Argos looking for way to contain Collaros
Ticats quarterback on pace to put up 5,000 yards this year
The Toronto Argonauts defence has one big assignment on Friday: Bring Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros back to Earth.
But can they? The high-flying Collaros, who has thrown for a leagueleading 3,032 yards this season, could eclipse his 2014 total with only a mediocre game at the Rogers Centre.
Last season, while playing in only13 games due to injury, Collaros passed for 3,261 yards, meaning he needs 230 yards to surpass his 2014 total in what will be his 11th game of the season.
He is better than he was, and that’s downright scary because he led the Tiger-Cats to a Grey Cup appearance in 2014.
Collaros is also on target to become the CFL’s first 5,000-yard passer since 2012 as he builds a case that he should be the league’s most outstanding player.
“He’s playing out of his mind right now,” Toronto head coach Scott Milanovich marvelled this week.
Collaros had a career-high 400 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-12 rout of Toronto on Monday. It was the first time since 2012 that a CFL quarterback had thrown for 400plus yards and four TDs in the same game.
This has all made him Public Enemy No. 1 for Friday’s rematch.
“We hate Zach,” Argonauts offensive lineman Chris Van Zeyl shouted out in mock anger to nobody in particular after the walk-through Thursday.
The Ticats (7-3) are the class of the East, while the Argos (6-4) are under pressure to prove they can stay with Hamilton, who have outscored the Argos 76-30 in their two previous meetings.
“What I really want to see is that they get themselves emotionally ready to play the game,” Milanovich said of his players.
Toronto quarterback Trevor Harris respects what his counterpart has done.
They are former teammates and roommates in Toronto, but it would be a stretch to say they are close friends. Still, after Monday’s game, Harris told Collaros he was proud of the Ticats quarterback.
“I’ve said from the start that Zach is the best quarterback in the league, so I was ahead of the curve,” Harris said Thursday.
Milanovich is still shaking his head over what Collaros did Monday. On the opening play, he ducked a shoulder to escape a decent pass rush, climbed out of the pocket, slid to his right, threw off the wrong foot across the grain and completed a 20-yard pass.
“He’s been doing that stuff for five weeks or more,” Milanovich marvelled.
Winning came often and early for Collaros. He compiled a 41-1record in three years as the starting quarterback at Steubenville High School in Ohio. In college, he played five seasons with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, leading the Big East in passing in 2010.
In 2012, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was released following mini-camp and signed with the Argos.
After serving as Ricky Ray’s understudy, along with Harris, in 2012, Collaros got a break when Ray was injured the next season. Collaros responded with 2,316 passing yards and 14 touchdown passes. He joined the Ticats as a free agent after the 2013 season.
Hamilton head coach and general manager Kent Austin said Collaros has a unique blend of competitive fire and authentic humility.
“He will not point a single finger at anybody but himself,” Austin said. “He needs the players around him to play well for him to be able to perform at his highest potential. It’s a team game. If anybody gets that on our football team, it’s Zach.”