The past ten years have seen the two teams fairly evenly matched, with Edmonton having six to the Stamps' four victories. For the past seven years, neither team has won the game more than twice in a row, and the Stamps were victorious last season, defeating Edmonton 32-8. So, what does this year's contest look like? Can the Stampeders repeat as Labour Day champions?
Calgary enters the game with the league's best record at 7-1 and have been ranked number one in the CFL for the past two weeks by most pundits. Winning their last two games by scoring a combined 104 points would lead one to believe this team to be an offensive powerhouse; however it is the defence that tells the story of the Stamps' success so far this season. After 8 games, the Stamps lead the league in almost every defensive category and have been shutting down both the rush and the pass better than any other team. They've also had the most sacks, the fewest first downs allowed, and most importantly the fewest points per game allowed. The defensive numbers are nothing short of outstanding. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the offensive isn't playing too bad either, leading the league in points, TD's and rushing yards.
Now to the Eskimos. Their season hasn't been so great, as they arrive at Labour Day sporting a 2-6 record, after a stunning upset of the less than stellar Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Eskimos' offensive numbers are, simply put, average, finishing in the middle of the pact in nearly every offensive category. They don't really excel anywhere, but neither do they fail miserably anywhere either. Their defensive numbers tell a different story however. While they protect against the pass fairly well, Edmonton's defence is practically non-existent against the rush; which doesn't bode well facing the league's best rushing team. The Esks have allowed more yards rushing, more TD's rushing, and more 1st downs rushing than any other team, and by a healthy margin.
From almost every angle, this game is setting up to be a blood bath, pitting the best and worst of the same discipline against each other. With the offense rolling the past two games, the Stampeders have a chance to really stick it to the Eskimos with a dominating performance. The record for most points in a Labour Day game is currently held by the Stamps, who beat Edmonton 51-26 in 1995. If the weather stays dry, and Coach Hufnagel lets 'em go wild, the Stamps will break this record, and score over 55 points. I also think they're going to win this game by more than four scores. You heard it here first!
From there, the Stamps head up to the Provincial capital to do it all over again. While I'm confident the hometown heroes will again be victorious, this affair might not be quite so lopsided. No matter the score, I predict the Stamps will face off against Saskatchewan on September 17th with a 9-1 record and a stranglehold on 1st place in the West. Should be fun this fall at McMahon stadium.
-TheRev
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