Former roommates Evans, Manziel to square on in regular-season finale

Evans will make his first start since Dec. 19, 2016 when he threw for 304 yards and five TDs in Tulsa’s 55-20 over Central Michigan in the Miami Beach Bowl. The 24-year-old admits doing so against his former roommate is peculiar.

“I mean it’s odd but it’s kind of this game,” he said. “The game of football has a way of tying people together and circling back.

“No matter where you go in Canada or back in the States, you always go to a team that you know somebody or you know somebody who knows somebody. It’s just kind of funny how everything circles back together like that.”

Evans called Manziel, “a good roommate.”

“We watched a lot of TV, we watched Westworld (a science fiction series) together,” he said. “That was kind of like our show that we bonded over so that was cool.

“We’d just talk about whatever. Old games, video games . . . he’s just a normal guy.”

Manziel made headlines across North America in May when he signed a two-year contract with Hamilton and began his CFL tenure rooming with Evans. But after the former Heisman Trophy winner saw no playing time behind Masoli, the Ticats dealt Johnny Football and offensive linemen Tony Washington and Landon Rice to Montreal in late July for defensive end Jamaal Westerman and receiver Chris Williams as well as 2020 and 2021 first-round draft picks.

Hamilton head coach June Jones reiterated Friday that Manziel was traded to give him a better shot at playing. But Jones added Evans’ development was also a factor.

Jones said the trade has helped Manziel, who agreed with his former head coach.

Ironically, Manziel made his CFL debut against Hamilton on Aug. 3, less than two weeks after the trade. The outcome was predictable as Manziel finished 11-of-20 passing for 104 yards with four interceptions in a 50-11 Ticats’ victory.

“Everybody was hoping he could walk right in but I don’t care who you are,” Jones said. “He went through it, survived it and got better and he’s committed to their system.

“You can tell that’s helping him play better. We’re not playing the same team we played when he started that first game. They’re better everywhere, it’s going to be a football game.”

Manziel earned his first CFL victory last weekend, playing the first half of Montreal’s 40-10 home win over the Toronto Argonauts. Manziel has completed 102-of-160 passes for 1,231 yards with four TDs and seven interceptions while rushing for 212 yards on 28 carries (7.7-yard average) this season.

Manziel said he’s more than moved on from the earlier lopsided loss to Hamilton.

“A lot of progress has been made since that point,” he said. “It happened, you move on, go on to the next week.

“I’m not thinking back, not reflecting at all. It’s been a good progression, one that’s taken weeks to get to where I feel extremely comfortable, especially over the past couple of weeks. I’m just keeping it rolling, it’s not feeling as foreign anymore.”

Montreal is looking to finish its regular season with two straight wins but will miss the CFL playoffs for a fourth straight year. Hamilton has clinched a post-season berth and will host the B.C. Lions in the East Division semifinal Nov. 11 but is coming off consecutive losses to the Ottawa Redblacks.

Manziel is under contract through next season. He expects to spend time in Montreal during the off-season and has every intention of returning to the team in 2019.

“Absolutely, 100 per cent my plans are to come back to Montreal and I want to be here,” he said. “It’s going to be a good off-season, the first one I’ve had where I know I’m coming back to play football next year.”

Predictably, Hamilton will rest several starters against Montreal. But that doesn’t diminish the importance of the game in Evans’ mind.

“We want to win because we want to carry this momentum over for when our starters come back against B.C.,” he said. “That’s our job,”

A fact not lost upon Jones.

“I’d like to see him make the right decisions on throws,” Jones said. “Go through his progressions . . . and obviously win.

“I’d like to see that.”

MONTREAL (4-13) AT HAMILTON (8-9)

Saturday, Tim Hortons Field

Key matchup: Alouettes QB Johnny Manziel vs. Hamilton QB Dane Evans. Manziel makes his eighth CFL start and comes off registering his first win in last weekend’s 40-10 victory over Toronto. Evans makes his first CFL start as Hamilton will rest the majority of its starters for next weekend’s East Division semifinal game versus the B.C. Lions at Tim Hortons Field.

The big number: 4 – The number of consecutive seasons Montreal has missed the CFL playoffs.

Who’s hot: Rookie Alouettes running back William Stanback had 112 all-purpose yards in Montreal’s 40-10 home win over Toronto last weekend. He also had the first and second touchdowns of his CFL career.

Who’s not: Hamilton’s defence. Ottawa outscored the Ticats 65-44 in sweeping the home-and-home series to cement top spot in the East Division standings. The Redblacks threw for over 750 games in the two games.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Former roommates Evans, Manziel to square on in regular-season finale

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