Game day: 5 story lines

By: Adam Wazny Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Saturday, Sep. 3, 2011

Five things to look for when the Blue Bombers face the Roughriders Sunday afternoon:

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Five things to look for when the Blue Bombers face the Roughriders Sunday afternoon:

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/09/2011 (5462 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five things to look for when the Blue Bombers face the Roughriders Sunday afternoon:

1. The Kito Poblah reset

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES
Bombers wideout Kito Poblah is finally seeing some sunny skies after being injured early in the season. — RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Bombers wideout Kito Poblah is finally seeing some sunny skies after being injured early in the season.

The rookie Canadian receiver has seen loads of time with the first-team offence this week and is expected to be in the starting lineup, bumping Aaron Hargreaves into a backup role.

Despite those optics, mum’s the word on Poblah’s status around the team. Know this, though: There is no hesitation to mess with the lineup if the coaches feel it will make the team better. “We don’t make a change just to make a change,” head coach Paul LaPolice said.

“We make a change to get somebody (in) we feel can help us improve.”

It will be the second time in two weeks the Bombers have swapped out receivers. Last week, Greg Carr replaced Terence Jeffers-Harris as a starter.

2. Miller High Life

Is it realistic to think that Ken Miller can come down from the front office and teach the Riders a winning formula in two weeks? No, of course not, but that doesn’t mean that’s what the expectation will be in Regina.

Here’s what doesn’t make sense about the firing of Greg Marshall and Doug Berry (who was the offensive co-ordinator): It doesn’t change the fact the Riders are an aging club that has lost 11 of its last 13 regular-season games, nor does it do anything to address Saskatchewan’s poor defence.

Bringing back an old face is a nice story.

The over/under on the Miller cutaways during the TSN broadcast is set at two dozen.

3. Backfield barbecue

Winnipeg sits in second spot in yards rushing (834), while Saskatchewan is fifth (752).

After running for 96 yards against Edmonton, Bombers RB Fred Reid has put up just 80 yards in the last two games. He is long overdue for a breakout game and the Riders run defence is near the bottom of the league.

On the other sideline, the Riders welcome RB Wes Cates back. He missed four games with an ankle injury. For a team with just one win and a new (old) coaching staff, getting familiar pieces back can only be considered a good thing.

4. Keep the focus

The Bombers, specifically the defence, have done a fine job walking the line between excessive exuberance (and avoiding penalties) and playful showmanship this season.

Regina is a different stage, though, one where the crowd is as much of the experience as the game itself. “They’re right on you, right away,” linebacker Clint Kent said. “And they don’t stop.”

The flatter the land, the higher the emotions: Controlling those feelings will be the trick for Winnipeg.

5. Five final questions

Will Winnipeg QB Buck Pierce wear elbow pads? Does a win salvage the season for Saskatchewan? Which scribe will write how the Riders are “green with envy” over the Bombers’ success? Is Pilsner the right drink to serve with watermelon? Has Gainer the Gopher gone underground yet?

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca