After sweating in power practices under a morning sun all week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will endure a different kind of perspiration-inducing situation Saturday afternoon.
Game Day. Real Game, that is. OK, it’s a preseason game but the hitting and tackling will be real and so will the need to impress the ever-constant oversight of the coaching staff and the unforgiving whirr of the game film.
The Ottawa Redblacks will leave a number of their top players—including four starting receivers and two startling linebackers— but they’ll have a lot of players trying to prove themselves and starting quarterback Dru Brown will open the game under centre.
“We’re going to play against whoever laces them up,” Milanovich said after the day-before walk-through practice at McMaster “We’re still trying to build an identity. I’m anxious to see how physical we are.
“I’m looking for guys to be assignment-sound, play physical, play smart. Guys to be out there going after it, not being hesitant; being confident in their assignments and showing what they can do. This is a big opportunity for guys to show that they belong.”
Because the Ticats are on the road in Guelph against the Argos next weekend, then leave for the season-opener in Calgary just half-week after that one, Milanovich will begin Saturday’s game here with several known starters and those leading the race for starting jobs. They’ll play for the first half, and maybe a bit less.
That includes Bo Levi Mitchell at quarterback, with Taylor Powell taking over after Milanovich has seen what he needs to see about his No. 1, which is mostly about footwork, decision-making and moving the yardage sticks toward the end zone.
Mitchell says he’s excited about the return to action, would like to get tackled early to move him out of training camp mode and into the game and offered Ticats Today his thoughts on what he’s looking to extract from his receivers, and himself, on Saturday.
“Everything is process-driven,” Mitchell said. “You have to make sure the process looks good, that guys understand their assignments, alignments, technique …. everything. Get out there and execute; if there’s drops, there’s drops. Certain mistakes are OK. We don’t want to see a bunch of mistakes, glaring mistakes, on things that we learned on Day 1. We want to see guys who—if they’ve made those mistakes in training camp on Day 1 — they’re fixing them right here.
“Personally, my focus is good feet. Getting the ball out early, getting the ball out when I need to and making sure I’m making the right reads.”
There are a number of interesting competitions for jobs that the more hardcore Ticat fans will be studying, including at both offensive tackles, where American newcomers Quinton Barrow and Brendan Bordner will start and returnees Kendrick Sartor and Brandon Kemp will be right behind them. The defensive secondary offers a deep and varied competition, so fans should keep their eyes on David Vereen who will start, as well as veteran Lawrence Woods III and new Cats Mark Milton and Shakur Brown. Two new linebackers, Ray Wilborn and Destin Talbert, will flank middle linebacker Kyle Wilson, and there are a whopping 13 defensive linemen dressed, although a couple who’ll start, Casey Sayles and Brandon Barlow, are locks to make, and lead, the team.
There’s also the punting competition between Bailey Flint and Kaare Vedvik, both strong-legged and both returnees.
At receiver, check out newcomers such as big rookie Shemar Bridges, who has been very impressive all week and will start on the boundary side and wide receiver Kaylon Geiger, who’s had a great week and will also start. And focus on the progress of 6-foo-6 T.J. Vasher and tight ends Michael Ezeike and Jevoni Robinson.
Be the first to comment