By Dan Ralph Jackson to sub for ailing Ray when Argos visit Winnipeg

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Chris Young / the canadian press archives Toronto QB Ricky Ray will miss his next start on Friday against Winnipeg due to a sprained MCL in his left knee. (CP)

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- It's been quite a stretch between CFL starts for Jarious Jackson.

The former Notre Dame star will be under centre Saturday when the Toronto Argonauts visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Incumbent Ricky Ray will miss the contest due to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee suffered in Sunday's 31-10 road loss in Montreal.

Toronto signed Jackson, who spent seven seasons in B.C., as a free agent in February as insurance in case Ray was hurt.

Jackson has a 14-8 career record but will make his first CFL start since Aug. 12, 2010 when he completed 18-of-31 passes for 194 yards and two interceptions for B.C. in a 37-13 road loss to Saskatchewan.

"I feel fine, I feel normal, I feel great," Jackson said after practising with the first unit Tuesday. "I don't know how much different it (Argos offence with him under centre) is going to be.

"We still have some of the same plays, the same reads. I'm sure we'll have a few wrinkles here and there like most teams do but for the most part we're running coach's offence."

Fortunately for Toronto, Ray won't require surgery. Argos head coach Scott Milanovich hopes to have his starter back in the lineup Oct. 8 when Toronto hosts the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

"This is why we brought (Jackson) here, for this type of situation exactly," Milanovich said. "The positive thing is he basically played an entire game last week.

"It would've been tougher on Jarious had this happened to Ricky late in the fourth quarter. He got a whole game's worth of snaps and we kept him in for one extra series just so he could get some no-huddle and get some experience in a three-minute type of drill. He's locked in (Tuesday) like it's game day so I expect him to do well."

Ray started in Montreal and was 3-of-4 passing for 30 yards before leaving in the first quarter. Jackson, 35, came in and finished 15-of-31 passing for 198 yards with an interception.

The six-foot-one, 232-pound Jackson brings a different skillset to Toronto's offence than Ray. The former Notre Dame star is more mobile and can use that ability to escape pressure and either buy his receivers more time or take off himself upfield.

Ray, 32, sports a solid 5.3-yard rushing average this season but has only run 15 times this season. He's a much more accomplished passer, standing third overall among CFL quarterbacks with 3,371 yards and tops with a 68.3 per cent completion average.

But Milanovich wouldn't divulge how different Toronto's offence would be with Jackson under centre.

"I'm not going to help (Bombers head coach) Tim Burke any more than I have to," Milanovich said. "He's going to have to wait until Saturday to find out what we do or don't do differently.

"There's nobody quite like Ricky. Jarious has different skills, he's got some more mobility, has a stronger arm and does some things differently. He's a different type of leader I think our guys will respond to."

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 26, 2012 C4