Desperate Redblacks will start No. 4 QB against Bombers

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This article was published 13/07/2023 (844 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The news from Ottawa this week puts the Redblacks in a very tough spot.

Quarterback Dustin Crum, who started the regular season fourth on the club’s depth chart, has been elevated to starter for Saturday afternoon’s showdown with the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers at TD Place.

The 24-year-old from Grafton, Ohio, will be getting his first CFL start after replacing an injured Jeremiah Masoli last week.

With Masoli and No. 3 man Tyrie Adams both gone for the season, Crum has leapfrogged No. 2 man Nick Arbuckle into the top spot.

Crum lost a fumble and tossed a pair of interceptions in his relief performance — a 21-13 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Facing an inexperienced QB should be a tantalizing prospect for Winnipeg defenders such as safety Brandon Alexander.

“We’ve got to just execute as much as we can,” said Alexander following Thursday’s closed practice at IG Field. “We know all their quarterbacks can run a little bit and they’ve got the same offence. There may be different people (behind centre) but in terms of their offence, it’s the same. So we just work our game plan and go at it.”

Plotting a game plan for a quarterback so new to the league may not be very predictable.

“You just kind of wonder how they’re going to call the game — not so much what he does,” said Bombers defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall.

“What are they going to do? What does he feel most comfortable with? (There’s) a difference going into the game… versus having a week to prepare, where it’s tailor-made to do what he does and what he feels confident (with).”

Hall’s defence has performed well in the last two games and boundary cornerback Demerio Houston has been a major part of that success story.

Houston had a key late interception against Calgary in Week 5, helping to close out a 24-11 win over the Stampeders at IG Field.

His three interception are tied for top spot in the league with Robertson Daniel of the Toronto Argonauts and Ciante Evans of the Montreal Alouettes.

“I feel like I’m on a good track,” said Houston. “Last year I know I dropped some opportunities so I’m actually proud of myself for taking advantage of my opportunities and getting some interceptions. But I’m not satisfied. My goal is to lead the team and league interceptions and until I reach that goal, I’m not satisfied.”

Houston had two interceptions and 27 tackles in nine starts last season but he also remembers the five sure-fire interceptions he figures he dropped. An injury knocked him out of the lineup in 2022 but this season he has ably filled a void left by an injury to veteran Winston Rose.

“Last year when I got injured, it kind of like threw off my confidence but I feel like I’m getting it back,” said Houston. “I’m definitely confident, definitely comfortable at the boundary.”

Head coach Mike O’Shea can’t get enough of Houston’s hard-nosed, aggressive approach to defending.

“He gets there,” said O’Shea. “In football you’re rewarded if you get to the football. He makes a lot of tackles because he gets to the football — more often than other guys do. Being in the middle helps obviously but the guys across the league, across any football League, the guys that are always getting to the football are always getting rewarded.”

Alexander is quick to credit the chemistry that Houston and teammate Deatrick Nichol, a two-time CFL all-star, have been able to develop.

“To be honest, when you’ve got a guy like Deatrick Nichol right next to him and being able to communicate with him every play you know, that guy’s a heck of a player,” said Alexander. “When you’ve got that guy over there along with (Houston), those two guys are really good over there.”

GROUND GAME

Fourth-year Bombers running back Brady Oliviera leads the CFL with 400 rushing yards on 77 carries and appears to be well on his way to exceeding a career-best 1,001 yards on 202 carries that he established in 2022.

“I think it says a lot about this team, this offence, offensive line (and) the great work that they’re doing allow me to get those yards and I think it says a lot about, you know, my game and my improvements from last year to this year,” said Oliviera.

“It’s exciting but I mean, ultimately that’s not the end goal for us. Not for me either. And I’ve said it multiple times. I want to be available every single week, every single game and I owe it to my teammates to go out there and help this team win football game… If I can manage to do that again this year — play all 18 games — I think the rest will take care of itself at the end of the year.”

Oliviera said experience have helped his development.

“I think every single game I just continue to evolve as a football player, as a running back,” added Oliviera. “My IQ is growing. I’m able to play a lot a lot faster, the game slowing down for me and I think it’s all because of games. The more reps and touches I get, the better… running back I’m becoming.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14