Stamps hurting for options in backfield
Stamps’ Milanovic-litre latest to get call to carry the ball at injury prone position
Another week, another starting running back for the Calgary Stampeders.
All season, it’s seemed like every time a Stampeders running back has gotten a run of games in, some sort of injury has pulled them out of the starting lineup.
When the Stamps host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday (5 p.m., Mcmahon Stadium), Ante Milanovic-litre will become the fourth running back to get the call as the team’s starter in 2019.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to work toward it,” Milanovic-litre said. “I always prepare as if I am the starter, even if I’m not. If I’m third string, fourth string, fifth string, I prepare like I’m the starter. So to get that call-up means a lot, but I already feel like I’ve been preparing for it for a long time.”
Seeing Milanovic-litre’s name on the game sheet is nothing new for the Stampeders, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 CFL Draft and have been steadily grooming him for the job since.
But he’s never been the starter. The opportunity has opened because the Stampeders have had an inordinate number of injuries to the American running backs they started the year with.
Don Jackson has been in and out of the lineup and tweaked a pre-existing injury this week, forcing him to the one-game injured list.
Romar Morris returned in August after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, only to tear his other Achilles tendon in his second game back.
Ka’deem Carey temporarily took over the starter job in September, but broke his arm a few weeks ago and is out for the season.
There was a time when some in the media were debating whether the Stampeders might almost have too many running back options, but that’s definitely not the case anymore.
If anything, the Stampeders would just love to get one guy in at the position who can stay healthy for an extended stretch.
Their run game hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire this season as the Stamps are currently running for the third fewest yards per game (77.9) this season.
“Yeah, it has been (a challenge),” said Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson. “We have faith in our guys, but you’re right, the run game is a flow thing. It’s also the offensive line and knowing who the back is and how they run and even what you call.
“It’s been a challenge this year to get that run game going, but also to get some guys some consistency and get them in a groove. We haven’t been able to get the same guy in a groove, unfortunately, because they’ve been getting hurt.”
The one guy who has managed to stay healthy has been Terry Williams, who has mostly served as the Stampeders’ kick returner, but has generally also gotten between two and five snaps every game at running back.
He’s sure to feature heavily against the Bombers, too — it’s unclear who will be returning kicks if Williams gets a big workload at running back.
Milanovic-litre and Williams play with different styles. Williams relies on his lightning-fast speed and while it wouldn’t entirely be accurate to say that Milanovic-litre is a pure power back, he showed he can break tackles with his physicality last weekend against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Bombers are going to present a real challenge for Milanovic-litre on Saturday. They’re allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (67.4) in the entire CFL. They’re big and they’re fast and they don’t give up an inch.
If Milanovic-litre wants to prove he’s ready to be an everyday starting running back in the CFL, the opportunity is there.
“He did a nice job last week, he’s excited,” Dickenson said. “We’ll mix and match as well. We’ve got an idea of how we’ll structure our roster to get Terry in there as well, but Ante has proven last week that he’s a strong runner. He made some really good cuts. That was the thing that jumped out at me: He was able to get outside and on the edge. he was able to make people miss.
“Sometimes, it’s just about opportunity and he took advantage of that opportunity last week.”