Zach Collaros and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a tough road ahead. Collaros is expected to start at quarterback against the Stampeders in Sunday’s West Division semifinal in Calgary (TSN, 4:30 p.m.). The winner will face the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West final on Nov. 17.

Winnipeg is chasing its first Grey Cup since 1990. But the 2005 Edmonton Eskimos are the last team to win a CFL title after finishing third in the West standings.

Now, the 11-7 Bombers do have some things going for them. They won the season series 2-1, and Collaros has won his last three starts versus Calgary. The 31-year-old from Ohio was 22-of-28 passing for 221 yards with two TDs and an interception in his Bombers debut, a come-from-behind 29-28 home win over the Stampeders on Oct. 25.

However, Winnipeg was a dismal 3-6 on the road and lost 37-33 in its only regular-season visit to McMahon Stadium on Oct. 19. Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell — who has an 11-3 regular-season mark against the Bombers — is 5-0 all-time at home in the playoffs since becoming the Stampeders starter in 2014.

But after finishing atop the West the previous three seasons, Calgary faces a longer road to a fourth straight Grey Cup appearance and second consecutive championship.

The offence will ride Mitchell’s strong right arm after 12-6 Calgary averaged a CFL-worst 73.4 yards rushing — and just 44.7 vs. Winnipeg, whose defence surrendered a league-low 64.2 per game.

However, Calgary will counter with the CFL’s No. 2 aerial attack (312.3 yards a game). Mitchell has two 1,000-yard receivers at his disposal in Reggie Begelton (100 catches, 1,492 yards, 11 TDs) and Eric Rogers (85 catches, 1,080 yards, 10 TDs). As solid as Winnipeg’s defence was against the run, it was ranked sixth against the pass (303.4 yards per game). But the Bombers finished second in interceptions (24, two behind league-leading Calgary) with Winston Rose (CFL-high nine) leading the way.

Winnipeg’s biggest advantage is its rushing attack. The Bombers averaged a CFL-high 147.9 yards per game, anchored by Canadian Andrew Harris (league-best 1,380). It marked the third straight CFL rushing title for Harris, despite missing two regular-season games following a positive drug test. Calgary’s defence allowed 96.3 rushing yards per game, but led the CFL in forced turnovers (47) and interceptions.

Calgary was 7-2 at home and 8-2 within the West. Winnipeg struggled away from IG Field, but was 7-3 against division rivals. Source Canadian Press

Following an 81-game regular season, the 107th Grey Cup Playoff matchups are now set and will begin on Sunday, November 10 with the Eastern and Western Semi-Finals.

With the East division picture already clear, a Saskatchewan Roughriders win Saturday, combined with a Calgary Stampeders win later the same evening, cemented the brackets in the West. The Riders will now await the winners of Winnipeg and Calgary for a chance to go to the Grey Cup. Meanwhile, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will await the winners of Edmonton and Montreal to try and get to the big game.

The Eastern Semi-Final features West Division crossover team Edmonton Eskimos visiting Percival Molson Stadium to take on the Montreal Alouettes. In the Western Semi-Final the Calgary Stampeders will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium.

EASTERN SEMI-FINAL AT A GLANCE

• Montreal is hosting a home playoff game for the first time since 2014.
• Montreal owns a 26-9 (.743) home playoff record.
• Edmonton is 20-30 (.400) as the road playoff team.
• Edmonton has crossed over to the East Division on three occasions: 2008, 2012 and 2016.
• Edmonton and Montreal have only met in the division playoffs once before, in 2008 in Montreal.
• Montreal and Edmonton split the season series.
• Week 1: EDM 32 – MON 25 in Edmonton
• Week 6: MON 20 – EDM 10 in Montreal
• The two teams last met in a Grey Cup in Vancouver in 2005 with Edmonton winning 38-35 in OT. They also met in the Grey Cup in 1954-56, 1974-75, 1977-79 and 2002-03.
• Jason Maas is 2-2 as a head coach in the playoffs and was winless across two starts as a player.
• Khari Jones will be making his head coaching debut in the postseason. He was 3-3 as a starter in the playoffs.

WESTERN SEMI-FINAL AT A GLANCE

• The two sides met in the 2018 Western Final with Calgary winning 22-14 at McMahon Stadium.
• This season breaks a string of three consecutive years in which Calgary has hosted the Western Final.
• Calgary last hosted the Western Semi-Final in 2015 and defeated BC by a score of 35-9.
• Calgary is 35-20-0 (.636) as the home team in the playoffs since 1945.
• Since 1936, Winnipeg’s road record in the playoffs is 22-33 (.400).
• Winnipeg claimed the season series 2-1.
• Week 9: WPG 26 – CGY 24 in Winnipeg
• Week 19: CGY 37 – WPG 33 in Calgary
• Week 20: WPG 29 – CGY 28 in Winnipeg
• Mike O’Shea is 1-3 as a head coach in the playoffs.
• Dave Dickenson is 3-0 as a head coach in the playoffs.
• Bo Levi Mitchell has started six playoff games in his career (5-1), Zach Collaros will be making his third career playoff start (1-1).
• Mitchell is 11-3 as a starter against Winnipeg; Collaros is a career 4-4 versus Calgary.
• In three games this year against Winnipeg, Reggie Begelton tallied 12 receptions for 230 yards and three touchdowns.
• Justin Medlock was a perfect 10-for-10 against Calgary this season, including a season-long 55-yard tally.

Source Stories From CFL.ca

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has declared that four-time GRAMMY© Award-champ, Keith Urban, will perform at the 2019 Freedom Mobile Gray Cup Halftime Show at the 107th Gray Cup displayed by Shaw on November 24, airing live from Calgary on TSN and RDS – Canada’s home of the CFL.

CTV’s ETALK uncovered that the supreme Country Music Association (CMA) and Academy of Country Music (ACM) Entertainer of The Year, will feature the country’s biggest yearly game on Thursday night.

The first occasion when I think I played out a sold out arena (in Canada) really would have been the Saddledome in Calgary,” Urban told ETALK. “I recollect part of the way through my show, thinking: ‘Man, this group is astonishing! Whoever is going ahead after us is going to adore these folks.’ And I all of a sudden idea: ‘I’m it. I’m the person that is going ahead. I’m here. This is it. This is my group.

Urban is a genius whose exhibitions have been hailed the world over as show occasions not to be missed. His shows crosswise over Canada have given the background to an irrefutably exceptional connection among Urban and his fans all through the country.

Urban has sold in excess of 20 million collections, six of which have come to No. 1. He has had 23 No. 1 melodies, including Somebody Like You, Days Go By, Sweet Thing, Wasted Time, Blue Ain’t Your Color, The Fighter and Coming Home. His most recent discharge, We Were, has just been spilled more than 57 million times around the world. Notwithstanding his four GRAMMY© Awards, he has won different Canadian Country Music Awards, 13 CMAs, 15 ACMs and four American Music Awards.

“I realize we’ve scored an outright touchdown for football and music fans wherever when my three youthful little girls are as amped up for this enormous news as I am,” said CFL Commissioner, Randy Ambrosie. “Our initial association with Keith has just demonstrated him to be as true and certified as he is celebrated and capable. We can hardly wait to consider him to be everybody in Calgary as we share his sparkling light and Canada’s soul with fans here at home and watchers around the globe.”

The Freedom Mobile Gray Cup Halftime Show regularly pulls in one of the most elevated review crowds of any live melodic presentation on Canadian TV.

“Regardless of whether they’re at the game or viewing in the solaces of their own homes, the Freedom Mobile Gray Cup Halftime Show unites a large number of individuals across the nation to be a part of Canada’s down,” said Paul McAleese, President, Wireless, Shaw Communications. “For over two decades, Keith Urban has built up himself as one of the world’s best entertainers – a talented artist who will stimulate the phase at the Gray Cup Halftime Show. With a huge number of Canadians changing to Freedom Mobile, we are excited to band together with the CFL to make the current year’s halftime show one of the greatest and best ever.”

Urban’s featuring execution is a piece of the CFL’s association with Universal Music Canada which incorporates into game communicate music eliteness and coordinated efforts with the class’ nine groups as a component of their Thursday Night Football arrangement.

“We are satisfied to be proceeding with our progressing association with the CFL by bringing our reality class craftsmen and music to football fans the nation over,” included Kristen Burke, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Universal Music Canada. “Keith is dearest by Canadian crowds and we are excited to have him be a piece of the current year’s Gray Cup.”

The 107th Gray Cup introduced by Shaw will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2019 in Calgary at McMahon Stadium, and communicate crosswise over Canada on TSN – the nation’s most-watched forte system. The current year’s title will stamp the fifth time Calgary has facilitated the game and the first since the 97th Gray Cup in 2009. A predetermined number of tickets are still accessible at Ticketmaster.ca/GreyCup.

A few ticketed occasions for the 2019 Gray Cup Festival displayed by Shaw are at a bargain currently, including the Shaw CFL Awards, the Canadian Tire CFL Alumni Association Legends Luncheon, the Alberta Blue Cross Gray Cup Gala Dinner, the Cheer Extravaganza, the principal ever Gray Cup Rodeo, the SiriusXM Saturday Night Concert introduced by Coors Light, and that’s just the beginning. Extra occasion subtleties, dates and obtaining data can be found at GreyCupFestival.ca.

2019 will check the 107th version of the Gray Cup, the CFL’s title game
Calgary will have the 2019 Gray Cup, CFL magistrate Randy Ambrosie declared on Wednesday.

“It is our goal to increase current standards to ensure Gray Cups are best in class regarding festivity,” he said.

Calgary Stampeders president and senior supervisor John Hufnagel — who has won four Gray Cups as a player and mentor — considered it a “benefit” to have the yearly occasion.

“The Gray Cup game and celebration is a chance to feature the Stampeders, our faithful fans and our extraordinary city,” he said.

“As a football crew, our objective consistently is to play in the Gray Cup and win a title. Having the game at McMahon Stadium in 2019 with fill in as further inspiration for our association.”

• Calgary last hosted Grey Cup in 2009, previously hosting in 1975, 1993 and 2000
• Grey Cup has a rich and colourful history off the football field

Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda said the region will contribute $1.5 million in subsidizing toward the festival.

Stampeders season ticket holders in 2018 will get first break at tickets for the 2019 Gray Cup, planned for Nov. 24.

In a video address, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the city is “going to put on a gathering like you’ve never observed.”

“It’s a festival not simply of our game, it’s a festival of Canada,” he said. “It’s a festival of collaboration, it’s a festival of network.”

Nenshi was later gotten some information about potential moves up to McMahon Stadium — which was opened in 1960.

“I find that there’s no better spot to watch a game, when you’re in your seat,” he said. “Getting to your seat could be much better and I imagine that is a decent discussion to have, how we can build the conveniences outside of the bowl around that arena.”

Edmonton is facilitating the current year’s CFL title, set for Nov. 25 at Commonwealth Stadium.