WINNIPEG 鈥� It鈥檚 better late than never for Andrew Harris.
The star running back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-1) will make his season debut Sunday at home against the Calgary Stampeders (1-2) after missing the first three games of the year with a calf injury.
Harris was hurt early in training camp and said the wait was 鈥渁gonizing,鈥� especially since last season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.聽
鈥淲hen COVID comes and you have a slow start to camp and you miss some games, time just ticks on very slowly,鈥� Harris, 34, said Saturday after the Bombers wrapped up their preparations.聽
鈥淚'm very excited just to get out there, take that first carry, catch that first ball, make that first block and just be out there with the guys again.鈥�
He doesn鈥檛 think it鈥檒l take him long to get into a groove.聽
鈥淭he biggest thing now is just my eyes, my vision,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淵ou know it鈥檚 going to be a whole different speed come (Sunday), so it鈥檚 going to take maybe a couple series, honestly, to kind of get in the swing of things.聽
鈥淏ut I鈥檓 definitely ready for that and expecting that and I鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l be hitting full stride fairly shortly after we get rolling.鈥�
Getting back the CFL's rushing leader for the past three seasons 鈥� and the most valuable player in the 2019 Grey Cup 鈥� was welcome news for Harris鈥檚 teammates, especially quarterback Zach Collaros.
鈥淗aving Andrew back out there, it鈥檚 big for everybody,鈥� Collaros said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 big for the city.
鈥淓verybody knows and loves Andrew and what he can bring to the table, and just his understanding of what we do offensively definitely helps.鈥�
Winnipeg鈥檚 run game has stalled lately. Fellow Winnipegger Brady Oliviera rushed for 126 yards in his first start at tailback in the season opener, but he was held to a combined 57 yards in the past two games against Toronto, including last week鈥檚 30-23 loss to the Argonauts.聽
The Bombers have also moved placekicker Tyler Crapigna to the six-game injured list so Canadian rookie Marc Liegghio handle kicking and punting duties Sunday.
Head coach Mike O鈥橲hea said Crapigna suffered a soft tissue injury (listed as a hamstring) in practice and missed Friday鈥檚 session.
Crapigna was 3-of-5 in field-goal attempts 鈥� the longest he made was 22 yards 鈥� but he wasn鈥檛 sent out to try many long kicks.聽
O鈥橲hea said Liegghio had success with Western University and he has 鈥渇ull confidence鈥� in the fifth-round CFL draft pick. 聽
Stampeders rookie quarterback Jake Maier will make his second CFL start Sunday after replacing injured veteran Bo Levi Mitchell (broken leg).
Maier shook off two early interceptions last week and guided the Stampeders out of an 11-point deficit to a 28-22 win over Montreal. He was 16-of-29 passing for 304 yards with the two picks and one touchdown.聽
鈥淵ou have to be able to analyze why certain things didn鈥檛 go your way, why certain plays didn鈥檛 work, why you failed in certain areas and grow from that,鈥� the 24-year-old California native said.聽
Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson said quarterbacks have to be free to make some plays, but he鈥檇 like the offence to improve in one particular area.聽
鈥淏all security, 100 per cent,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e also snapped one on the wrong count and we just can鈥檛 do that against Winnipeg, we won鈥檛 win the game.鈥�
Maier is well aware that Winnipeg鈥檚 dominant defence will try to throw him off the game plan.聽
鈥淭hey have the true identity of rushing the passer and they believe in what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can see that just with the body language and the swagger that they all have.聽
鈥淭here鈥檚 things that we can do to help slow that down a little bit. We鈥檙e going to need to. We鈥檝e got to be able to at least limit what their greatest strength is.鈥�
The Bombers lead the league in fewest points allowed this season at 14.3.
CALGARY (1-2)) AT WINNIPEG (2-1)
Sunday, IG Field
FAVOURITE QUARTERS: Winnipeg hasn鈥檛 allowed a point in the fourth quarter this season, while Calgary hasn鈥檛 yet given up a point in the third.聽
CLUTCH KICKER: Stamps placekicker Rene Paredes is 9-for-9 in field goals this season and has a streak of 13 good FGs in a row.
BE LIKE BO: The last Calgary quarterback to lead the Stamps to a victory over Winnipeg who wasn鈥檛 named Bo Levi Mitchell was Kevin Glenn in 2013.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2021.聽
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
