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New Bombers quarterbacks (from left) Casey Bramlet, Adam DiMichele and Ricky Santos get the once-over from head coach Mike Kelly at Canad Inns Stadium Thursday as running back Daryl Stephenson checks out the action on the field. (JOE.BRYKSA@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

Remember those recess contests where you and your buddies stood around seeing who could deliver the hardest punch to the gut and which third-grader could take one to the belly without flinching? That, in essence, is what Saturday night's professional football game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts will boil down to.

If you're into high-flying offences and aerial attacks, this might not be your cup of tea. If, however, you dig watching offensive linemen and defensive types slugging it out sumo style, well by all means take a seat.

Throw out the complicated passing patterns -- the Bombers' receivers barely know one another's names at this stage, let alone where they all are expected to be on any given play -- and focus on the trench warfare. That is where this decision will be made.

The 3-8 Bombers have lost receiver Terrence Edwards (concussion) and traded away fellow veteran Romby Bryant this week. They'll field a group that features peach-fuzzed Aaron Hargreaves as the longest-serving pass catcher with this organization. Hargreaves has all of seven catches this season and is in his second year with the Bombers.

Can you say run game? The Bombers do have the league's leading rusher in Fred Reid, and with their passing game needing a little seasoning at this point, they'd love nothing more than to be able to lean on Reid.

"Without a question. We have to look at the guys and say, 'Who has the most experience?' " said Bombers running back coach Manny Matsakis. "I think it's critical that Fred Reid has a big game. Regardless of how he's getting it, whether we're running the ball or throwing him screens. Fred Reid, to me, is the best back in the CFL and we have to give him the ball. We have to feed Fred."

Reid has not had a 100-yard rushing game in his last three outings but leads the league with 926 yards on 149 carries.

"We've been working on some things in practice this week and we'll see how it works out," Reid said. "We'll be scratching and clawing. If it's in my hands, I'm going to do my best."

Offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte says getting Reid going is key to the Bombers in any game.

"We want to get the run game in gear. That's the goal every week -- to rush the ball -- but it doesn't always happen like that," LaBatte said. "It's been three weeks without a big one for us, and we're due. Hopefully, we can get the ground game and get Freddy and (Yvenson) Bernard going. Freddy's close to 1,000 yards and we'd like to get him over the hump this weekend."

Bombers head coach Mike Kelly says the Argos present some difficult challenges to his club where the run game is concerned.

"We've shown in a few games this season that when we can run the ball, good things happen for us. But I'm not going to take anything away from that Argonaut front four. They're about as good as there is," Kelly said. "For us, it's being assignment-precise. When we get ourselves into trouble is when we're not assignment-precise."

Reid had just 18 yards on 11 carries against Montreal on Sunday and knows what he needs to do if he wants to hold on to his league rushing lead.

"I need a big game. I want to lead the whole season."

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 25, 2009 C3