Game Notes: What you need to know ahead of Week 8

TORONTO — Week 8 is here and that means Game Notes is back with plenty of information about this week’s matchups, including:

Kenny Lawler is on pace for 24 touchdown receptions, which would best Milt Stegall’s CFL record by one. Through six games in Stegall’s record-setting 2002 season, he had nine.
Calgary has its best start since 2018, when they last won the Grey Cup.
Cole Spieker had a career-high 129 receiving yards last week.
Last week, Kevin Mital recorded a career-high 10 receptions. He leads the league with 37 catches in 41 targets
Destin Talbert is first in pass knockdowns (seven), including one in each of his last five games.

Check out all CFL.ca’s Game Notes for Week 8 below:

THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW(LER)

Kenny Lawler has at least one touchdown in five of six games, and eight on the season.
He is on pace for 24 touchdown receptions, which would best Milt Stegall’s CFL record by one. Through six games in Stegall’s record-setting 2002 season, he had nine.
Hamilton’s single-season record for touchdown receptions is 15, established by Tony Champion in 1989.
Eleven of Lawler’s 33 receptions have been for 20+ yards, including eight at 30+.
Lawler sits second in the league in second down conversion receptions (13).

QUICK SLANTS

LEAGUE-WIDE

The league’s group of kickers has made 27 straight field goals.
Weeks 5-7 have averaged 765 yards of net offence per game.
Two-and-outs are at their lowest rate (31.7 per cent) since the league began recording the statistic in 2006.
Despite injuries, league-wide passer rating is at 97.4.
Road teams are 15-12 this season, including 3-1 in Week 7.
Possible milestone game(s):

MTL (4-2) at CGY (5-1)

Montreal is 3-0-1 in the teams’ last four matchups.
Montreal is allowing a CFL-low 5.8 yards per play.
The Alouettes’ next five games will be against the West, against which they are 1-1.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson needs three touchdown passes for 100 in his career. He also needs 12 completions for 1,500.
Cole Spieker had a career-high 129 receiving yards last week.
Najee Murray needs two defensive tackles for 200 in his career.
Calgary ranks first in points allowed per game (18.5), while Montreal is second (22.8).
Calgary is No. 1 with 130.5 rushing yards per game, while Montreal allows the fewest rushing yards per game (69.8) and 4.2 yards per attempt.
The Stampeders lead the all-time series 43-41-2.
Calgary has its best start since 2018, when they last won the Grey Cup.
Calgary has scored four defensive TDs, while allowing a league-low seven offensive TDs.
Vernon Adams Jr. is 3-0 against his old team, passing for 982 yards and six touchdowns. He has eight TD passes in his previous three games after throwing none in his first three.
In his last two games, Damien Alford has eight catches for 235 yards, including four touchdowns.

EDM (1-4) at SSK (5-1)

Edmonton has won its last two games in Saskatchewan.
Tre Ford is 2-0 against the Roughriders, while Cody Fajardo has not started against them.
Kurleigh Gittens Jr. has scored a touchdown in his past two games and three in his last four.
Nick Anderson’s next defensive tackle will be his 150^th, while Nyles Morgan needs one more to reach 350 in his career.
Saskatchewan has won 11 of the teams’ past 15 matchups.
Corey Mace has led the Roughriders to a second straight 5-1 start.
In his last two games, Trevor Harris is 59-of-74 passing (79.7 per cent) for 820 yards and four touchdowns.
Harris needs 226 passing yards to become the 13^th player to reach 35,000 in his career. He currently sits 16^th at 34,774, behind Michael Reilly (34,805) and Dieter Brock (34,830).

WPG (3-2) at TOR (1-5)

Toronto is 64-61-2 in the all-time series, including 3-1 in the last four matchups at BMO Field.
The teams’ last five meetings have been decided in the final three minutes.
Nick Arbuckle is a career 1-1 against Winnipeg; Chad Kelly is 1-0. Since 2023, the team is 20-4 with Kelly and 7-11 without him.
Last week, Kevin Mital recorded a career-high 10 receptions. He leads the league with 37 catches in 41 targets.
Zach Collaros is a career 10-7 versus Toronto; Chris Streveler has yet to start against the Argonauts.
Winnipeg has lost consecutive games by 20+ points for the first time since 2014.
Nic Demski registered a career-high 146 receiving yards last week, while scoring his 40^th touchdown. He is third on the active list behind Eugene Lewis (43) and DaVaris Daniels (41).
Sergio Castillo has made all three of his 50+ yard field goal attempts. He made a league-leading 11 last year.

HAM (4-2) at BC (3-4)

Hamilton has allowed the fewest passing TDs (five) and the fewest 30+ yard completions (four), while holding opposing QBs to the lowest efficiency rating (75.3).
Hamilton leads the league in turnover ratio (+8).
Bo Levi Mitchell is a career 12-7 against BC.
Destin Talbert is first in pass knockdowns (seven), including one in each of his last five games.
Marc Liegghio has made his past 30 field goal attempts, while Sean Whyte has been successful on his last 26.
BC is first in passing offence (310.6), while Hamilton sits second (303.8).
Nathan Rourke is a career 1-1 versus the Ticats. He has 300+ passing yards in four of five starts; he had two in eight in 2024. At 321.4 yards per start, he trails only Trevor Harris’s 325.2.
James Butler’s 504 rushing yards leads the CFL as he prepares to face his former team.
Keon Hatcher Sr. sits second in receiving yards (574) and first in yards after catch (204).
Last week, Ayden Eberhardt notched his first 100+ yard game in the CFL (105).