Short on defensive backs, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are set to play wide receiver Duron Carter exclusively at cornerback on Thursday night. He'll have the assignment of covering Ottawa Redblacks All-Star wide receiver Greg Ellingson.

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Carter is no stranger to playing on the defensive side of the ball. He saw time at corner last season and had a pick-six against the Calgary Stampeders late in the year. This will be the first time, however, that Carter has seen full-time duty at the position.

"I'm definitely more comfortable in my fundamentals," Carter told TSN this week. "(I've been) working with (defensive backs coach Jason) Shivers to work on my DB technique in a sense because last year I was just out there covering guys. I was really playing receiver. I wouldn't cover them, I'd just wait until they'd run past me and I'd run with them. This year, it's just more about being focused and being sort of like a strong link in the defence, to where me and Ed Gainey when we're out there, nothing happens to that side. We can run anything because coach is confident in us."

Carter's move to the defensive side of the ball comes after starting cornerback Nick Marshall was placed on the six-game injury list due a finger injury that is expected to require surgery. Marshall returned an interception for a touchdown in the Riders' Week 1 win over the Toronto Argonauts, while Carter had three receptions for 36 yards at wide receiver.

Never shy, Carter had no trouble finding a comparison for his matchup against Ellingson on Thursday night. Fittingly, Ellingson ranked seventh in TSN's Top Players ranking prior to this season while Carter finished one spot behind him in eighth.

"I don't want to talk too much and then get out there and he goes and catches one on me deep," Carter said. "But, it's like an Ali - Joe Louis fight. It's gonna be a big battle. Anytime he's out there, I know it's going to him. I gotta be ready. He goes up for it, I'm definitely going up for it. I want to be the best and those situations, when they throw it up there, those are opportunities to show you're the best."

Ellingson, however, wasn’t buying into the hype ahead of the matchup.

"I don't really look at the person I'm against as being an individual I need to be better than. I'm trying to be best on every play no matter who I'm matched up against," Ellingson said. "It's good for TV and media to match two guys up against each other, but I don't really care who's across from me. I'm going to try to make a play."

Ellingson also argued that he may not see as much of Carter as some might think, though he couldn't resist adding a little fuel to the fire.

"It's the kind of offence where I'll be put around everywhere, so I'll have a matchup with a lot of the guys on that defence," Ellingson said. "I don't see it as me versus him. I mean, if anything it'd probably be Spence (Diontae Spencer), cause he's more to the boundary at that X position, but I'll be over there a bit to have a little fun."