Toronto coach's sparse CFL experience poses challenge for season opener
--The Hamilton Spectator
Bart Andrus is like a man without a past.
Sure, the newly minted Argo head coach has plenty of football experience -- he started as a high school coach in 1981 -- but other than two pre-season games, the CFL book on him is pretty thin.
That poses a challenge for a Ticat staff looking to make a game plan for the Double Blue. The two teams square off in the season opener Wednesday at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m.
Despite Andrus's inexperience, head coach Marcel Bellefeuille says he's been impressed by what he's seen thus far from the Toronto coach and his staff. With the exception of special teams co-ordinator Steve Buratto, most of the Argo coaches have short CFL resumes.
"Those guys did a great job in the preseason adapting to our game," Bellefeuille said. "Their schemes are very sound and a lot of what they do is CFL style on both sides of the ball."
It will be up to the Ticat co-ordinators -- Mike Gibson on offence and Greg Marshall on defence -- to scheme a team without having much to work with in terms of its tendencies. Andrus will also call plays for the Argo offence.
"It'd be nice if there was a long history so we could see what he likes to do, what he doesn't like to do, but that's the challenge," Marshall said.
The Ticat coaching staff has watched the Argos' two preseason games and got to see them up close during Toronto's 27-17 victory in Hamilton last week. But the value of exhibition games is limited.
"It helps somewhat but I'm sure there are some things they didn't show, just like every team in the league didn't show very much" Marshall said. "You get some ideas as to what their basic ideas might be but I'm sure there's a lot more left to see."
While Andrus might be an unknown quantity, Argo quarterback Kerry Joseph isn't. The six-year CFL veteran has more than 22,000 passing yards in his career as well as almost 4,000 yards rushing. Still mobile at 36, Joseph spent much of the pre-season rolling out to get time and space.
"We know what Kerry Joseph's strengths are and we can assume that they are going to try and play to those," Marshall said.
In order to have success limiting Joseph and his main target, Arland Bruce III, the Cats will need a better pass rush than the one that finished last in the league in sacks last season. The unit was a focus of general manager Bob O'Billovich in the off-season, but is still largely untested.
Free agent acquisition Matt Kirk at defensive tackle has five years in the league but this will be his first chance to start on a regular basis. He says the new line, which will feature two rookie defensive ends, is coming together.
"What we're focused on is being assignment perfect," Kirk said. "Once you get comfortable with the system, you can start flying around and make some plays."
One new end is Khari Long, who signed with the club more than a week into training camp and will find himself facing all-star offensive tackle Rob Murphy when the game begins tomorrow.
Long, who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL and also played with Chicago and Dallas, says he's adjusting to being a yard off the ball -- but other than that, football is football.
"It's the same basic thing here as it is in the NFL -- you read the offensive tackle and you attack," Long said. "I just have to be careful not to get too far upfield."
That's because Joseph will exploit any opening he's given with his feet, as Kirk well knows.
"When (Joseph) gets in space, that's when he starts making his plays, so we're going to try and limit his space as much as possible," the Kingston native said.
From that standpoint, the game plan is simple, Marshall says: contain Joseph and try to get a few knocks on him.
"If Kerry drops back and says, 'I know where the ball is going and I've got time to do it,' it could be a long day," Marshall said.
It doesn't take a wealth of CFL experience to know that.
--The Hamilton Spectator
Bart Andrus is like a man without a past.
Sure, the newly minted Argo head coach has plenty of football experience -- he started as a high school coach in 1981 -- but other than two pre-season games, the CFL book on him is pretty thin.
That poses a challenge for a Ticat staff looking to make a game plan for the Double Blue. The two teams square off in the season opener Wednesday at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m.
Despite Andrus's inexperience, head coach Marcel Bellefeuille says he's been impressed by what he's seen thus far from the Toronto coach and his staff. With the exception of special teams co-ordinator Steve Buratto, most of the Argo coaches have short CFL resumes.
"Those guys did a great job in the preseason adapting to our game," Bellefeuille said. "Their schemes are very sound and a lot of what they do is CFL style on both sides of the ball."
It will be up to the Ticat co-ordinators -- Mike Gibson on offence and Greg Marshall on defence -- to scheme a team without having much to work with in terms of its tendencies. Andrus will also call plays for the Argo offence.
"It'd be nice if there was a long history so we could see what he likes to do, what he doesn't like to do, but that's the challenge," Marshall said.
The Ticat coaching staff has watched the Argos' two preseason games and got to see them up close during Toronto's 27-17 victory in Hamilton last week. But the value of exhibition games is limited.
"It helps somewhat but I'm sure there are some things they didn't show, just like every team in the league didn't show very much" Marshall said. "You get some ideas as to what their basic ideas might be but I'm sure there's a lot more left to see."
While Andrus might be an unknown quantity, Argo quarterback Kerry Joseph isn't. The six-year CFL veteran has more than 22,000 passing yards in his career as well as almost 4,000 yards rushing. Still mobile at 36, Joseph spent much of the pre-season rolling out to get time and space.
"We know what Kerry Joseph's strengths are and we can assume that they are going to try and play to those," Marshall said.
In order to have success limiting Joseph and his main target, Arland Bruce III, the Cats will need a better pass rush than the one that finished last in the league in sacks last season. The unit was a focus of general manager Bob O'Billovich in the off-season, but is still largely untested.
Free agent acquisition Matt Kirk at defensive tackle has five years in the league but this will be his first chance to start on a regular basis. He says the new line, which will feature two rookie defensive ends, is coming together.
"What we're focused on is being assignment perfect," Kirk said. "Once you get comfortable with the system, you can start flying around and make some plays."
One new end is Khari Long, who signed with the club more than a week into training camp and will find himself facing all-star offensive tackle Rob Murphy when the game begins tomorrow.
Long, who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL and also played with Chicago and Dallas, says he's adjusting to being a yard off the ball -- but other than that, football is football.
"It's the same basic thing here as it is in the NFL -- you read the offensive tackle and you attack," Long said. "I just have to be careful not to get too far upfield."
That's because Joseph will exploit any opening he's given with his feet, as Kirk well knows.
"When (Joseph) gets in space, that's when he starts making his plays, so we're going to try and limit his space as much as possible," the Kingston native said.
From that standpoint, the game plan is simple, Marshall says: contain Joseph and try to get a few knocks on him.
"If Kerry drops back and says, 'I know where the ball is going and I've got time to do it,' it could be a long day," Marshall said.
It doesn't take a wealth of CFL experience to know that.
