Stamps happy to have Smith, Brescacin back

Brandon Smith didn’t waste any time reminding people what the Calgary Stampeders were missing when he was on the sideline the last two games.

Juwan Brescacin didn’t, either. Smith might have a reputation for quietly going about his business without drawing much attention to himself, but on Thursday against the Toronto Argonauts he was hard to miss.

It started in the first quarter, when he intercepted a pass from Argos QB Macleod Bethel-thompson that set up a Stamps TD a few plays later.

In the second quarter, Smith delivered a perfectly timed hit on Argos running back James Wilder Jr.

Brescacin, meanwhile, was as good as any receiver on the field for the Stampeders and finished with two touchdowns.

Both guys missed the Stampeders’ previous two games, and while they weren’t missed much two weeks ago against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Stamps could have used them against the Hamilton Tiger-cats last week.

Because the 2019 Stampeders have so many new pieces, veterans like Brescacin and Smith are critical to what the team is looking to accomplish.

There are younger, faster guys in the defensive back group — and we’ll get to Tre Roberson in the notes — but Smith’s knowledge of the system and tendency to make big plays regardless of how the rest of the team is playing is invaluable.

Brescacin, meanwhile, can pretty much play any receiver position and is an important piece of the offence.

NOTES

Roberson doesn’t appear to be slowing down at all, and he really is making a strong case for himself as a contender for the CFL’S Most Outstanding Defensive Player. The second-year corner already has five interceptions so far this season, and while he didn’t add to that total against the Argos, he did recover a fumble and run the ball back for a 93-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The kid is just making game-changing play after game-changing play this season and it’s really something to watch … The Stampeders’ jumbotron malfunctioned right before Thursday’s game got underway and made everyone on the screen look like a Smurf. The blue tint didn’t last long, but it was incredible while it lasted … The worst of Thursday’s weather came a couple hours before kickoff, but it did rain heavily throughout the second quarter. The fans generally stuck around, but it sure didn’t look pleasant in the stands … It was tough in the early-going for the Stampeders offensive line. They improved as the game wore on, but they allowed three Argos sacks in the first quarter. That’s just not good enough, although they certainly deserve credit for adjusting and doing a better job protecting Nick Arbuckle after their early struggles. It’s not like they were the B.C. Lions or anything like that.