division team with a winning record vs the West in 2018. They are the only Eastern club to have a winning record in any season since 2016 vs the West and can extend that to 4-2 with a win this week in Vancouver. Ottawa has won 2 of their last 3 visits to B.C. Place.

- Ty Long 12-for-12: At home this year, Long has not missed a FG attempt and is 12-of-12. On the road in 2018 he is 9-of-12 75%. Last year, of Long's 5 missed FG attempts 4 were at B.C. Place Stadium where he went 21-of-25. He is now 33-of-37 at home overall.

- Brad Sinopoli 68 catches: Sinopoli had 5 catches last game and is on pace for 122 receptions (122.4) which would challenge Allen Pitts #2 all-time mark from 1994 at 126 and Don Narcisse's 123 in 1995.

- Travis Lulay start #7 in a row: The last time that Travis Lulay started 7 games in a row was the Lions' first 9 games of 2015. Lulay is 2-4 as a starter this year but the 4 defeats have come by slim margins of just 1, 4, 9 & 3 points.

- Richie Leone 5 in a row: Has a unique streak of 5 games in a row with a punt that has pinned the opposition inside their own 10- yard line. His NET punt average is 39.5 yards and he now leads the CFL in that critical measure.

- Ottawa held without a TD: The REDBLACKS did not score on offence last week; that was the third time this season they have failed to score on at least one drive in a game. In 2017, they scored at least once in EVERY game.

- Rainey 3000 yard pace: With 187 yards in BC's last game, Rainey got back onto 3K pace for combined yards and leads the CFL with 1,525 after 9 games. He led the CFL in 2017 with 3,181 yards, the first time that a BC Lion player had ever gone over 3,000 in one year.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________