The Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats square off on Saturday in a key East Division matchup.
Watch the Ticats vs. Argos LIVE Saturday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on TSN4, the TSN App, and TSN.ca.
Both teams are chasing the surging Montreal Alouettes (9-1), with sole possession of second place on the line when the teams clash at BMO Field tomorrow night.
Argos defensive tackle Ralph Holley says the team is well aware of the magnitude of Saturday’s tilt.
“Oh yeah, this is a very important game, but we prepare the same way we prepare for any game. We know the importance of this game, and we know what needs to be done,” Holley said on TSN Radio on Friday. “[Tre] Ford is a great quarterback. It’s going to be our job to contain them and to apply pressure and make him make decisions he doesn’t want to make.
“Preparation has been the same with a little more emphasis just on getting home and getting to the quarterback on the defensive side of the ball.”
Quarterback Tre Ford received the first-team reps at Ticats’ practice on Tuesday, while Harrison Frost was in pads but was not a full participant. Frost sustained an upper-body injury in Hamilton’s Week 11 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Ford looked poised in relief, throwing for 151 yards and a touchdown in the victory.
The dual-threat QB has also added 270 rushing yards on 25 carries this season for a career-high 10.8 yards per carry.
Despite vastly different styles between the two Ticats QBs, Holley says the Argos defence is prepared for whomever is under centre this weekend.
“We prepare for both quarterbacks. At the end of the day, as a defensive unit, our goal is to hit the quarterback regardless of who it is,” said Holley. “So if it’s Ford or not, it’s fine. We prepared thoroughly for each quarterback, no matter what situation. Our job is just to deliver how we can.”
It was later confirmed that Ford would get the start on Saturday.
Toronto (4-5) currently sits second in the East, just ahead of Hamilton (4-6), but is in desperate need of a bounce-back performance on Saturday, as they are coming off a 42-12 blowout loss to the Edmonton Elks.
The loss snapped the Argonauts’ two-game winning streak and put the Ticats within striking distance in the division.
“One thing that [defensive coordinator] Greg Quick always stresses is that regardless of whether we win or lose, it’s all about ‘How do we get better?’” Said Holley. “Either way. We flip the switch after 24 hours, and we go on to the next game.”
Saturday will be the second game at BMO Field for the Argos this season after being displaced for the first two months of the season due to the FIFA World Cup.
After beating the Calgary Stampeders 33-30 two weeks ago in their ‘home opener’, Holley says the home atmosphere will continue to play a big part in the Argos success for the rest of the season.
“It’s gonna play a huge part. We’ve been in Guelph for about two months now, and the first home game in that atmosphere was absolutely insane. I always say, there’s no fans like Argonaut fans,” said Holley. “It’s gonna be a huge help to have our 13th man up in the stadium.”
