Game Notes: What you need to know ahead of Week 10

TORONTO — Week 10 is here and that means Game Notes is back with plenty of information about this week’s matchups, including:

Cody Fajardo will take on his former team for the first time since being traded last winter.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson is a career 1-2 against Edmonton. He will be making his first start against his former team since joining the Alouettes.
James Butler tops the CFL with 619 rushing yards. In Week 8, he notched 115 yards and a touchdown against his former team.
Last week, Willie Jefferson had four pass knockdowns – one short of the single-game record held by Emanuel Martin, Kavis Reed and Davis Sanchez. Jefferson’s total of 85 is good for third behind Adrion Smith (90) and Eddie Davis (111).
Vernon Adams Jr. passed for 489 yards and five touchdowns in the teams’ two matchups this season. He is a career 6-3 against Winnipeg.

Check out all CFL.ca’s Game Notes for Week 10 below:

RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON

Cody Fajardo will take on his former team for the first time since being traded last winter.
As an Alouette, he amassed a 16-12-1 record (.569), with 6,952 passing yards, a completion percentage of 72.5 and 36 touchdowns (30 pass, six rush).
In the postseason, he went 2-1, including a victory in the 110^th Grey Cup and MVP honours.
Fajardo is a career 4-1 versus Montreal. In his two starts this season with Edmonton, he was 79.3 per cent passing for 603 yards and three touchdowns to one interception.

QUICK SLANTS

LEAGUE-WIDE

The CFL has begun keeping the passes defended statistic, measuring the number of interceptions or pass knockdowns per passing attempts. Hamilton leads the league at 16.5 per cent, slightly ahead of Winnipeg’s 16.1.
There have been 25 return touchdowns, including four last week in Toronto at Winnipeg. After 35 games last season, there were 14, representing an increase of 79 per cent.
Possible milestone game(s):

BC (3-5) at HAM (6-2)

Week 8: HAM 37 – BC 33
The teams’ kickers are a combined 35-for-35 on field goal attempts.
Hamilton leads the league in passing yards (320.3) while BC has allowed the fewest (234.4).
The Lions average a league-high 5.7 yards per rush, while the Tiger-Cats have allowed a league-high 5.4 yards per carry.
BC is coming off a bye week. The team has won its past two games in Hamilton.
BC leads the league in net yards per game (408.3).
Nathan Rourke is a career 1-2 against Hamilton.
James Butler tops the CFL with 619 rushing yards. In Week 8, he notched 115 yards and a touchdown against his former team.
Hamilton (16) leads the CFL in red zone TDs, followed by BC Lions (15).
Hamiton leads the league with 253 points scored. The team last led the CFL in scoring in 2019, going 15-3 en route to an East Division title.
The Tiger-Cats have outscored every opponent in the fourth quarter, totaling a +44 mark. Last season, they were -56 in the final quarter.
Hamilton finished the 2024 campaign with a -6 turnover ratio; they lead the league at +9 this season.
Bo Levi Mitchell holds a 13-7 mark against BC. In his past five games, he has passed for 1,703 yards and 14 touchdowns.
In his last two contests, Kiondré Smith has totaled 21 receptions, 276 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Tim White is 16 receiving yards from becoming the 12^th Tiger-Cat to reach the 5,000 mark.

EDM (1-6) at MTL (5-3)

Week 3: MTL 38 – EDM 28
In their Week 3 matchup, the Elks averaged seven yards per carry.
Last week in his first CFL start, 2024 first overall pick, Joel Dublanko, had a career-high nine defensive tackles.
Justin Rankin had 19 touches for 133 yards and two touchdowns last week. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry in the teams’ first meeting.
Javon Leake leads the league in punt return average (15.1 yards) and 30+ yard returns (four).
Montreal has won the teams’ past five matchups.
Jason Maas’ next win will tie him with Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons (68) for 23^rd all-time.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson is a career 1-2 against Edmonton. He will be making his first start against his former team since joining the Alouettes.
In his last two games, Tyler Snead has 14 receptions for 191 yards.
José Maltos Díaz is a career 25-for-27 on field goal attempts. Last week, he made two 50+ yard attempts, improving to 4-for-4 from that distance this season and 7-for-7 overall.
Tyrell Richards and Alexandre Gagné are tied for the league-lead in special teams tackles (13) with BC’s Patrice René.

OTT (2-6) at TOR (2-6)

Week 4: TOR 29 – OTT 16
Dru Brown is a career 1-1 against Toronto, totaling 749 passing yards for five touchdowns last season. His next TD pass will be the 40^th of his career.
Justin Hardy (3,191) is 18 receiving yards shy of passing Margene Adkins for 10^th all-time in Ottawa.
Last week, Eugene Lewis registered his 20^th 100+ yard receiving game.
Toronto is 19-6 in the teams’ matchups since the REDBLACKS’ entered the league in 2014.
The Argonauts have allowed a league-high 23 sacks.
Nick Arbuckle sits second in the league in passing yards (2,334) and touchdown passes (13).
Damonte Coxie leads the CFL in receiving yards (774). Last week, he set career-highs in receptions (nine) and receiving yards (187), while adding two TDs.
In his past five games, Cameron Judge has collected 34 defensive tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
Former REDBLACKS player, Andrew Chatfield leads the league in sacks (six).

WPG (4-3) at CGY (5-3)

Week 5: WPG 16 – CGY 37
Week 7: CGY 41 – WPG 20
Against the West, Calgary is 3-0, while Winnipeg is 3-2.
Since 2022, Winnipeg is 7-3 against Calgary.
Zach Collaros is a career 10-8 versus the Stampeders.
Last week, Trey Vaval became the first Winnipeg player to score punt and kickoff return touchdowns in the same game.
Last week, Willie Jefferson had four pass knockdowns – one short of the single-game record held by Emanuel Martin, Kavis Reed and Davis Sanchez. Jefferson’s total of 85 is good for third behind Adrion Smith (90) and Eddie Davis (111).
Calgary last swept a three-game season series between the teams in 2016.
The Stampeders have allowed the fewest big plays (12) and offensive touchdowns (11).
Vernon Adams Jr. passed for 489 yards and five touchdowns in the teams’ two matchups this season. He is a career 6-3 against Winnipeg.
Dominique Rhymes has recorded a touchdown in each of his past three games.