Brescacin a steady set of hands for Stampeders
Canadian one constant among banged-up receiving corps,
Juwan Brescacin is thanking the football gods he’s healthy.
Especially these days around McMahon Stadium, where his fellow Calgary Stampeders passcatchers are dropping like flies.
“Just taking it one day at a time,” Brescacin said with a smile. “Every time I come off the field without an injury, it’s a blessing, especially this year.”
Yes, it’s a year that’s seen Stampeders receivers suffer injury after injury, and it seemed as if it caught up to the team — finally — in Monday’s ugly 12-6 win over the host Montreal Alouettes.
While Stamps quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is putting the lack of success — a pedestrian 199 passing yards and three interceptions — on himself, you have to feel for a quarterback when the cast of receivers is changing from game to game.
The one constant in a 12-2 CFL season, however, has been Brescacin. And the Canadian receiver was there consistently on Thanksgiving for his QB.
“I just try to make the most of my opportunities,” Brescacin said. “We kinda made some adjustments after the half, and Bo started finding me. I just did my job, and that was catching the ball.”
He caught it six times Monday, counting a game-high 78 yards for the Stampeders.
Suddenly, Brescacin, with 507 receiving yards, is third among Stamps receivers behind injured teammates Kamar Jorden and DaVaris Daniels.
“I think Bo trusts me, and I trust that he’s going to make the right read,” said the 25-year-old Mississauga, Ont., native. “I think that, especially me being here for this, my third season, we’ve kind of built that trust, because he sees what kind of work I put in and how much I pay attention.
“I just always try and be in the right spot for Bo, so that if he throws the ball, I’m there.”
Being there Monday was paramount with Eric Rogers drawing double-coverage and newly acquired Chris Matthews left off the roster.
And there was another injury to the Red & White receiver ranks as Marken Michel failed to finish the game. A shoulder blow suffered during the win potentially puts the Stamps down yet another pass-catcher for Saturday’s home date with the B.C. Lions at McMahon Stadium (6 p.m., TSN/770 CHQR).
Rogers could miss the game, too, but not for injury reasons. He’s gone state-side to await the arrival of his baby.
So back to Brescacin then? “It’s just knowing the gameplan and being able to play in multiple spots so if somebody goes down, I can step in and play,” said Brescacin, a six-foot-three, 222-pound product of the NCAA’s Northern Illinois Huskies. “There’s other guys that can do the same thing. It just so happens that it’s me right now.”