Star quarterback Dru Brown will officially make his return to the starting lineup when the Ottawa Redblacks face Winnipeg on Saturday.
The 28-year-old native of Palo Alto, Calif., has missed Ottawa’s last three games due to a knee injury he sustained against the Bombers in mid-August, although he officially dressed as the third-stringer last week. The five-foot-eleven, 200-pound passer has thrown for 1,842 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions over eight regular-season games this year, posting a 2-5 record as a starter.
Missing for Brown’s return will be running back William Stanback (back) and rookie right tackle Parker Moorer (knee), both of whom have been placed on the one-game injured list. Canadian Daniel Adeboboye will step into the backfield, while left guard Drew Desjarlais bounces out to tackle. Rookie second-round CFL Draft pick Sam Carson will make his first start at guard, while David Knevel will suit up as insurance.
Ottawa will also endure significant changes on special teams, as punter Richie Leone will miss the game following the passing of his mother. American rookie Noah Gettman will debut in his place, while returner DeVonte Dedmon returns from a long absence and will split duties with Kalil Pimpleton.
Dressing in depth roles this week are Canadian defensive tackle Daniel Okpoko and American defensive end Chase McGowan. Canadian linebacker James Peter and Canadian defensive tackle Deionte Knight have been demoted to the practice roster.
The Ottawa Redblacks (4-9) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-7) at TD Place Stadium on Saturday, September 20 with kickoff slated for 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 32-21 loss to Hamilton, while the Redblacks lost 38-27 against B.C. in Vancouver.
The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 19 degrees with sunny conditions. The game will be broadcast on TSN, RDS, and CTV in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and TSN 1200 in Ottawa.
Graphic courtesy: Ottawa Redblacks
