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Canadian Press
11/5/2006 9:20:24 AM
CALGARY (CP) - The Calgary Stampeders have a playoff demon to exorcise Sunday in the CFL West Division semifinal against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
A spectacular collapse in the same game last year to the underdog Edmonton Eskimos has haunted the Stamps.
Calgary led 23-9 after the first half only to turn the ball over six times and manage just a field goal in the second half of a 33-26 loss to the Esks, who went on to win the Grey Cup.
The Stamps (10-8) are again the favourites in the Scotiabank West Semifinal against the Roughriders (8-8). The winner heads to Vancouver for the West final Nov. 12 against the B.C. Lions.
But the semifinal represents a hurdle for the Stamps because of last year's disappointment and also because the club hasn't made it past this game since its Grey Cup win in 2001.
"This is an opportunity for this organization, for this team, to get over that hump we didn't succeed at last year," Stampeders quarterback Henry Burris said Saturday.
"Really, for this organization, it would mean a lot. It shows progress and that's something that we want to continue to do and not regress."
The Stampeders expected the game at McMahon Stadium to be sold out by kickoff and the forecast is for sun and a high of 10 C.
A large Saskatchewan continent is expected at the game because of the many ex-pats living in the Calgary area. It wasn't players trash-talking that provided pre-game buzz, but a mascot controversy.
Gainer the Gopher claimed the Stampeders wouldn't allow him entry to the game, while Calgary countered that the Saskatchewan mascot could lead cheers from the stands, but not the field.
Calgary is coming off a bye week, but Saskatchewan is no worse for wear after resting most of its starters, including quarterback Kerry Joseph, in a meaningless 20-18 loss to Edmonton to conclude the regular season.
Joseph will play his first CFL playoff game Sunday after three seasons of missing the post-season with Ottawa.
"He's ready," declared Roughriders head coach Danny Barrett. "He has the comfort of a coach who has played in these games before. We've had some good chats."
But Stamps defensive end Demetrious Maxie believes Joseph is vulnerable because of a lingering right knee injury.
"He has a bad wheel and we have to take advantage of his bad leg and stay on top of him," Maxie said. "He's going to have a lot of heat on him this game."
Burris is 2-1 in career playoff games and, ironically, those two victories were with Saskatchewan in 2004, when he led the Roughriders to the Western final before joining the Stamps the following season.
He's had an inconsistent 2006 with Calgary, but when he's on his game and gets protection from his line, he effectively uses receivers Jeremaine Copeland, Nik Lewis, Elijah Thurmon and Ken-Yon Rambo and running backs Wes Cates and Joffrey Reynolds to pick apart a defence.
Calgary will need some tricks Sunday to spring Reynolds, the league's leading rusher, as Saskatchewan is the best in the CFL at stopping the run.
And Burris can expect pressure on the pass as the Roughriders are second in the league in sacks, led by Fred Perry with 14.
Burris, 31, is anxious to distinguish himself as a quarterback who can win championships.
"Until I'm able to reach that level of Danny McManus and Jeff Garcia, being Grey Cup champion quarterbacks, then I would never put myself up there," he said. "Here is an opportunity for me to get myself individually and our team one step closer to reaching our destiny."
The Stamps have the edge in the kicking game with Sandro DeAngelis, a finalist for the CFL's special-teams player award. He led the CFL in scoring with 214 points, including a club-record 56 field goals on 65 attempts.
"Sandro has now proven to be a clutch player," Stamps head coach Tom Higgins said. Calgary punter Burke Dales is averaging 45.5 yards.
Saskatchewan counterpart Luca Congi, also making his CFL playoff debut, has hit an admirable 86.4 per cent of his field goals, but averages only 38 yards a punt.
For Barrett, the speculation has been that his days as head coach of the Roughriders are numbered following the firing of general manager Roy Shivers midway through this season.
"Does it make a difference this game? No," Barrett said. "Everyone wants to talk about my future. One thing about Danny Barrett, I never worried about a job. I never asked my players to play for my job." Notes: Calgary was 2-1 against Saskatchewan in their season series, including a 23-7 win in their last meeting at McMahon on Aug. 5. ... The Stampeders and Roughriders are meeting in the Western semifinal for the first time since 1997, when Saskatchewan edged Calgary 33-30 ... Calgary lost three of its last four regular-season games while Regina won two of its last three ... The Stampeders are 8-1 at McMahon Stadium, while the Roughriders are 3-6 on the road.
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