GILLANDERS WISHES ‘THAT’ FUMBLE HADN’T HAPPENED
Brendan Gillanders didn’t want to dwell on the superb statistics, which showed 80 yards on 12 carries.
Forced into action when starting running back William Powell turned an ankle and remained on the sidelines while the Ottawa Redblacks clawed tooth and nail to a 31-31 double-overtime tie against the Calgary Stampeders Friday night at TD Place, Gillanders fed off the positive but said he made a big mistake and learned from it.
It was a Grey Cup rematch with much of the same drama, but it was a play by Gillanders — a fumble with 7:25 left and Ottawa leading 28-14 — that lingered in the mind of the former University of Ottawa star.
“In all honesty, it’s a sloppy play by me,” said the 26-yearold Gillanders following the Redblacks’ practice Monday at TD Place. “I have to play the situation. It’s second down after a seven-yard run and coach E (offensive co-ordinator Jaime Elizondo) is awesome and comes right back to me.
“I’m trying to do just a bit too much. Protecting the ball in the fourth quarter is my No. 1 job and I have to think about that. Those extra one or two yards aren’t worth the turnover in that situation. It’s unfortunate.
“Everybody was great about it, we’re a family. When I got to the sidelines, everybody was saying, ‘It’s going to be OK, they’re going to come right back to you.’ I’m harder on myself than anyone else. It hurt me. I have to learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“It sticks. Everyone was super positive, credit to them, it helped me get through it. It’s one of those things that the next day you have to move on and get past it.”
Said Elizondo: “I’m proud of him. He’s a guy who comes to work every day. He doesn’t get a lot of work at running back. He stepped in and, gosh, did a heck of a job. Obviously, we’re disappointed in the fumble. I don’t need to say anything. I know how he is as a person, he takes that personally.”
Gillanders was The Man as a Gee-Gee in 2013, named a firstteam OUA all-star after running for 740 yards and pulling down 321 yards in receptions. In the CFL, first with Toronto, now with Ottawa, he’s become more of a fullback type, in more of a blocking role, along with being on special teams. Given his opportunity to carry the ball, he rose to the occasion, fighting off tackles for extra yards several times.
“It was unfortunate the circumstances I went into the game on,” said Gillanders. “It was unfortunate for Willie, but he’s going to be OK. I’m a professional running back, too. So it’s my job when I get in there to make sure the offence doesn’t lose a step. That’s all I’m thinking and trying to do, making sure I don’t slow down the offence and add whatever dimension I can to it.
“There were lots of positives. I think I ran the ball well, I think I protected well out of the backfield. There are lots of things I can do better, but it’s an encouraging start and it’s something I can build from.”
An underdog — and it seems like they aren’t ever given much of a chance to beat the Stampeders — the Redblacks hop onto an airplane Tuesday afternoon and head for Calgary for part 2 of their season series with the always-tough West Division team.
“I don’t think anybody around here is saying Calgary is better than us,” said Gillanders. “We want to set the standard in the CFL. We want everyone to think of us as the No. 1 team and be trying to catch us.
“That game for us, a tie isn’t any better than a loss. We didn’t get the win. It’s disappointing that way, but we have another opportunity on Thursday, so we’ll come out hungry again. It’s a chance for us to prove we are the better team and that everything from the games last year, that the Grey Cup win wasn’t a fluke.”
It’s one of those coulda, woulda, shoulda things.
Said Elizondo: “I thought when we got the ball back, up 28-14, that’s when we have to be more resilient and tougher mentally and say, ‘This is an opportunity for us to take control of the game.’ We didn’t do that so we’re obviously going to be focusing on that.”
“We wanted to win the game, we’re never satisfied unless we win,” said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell. “We did a lot of good things. There’s a lot of stuff to build on and we’re not losing sight of that. At the same time, we know we have to improve every week. It’s a starting point, but that’s all it is.” FINCH OUT TWO GAMES: Stampeders kick returner Roy Finch has been suspended for two games after testing positive for a banned substance (D-amphetamine) under the drug policy of the CFL and CFLPA. Finch, a former Redblack, had 53 yards on three punt returns versus Ottawa last week. Last season, Finch had 993 punt-return yards, plus 1,060 on kickoff returns. CFL players who test positive get a two-game suspension for a first doping violation, nine games the second time, a one-year suspension for a third violation and a lifetime ban for the fourth.