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Darryl Dyck / the canadian press archives B.C. coach Mike Benevides: �We�ll be looking for Buck, for sure� (CP)

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VANCOUVER -- The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be without the services of defensive end Jason Vega for their regular-season opener against the B.C. Lions tonight.

Vega did not accompany the team to Vancouver.

Vega had been nursing a leg injury in practice all week, but head coach Paul LaPolice was optimistic he would be able to play. That won't happen now and backup lineman Rodney Fritz is expected to start in his place.

Neither injured running back Chad Simpson nor injured defensive back Deon Beasley made the trip. Offensive tackle Glenn January, who's also been dogged by a nagging injury, did make the trip to Vancouver and said after a light practice at BC Place Thursday that he expects to start tonight -- which LaPolice confirmed.

With January expected to start, backup offensive lineman Justin Sorenson -- who is here just in case -- is expected to be the club's fourth scratch tonight.

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Lions head coach Mike Benevides was asked during his pre-game news conference Thursday if he was rubbing his hands together at the prospect of sending his front seven up against a Bombers offensive line that has the combined total of three CFL starts between tackle Jordan Taormina (0), guard Chris Greaves (3) and centre Chris Kowalczuk (0).

"I rub my hands together about every offensive line," said Benevides, who was the Lions defensive co-ordinator before taking over the head coaching duties from Wally Buono in the off-season. "It doesn't matter -- it's about getting to the quarterback...

"You have to impact the money-maker, you have to impact the biggest player in the game -- the guy who touches the ball every play. We'll be looking for Buck, for sure. He's a good guy."

Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice was also asked on Thursday about the challenge of putting his young and depleted offensive line up against a Lions front seven widely regarded as the best in the league heading into the 2012 season.

"We think this is one of the best fronts they're going to see all year," said LaPolice. "But that's part of facing talent each week...We'll do our best to minimize their strengths and maximize our strengths."

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Just like fans back in Winnipeg, Benevides said he's eager to see the Bombers' offensive scheme dreamed up by co-ordinator Gary Crowton.

The Lions have spent part of the last week going through game film of the LSU Tigers, where Crowton was the offensive co-ordinator from 2007-10, to try and get a feel for what they can expect tonight.

Even so, Crowton's scheme sounds like it remains as much a mystery to Benevides right now as it is to the rest of us.

"Anything we know is pretty much the research that we've done. Throwing the ball -- that's what he likes to do," said Benevides. "They obviously have some new pieces in place and they certainly didn't show a lot in pre-season...

"At the end of the day, if you don't give up the deep ball, you might be OK. But everything we hear about (Crowton) is very positive."

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LaPolice sounded decidedly disinterested when he was asked on Thursday about Geroy Simon's pursuit of Milt Stegall's career yardage record.

"Every organization has their things. We're worried about us more than the B.C. Lions," was the entirety of what LaPolice had to say on the subject.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 29, 2012 C7