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The Calgary Stampeders have named Josh Love as their starting quarterback for Saturday’s meeting with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Franchise quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. has been placed on the reserve roster after suffering a head injury in their Week 11 loss to B.C. He was a limited participant in practice after the bye and was reportedly “trending positively” to play, but will not be ready in time to dress. By putting him on the reserve roster, the veteran passer would still be eligible to be activated last minute in an emergency circumstance.
This marks Love’s first career CFL start. He completed six-of-ten pass attempts for 58 yards and one interception in a relief role against B.C. The pick occurred near the goal line with 37 seconds left, sealing the loss. He has thrown just 18 passes in his CFL career, completing 11 of them for 125 yards.
The native of Mission Viejo, Calif., played 41 collegiate games at San Jose State University, where he threw for 7,206 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions. He was named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2019. He has since spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers, as well as three seasons in the UFL, where he threw for 2,660 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions with three different teams.
Adams has thrown for 2,548 yards, 22 touchdowns, and two interceptions over 10 regular-season games this year. Ben Wooldridge will take his spot on the roster and serve as backup quarterback behind Adams.
In other roster news, Saturday will mark the return of veteran Canadian kicker Rene Paredes, who has yet to play this season due to a hip injury. The 41-year-old has been with Calgary since 2011, earning six All-West Division selections, five All-CFL selections, and winning two Grey Cups. Global kicker Jude McAtamney has been demoted to the practice roster to make room.
The Stampeders have also elected to make changes at two other positions. Veteran American receiver Tevin Jones, who has made 23 catches this year for 388 yards and four touchdowns, has been placed on the reserve roster without a reported injury, which will move former first overall CFL Draft pick Damien Alford into the starting lineup. American right tackle Bakyne Coly has also been demoted to the practice roster, making way for rookie Brad Ashmore to make his debut.
Canadian defensive end Tristan Marois and American linebacker Kelechi Anyalebechi will both dress for depth on special teams, while Canadian defensive back Anton Haie will sit out this week with a hamstring injury.
The Calgary Stampeders (4-6) will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-7) at McMahon Stadium on Saturday, August 29, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Tiger-Cats are coming off a 39-20 loss to the Toronto Argonauts, while the Stampeders were on bye.
The weather forecast in Calgary calls for a high of 19 degrees and a 60 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN, RDS2, CTV, and Crave in Canada, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton or 770 CHQR in Calgary.
Graphic courtesy: Calgary Stampeders
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