TORONTO — Justin McInnis and Brady Oliveira are trying to accomplish something together that has never happened before.
The National duo is looking to become the first pair of Canadians to lead the league in both receiving and rushing yards on the same season.
McInnis leads all receivers with 1,363 receiving yards as the Lions prepare for their regular season finale against Montreal. Oliveira meanwhile tops all running backs with 1,318 rushing yards.
Can the duo keep up the pace over the last two weeks to complete this historic feat? CFL.ca brings you this week’s Game Notes.
RELATED
» Visit the Game Zone and play Pick ‘Em presented by Old Dutch
» Weekly Predictor: All aboard with the Argonauts
» CFL Simulation: Argos, Riders, climbing
» Costabile: 3 storylines to watch in Week 20
» Sign up and watch CFL games on CFL+ in the U.S. and Internationally
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
- BC’s Justin McInnis from Pierrefonds, Que., leads the league with 1,363 receiving yards as the Lions prepare for their regular season finale against Montreal.
- Andy Fantuz was the last Canadian to top the CFL in receiving yards (1,380 in 2010).
- No Canadian has reached the 1,400-mark in a single season since Dave Sapunjis led the league with 1,655 in 1995.
- McInnis needs 29 yards to enter the Top-10 receiving yard seasons by a Canadian. He currently sits 13th.
- Top receiving yard seasons by a Canadian
- 1967 | CGY | Terry Evanshen | 1,662 yards
- 1995 | CGY | Dave Sapunjis | 1,655
- 1994 | WPG | Gerald Wilcox | 1,624
- 2003 | MTL | Ben Cahoon | 1,561
- 1991 | BC | Matt Clark | 1,530
- 1990 | SSK | Ray Elgaard | 1,494
- 1993 | CGY | Dave Sapunjis | 1,484
- 1992 | SSK | Ray Elgaard | 1,444
- 1993 | SSK | Ray Elgaard | 1,393
- 1993 | SSK | Jeff Fairholm | 1,391
- Brady Oliveira leads the league with 1,318 rushing yards. There has never been a season where Canadians have led in both receiving and rushing yards.
QUICK SLANTS
League-Wide
- The top six defensive teams have made the playoffs (fewest yards and points allowed), but the top offensive teams will not take part.
- There have been 281 turnovers in 2024 (3.8 per game) – the lowest mark since 2016. Teams making fewer turnovers in a game are 47-13 (.783).
- No season in CFL history has featured a sacks leader with fewer than 10. Toronto’s Jake Ceresna and Ottawa’s Michael Wakefield currently top the leaderboard with eight.
- For the second consecutive season, the East has won interdivisional play (21-13). The East last registered back-to-back wins in 1998-99.
CGY at HAM
- Calgary won the team’s Week 1 matchup, 32-24. The Stampeders have not swept the season series since 2018.
- Dedrick Mills is 20 rushing yards shy of 2,000 in his career. He needs 84 to eclipse his previous season-best of 802.
- 2024 fourth overall pick, Ben Labrosse has 18 defensive tackles in his past three games.
- Micah Awe is two defensive tackles away from 450.
- Demerio Houston is one defensive tackle away from 150 in his career.
- Hamilton has won three of the last four games against Calgary at Tim Hortons Field.
- Tim White needs two receiving yards for his third straight 1,000-yard season.
- Bo Levi Mitchell has yet to win against his former team. In Week 1, he passed for 300 yards with a touchdown.
- Mitchell has set a personal best with 371 completions. He is 424 passing yards shy of his third 5,000-yard season and he is on pace to lead the league for the first time in his career.
OTT at TOR
- The two teams will meet in the Eastern Semi-final. With a win, Toronto will host the playoff game, while an Ottawa victory will leave the post-season location undecided until the final week.
- In Week 14, Ottawa won 41-27 at TD Place. The REDBLACKS have never swept the teams’ season series; the last Ottawa team to do so was the Rough Riders in 1985.
- Ottawa has not led in its past four games.
- Justin Hardy is second in receiving yards (1,241) and first in receptions (90). He is 231 yards shy of Gerald Alphin’s team record (1,471) set in 1989. An Ottawa player has not led the league in receiving yards since Tony Gabriel in 1977.
- In their previous matchup, Dominique Rhymes recorded 10 receptions for 138 yards.
- Lorenzo Mauldin IV has one sack in each of his previous two games; at seven on the season, he sits one back of the league leaders.
- Michael Wakefield will play in his 100th game.
- Toronto leads the all-time series versus Ottawa, 150-110-5, including 18-6 against the REDBLACKS.
- Chad Kelly is 2-1 as a starter against Ottawa. He had a career-high 463 passing yards and three touchdowns in the teams’ Week 14 matchup.
- In Week 14, David Ungerer III recorded 131 receiving yards, and Makai Polk had 105.
- Last week, Toronto recorded a season-high seven sacks while allowing none. Folarin Orimolade has three sacks in his past two games.
- Royce Metchie’s next defensive tackle will be his 300th.
MTL at BC
- Last week, Montreal’s defence held Ottawa to 293 net yards and no offensive touchdowns.
- Walter Fletcher has 711 rushing yards and 647 receiving yards. Only one player has eclipsed both 700-yard marks in the past 19 seasons – Andrew Harris (2012 and 2017). The feat has been accomplished 17 times, but never by a Montreal player.
- Darnell Sankey and Tyrice Beverette are both five defensive tackles away from 100 on the season.
- Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund has three sacks and nine defensive tackles in his last three games. With seven on the season, he is one shy of his personal best and the league lead.
- BC won the teams’ last meeting 37-23 in Week 14.
- The Lions have won three straight against Montreal and the teams’ past five meetings in BC, dating back to 2015.
- Vernon Adams Jr. is 5-3 as a starter this season with five 300+ yard games. He is a career 11-4 as a starter at BC Place, and 2-0 all-time against Montreal.
- William Stanback is 29 rushing yards shy of his career-high 1,176 set with Montreal in 2021. In the teams’ Week 14 meeting, he rushed for 128.
- Sean Whyte is 48-for-51 in field goal attempts (94.1 per cent) this season.