THIS WEEK IN THE CFL – WEEK 6

Stats and storylines heading into this week’s action

EAST COAST CLASSIC

• Saturday’s game mark the fifth installment of Touchdown Atlantic and the first since 2019.
• The 2022 edition will represent the first-ever regular season game played in Nova Scotia.
• History of TDA
  • September 26, 2010 | EDM 24 – TOR 6 | Box score
  • September 25, 2011 | CGY 36 – HAM 55 | Box score
  • September 21, 2013 | MTL 26 – HAM 28 | Box score
  • August 25, 2019 | MTL 28 – TOR 22 | Box score
• The first four TDAs averaged 56 points
• Atlantic Canada Connections
  • SSK | K | Brett Lauther | Born in Truro, N.S.; played collegiately at Saint Mary’s
  • TOR | OL | Gregor Mackellar | Born in Timberlea, N.S.; played collegiately at St. FX
  • TOR | LB | Henoc Muamba | Played collegiately at St. FX
• Notable past performances
  • Passing
    • Kevin Glenn (2011 – HAM): 16-of-23, 276 yards, 3 TDs
    • Josh Neiswander (2013 – MTL) 26-of-36, 294 yards, 2 TDs
    • McLeod Bethel-Thompson (2019 – TOR) 36-of-47, 464 yards, 2 TDs
  • Rushing
    • Jon Cornish (2011 – CGY) 9 car, 84 yards
    • Avon Cobourne (2011 – HAM) 15 car, 84 yards, TD
    • Calvin McCarty (2010 – EDM) 10 car, 84 yards, 2 TDs
  • Receiving
    • Marcus Thigpen (2011 – HAM) 6 rec, 139 yards, 2 TDs
    • Duron Carter (2013 – MTL) 9 rec, 112 yards
    • Rodney Smith (2019 – TOR) 12 rec, 136 yards
  • Defence:
    • Elliot Richardson (2010 – EDM) 4 DT, 2 INTs, 1 FF
    • Chip Cox (2013 – MTL) 8 DT, 2 sacks, 1 INT
    • Kevin Eiben (2010 – TOR) 9 DT

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

• Friday night’s game between Calgary and Winnipeg features the second-best combined record among undefeated teams, Stampeders (4-0) and Blue Bombers (5-0) – behind only Hamilton (4-0) and Edmonton (7-0) on September 11, 1961.
• Both QBs are on winning streaks: Bo Levi Mitchell at seven games; Zach Collaros at five
• Mitchell is 5-3 in head-to-head matchups with Collaros
• Mitchell against the Blue Bombers:
  • 12-3 record
  • 30 TDs to 9 INTs
  • 10 of his 37 300-yard games have come against Winnipeg
• Week 5 Top Performer Zach Collaros is on a streak of 10-0 at IG Field

A RETURN TO THE SIDELINES

• Newly minted head coach Danny Maciocia will welcome his former team, the Edmonton Elks, to Montreal.
• Maciocia coached Edmonton from 2005-08, compiling a regular season record of 33-38-1
• In 2005, Edmonton finished third in the West (11-7), before defeating Calgary and BC to reach the 93^rd Grey Cup. Edmonton beat Montreal 38-35 in overtime to claim the championship.
• As a head coach, Maciocia is 3-1 in the playoffs
• The last five head coaches to take over following an in-season change all won their first games

QUICK SLANTS

• Teams coming off a bye this year are 3-1. Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal are all coming off a week’s rest. Toronto has already won off a bye this year.
• Taylor Cornelius will make his first career start against Montreal. He has yet to face BC.
• Manny Arceneaux leads the Elks in receiving yards with 296 (15.4 yards per catch) on 19 receptions. Teammate Kenny Lawler leads the league with 26 receptions.
• Trevor Harris will be making his first start against his former team – Edmonton
• Chandler Worthy has the opportunity to become the first player-ever to return a kickoff for a touchdown in three straight games
• Bo Levi Mitchell has a TD pass in each game this year and last week, recorded a passer rating of 149.6 – his highest in four years.
• Malik Henry has 323 receiving yards in his last two games, averaging 26.9 yards per reception
• Zach Collaros needs 210 passing yards to pass John Hufnagel for 31^st on the all-time list
• The Riders have not started 5-1 since 2013 – the last time they won the Grey Cup
• Charleston Hughes sits sixth all-time in sacks (133). John Bowman is fifth with 134, and Joe Montford is fourth with 135
• Nick Marshall has 14 career interceptions in 49 games, with five returned for majors (35.7 per cent). He is second only to Malcolm Frank, who had 21 interceptions and eight scores (38.1 per cent).
• In the last five seasons, Toronto has played in 12 one-point games (8-4)
• In his last game, Andrew Harris rushed for 111 yards on 22 carries (5 yards per rush). It was his 28^th career 100+ yard rushing game, tying him with Earl Lunsford for seventh all-time.
• Last week, Ottawa’s William Powell (4,774) passed Reggie Barnes to move into the Top-50 on the all-time rushing list. He needs 30 more to pass CJ Gabe for 49^th.
• Hamilton’s Tim White has averaged 97 receiving yards in his last three games on a league-high 22 catches.
• Jovan Santos-Knox and Wynton McManis are the only two players in the league to have registered at least six tackles in each game this season.