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MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Its been quite a stretch between CFL starts for Jarious Jackson. The former Notre Dame star will be under centre Saturday when the Toronto Argonauts visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Incumbent Ricky Ray will miss the contest due to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee suffered in Sundays 31-10 road loss in Montreal. Toronto signed Jackson, who spent seven seasons in B.C., as a free agent in February as insurance in case Ray was hurt. Jackson has a 14-8 career record but will make his first CFL start since Aug. 12, 2010 when he completed 18-of-31 passes for 194 yards and two interceptions for B.C. in a 37-13 road loss to Saskatchewan. "I feel fine, I feel normal, I feel great," Jackson said after practising with the first unit Tuesday. "I dont know how much different it (Argos offence with him under centre) is going to be. "We still have some of the same plays, the same reads. Im sure well have a few wrinkles here and there like most teams do but for the most part were running coachs offence." Fortunately for Toronto, Ray wont require surgery. Argos head coach Scott Milanovich hopes to have his starter back in the lineup Oct. 8 when Toronto hosts the Saskatchewan Roughriders. "This is why we brought (Jackson) here, for this type of situation exactly," Milanovich said. "The positive thing is he basically played an entire game last week. "It wouldve been tougher on Jarious had this happened to Ricky late in the fourth quarter. He got a whole games worth of snaps and we kept him in for one extra series just so he could get some no-huddle and get some experience in a three-minute type of drill. Hes locked in (Tuesday) like its gameday so I expect him to do well." Ray started in Montreal and was 3-of-4 passing for 30 yards before leaving in the first quarter. Jackson, 35, came in and finished 15-of-31 passing for 198 yards with an interception. The six-foot-one, 232-pound Jackson brings a different skillset to Torontos offence than Ray. The former Notre Dame star is more mobile and can use that ability to escape pressure and either buy his receivers more time or take off himself upfield. Ray, 32, sports a solid 5.3-yard rushing average this season but has only run 15 times this season. Hes a much more accomplished passer, standing third overall among CFL quarterbacks with 3,371 yards and tops with a 68.3 per cent completion average. But Milanovich wouldnt divulge how different Torontos offence would be with Jackson under centre. "Im not going to help (Bombers head coach) Tim Burke any more than I have to," Milanovich said. "Hes going to have to wait until Saturday to find out what we do or dont do differently. "Theres nobody quite like Ricky. Jarious has different skills, hes got some more mobility, has a stronger arm and does some things differently. Hes a different type of leader I think our guys will respond to. Well do what we have to do to fit Jariouss skillset but he can still a lot of the different things Ricky can do." Toronto (6-6) remains second in the East Division four points behind front-running Montreal (8-4) and four points ahead of third-place Hamilton (4-8). However, with a shot at first place firmly in their grasp the last two weeks, the Argos have dropped both games. "I think it says were not quite there yet and we need to keep going at it and working at it and continue to improve," Milanovich said. "But even if we had won those games, Id be telling you the same thing. "Its just we werent quite ready." Jacksons first start of the season will come against a rejuvenated Winnipeg squad. While the Bombers (3-9) have the CFLs worst record, starter Buck Pierce made a triumphant return in leading the club to a dominant 34-12 home win over Hamilton on Friday night. After missing eight games with a foot injury, Pierce finished 21-of-31 passing for 288 yards and a TD. Running back Chad Simpson was also a dominant force with 134 yards on 19 carries and named the leagues offensive player of the week as Winnipeg snapped a four-game losing streak. Bombers linebacker Henoc Muamba was named the top Canadian after registering five tackles, one sack and one forced fumble against Hamilton. Two challenges Toronto will face are excessive crowd noise and swirling winds at Canad Inns Stadium. Theres also the matter of an aggressive Winnipeg defence that has 29 sacks, tied with the defending Grey Cup-champion B.C. Lions for the league lead. "Well have to do what it takes to keep (Jackson) clean," Milanovich said. "Hopefully were able to run the ball and mix it up and move Jarious out of the pocket here and there to take heat off our guys. "In Winnipeg you always have the issue with the weather and wind so its always a kind of fluid gameplan when you go into there." What impresses Jackson most about Winnipegs defence is its ability to pressure the quarterback without having to send its linebackers. "Thats saying a lot about their front six and how theyre able to get pressure and use the other six, sometimes even seven, other guys in coverage," Jackson said. "Winnipeg has always been a team thats good with that front six so it does present some challenges for us. "But you know, hey, were part of this league to and we have to go over there and play those guys." <a href="http://www.comcheapjerseys.com/">cheap nfl jerseys</a>. The McMaster Marauders hulking offensive lineman isnt superstitious or especially finicky about his footwear. Its just with size 17 feet, finding shoes that fit is a constant challenge. <a href="http://www.comcheapjerseys.com/">nfl jerseys china</a>. Up by 24 in the fourth quarter, it looked as if Durant and fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook were going to rest for most of the final period. <a href="http://www.comcheapjerseys.com/">http://www.comcheapjerseys.com/</a>. The Australian broke Lackos serve twice in each set to set up a second-round match against Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, who eased past big-serving Sam Querrey 6-2, 7-5. <a href="http://www.comcheapjerseys.com/">jerseys from china</a>. -- The Tampa Bay Rays, still feeling the effects from Mondays 15-inning, 5-hour loss to the Oakland Athletics, have called up right-handed reliever Josh Lueke. <a href="http://www.comcheapjerseys.com/">cheap nfl jerseys china</a>. Manager John Farrell said the addition of McCoy -- who can also play in the outfield if needed -- gives the Blue Jays some middle infield depth. Second baseman Kelly Johnson is nursing a tender hamstring and shortstop Yunel Escobar has had a tight left groin over the last few days. MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer has heard all the conspiracy theories surrounding his prolonged absences from the Minnesota Twins last season. The concerns have run the gamut from legitimate to outlandish, all generated by the lack of clarity offered by the team and Mauer. With that in mind, the star catcher met with a few local reporters on Friday in hopes of alleviating some worries, dismissing some rumours and ensuring the fans that he will be ready to go next season. "Im healthy, Im happy," Mauer said. "I can rule out crazy things Ive heard like Lyme disease, Lou Gehrigs disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus. I think weve heard it all. I dont have any of those things." The rampant speculation swirled all season long, both inside and outside the Twins clubhouse. Mauer played in only 82 games, missing most of the first two months of the season with a condition the team initially called "bilateral leg weakness." He also missed time because of a viral infection and an upper respiratory infection that turned into pneumonia and ended his season in mid-September. Through it all, the 2009 AL MVP hit just .287 with three home runs and 30 RBIs in the first season of an eight-year, US$184 million contract extension. And as the losses piled up and the Twins sunk into the AL Central basement, Mauer took the brunt of the criticism for the first time in his career. Mauer mentioned several times that there were some things he wished he would have done differently while last season was unfolding, most notably "the message to the fans and what really was going on. It was kind of a big mystery. I think I tried to correct that. It just didnt really work out." Mauer said he is fully recovered from the pneumonia and plans on being ready to go as soon as the Twins report to spring training in February. It all started in spring training last year after Mauer had minor knee surgery in December. He hardly played in the exhibition season, electing to work out and save his legs for the rigours of catching in a 162-game season. But he only played nine games in the opening month of the season before landing on the disabled list with the eyebrow-raising leg weakness diagnosis. He didnt return until the middle of June, then laboured through another three months before going on the disabled list for good on Sept. 14 with the illness. His once sterling imaage in his hometown was tarnished by the situation, with fans booing him on occasion and teammates wondering exactly what was wrong with the all-star.dddddddddddd "Weve had kind of a tough year collectively," Mauer said. "I think when that happens, you just try to right that ship. I dont think (my teammates) really knew what was going on. Maybe that was part of the frustration, too." It was an entirely new experience for Mauer, who grew up in St. Paul and had been idolized by fans ever since he was a multi-sport prep star at Cretin-Derham Hall High School. "I think what surprised me a lot was a couple things out there questioning my work ethic and that bugged me a little bit because I think guys who have been around know how hard I work and how much time I put in to what I do," Mauer said. "So thats one thing that frustrated me a little bit." Mauer made several trips to the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester to get checked out, only increasing the concern among fans that something more serious was affecting him. But Mauer said hes been given a clean bill of health and he plans to be ready to go full throttle when spring training opens in February. If hes learned one thing through the ordeal, its that keeping the lines of communication open -- with the media, fans and his teammates -- is important to make sure nothing is misconstrued. "I just feel that, and Ive told people in the organization this, if Im not out there playing, the fans should know why," Mauer said. "People are going to have their own opinions and you cant control that. As long as my family, my friends and the organization know whats going on, thats whats important to me." Mauer said his knee and legs feel good and he is making some changes to his workout and eating habits this off-season to try and be better prepared for the season. He still sees himself as a full-time catcher and is determined to help make sure the 99-loss season last year was a one-time setback. "The best barometer is the player himself," GM Terry Ryan said. "If he feels good, then I feel good. "You can talk to all the medical people you want; talk about what hes had and whats hes gone through and experienced, but if you ask the player and he tells you that he feels good, that gives you a pretty good sense things are going right." ' ' '
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