Ticats to be without receiver Steven Dunbar Jr. for pivotal clash with Riders

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The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be without one of their top offensive weapons for their pivotal Week 18 contest with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, as receiver Steven Dunbar Jr. has been placed on the one-game injured list due to a non-football absence.

The 26-year-old pass catcher has had a breakout sophomore campaign for the Ticats and currently sits ninth in the CFL with 869 yards receiving and six touchdowns on 63 receptions.

Dunbar appeared in 12 games for Hamilton as a rookie in 2021, recording 44 receptions for 630 yards and four touchdowns. The native of New Orleans, Louisiana previously spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos after an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Houston.

The Ticats will also be without fellow starting American receiver Papi White due to a head injury. Practice roster receiver Anthony Johnson will get his second appearance of the season in place of White — having caught two passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in his Week 6 debut — while former NFL pass catcher Terry Godwin will get his first taste of CFL action in Dunbar’s spot.

The five-foot-eleven, 185-pound Godwin was drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers and went on to spend parts of four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-2021) and Tennesee Titans (2022). He dressed for three career games with the Jags and made three catches for 32 yards and carried the ball once for three yards. He also returned two kickoffs for 20 yards.

The 25-year-old native of Hogansville, Ga. played 54 games at the University of Georgia (2015-19) and recorded 133 receptions for 1,788 yards and 11 touchdowns over four seasons with the Bulldogs. He finished his collegiate career eleventh in school history in career receptions and thirteenth in career receiving yards.

The Ticats (4-10) are slated to host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-9) on Friday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The result of the game will have massive playoff ramifications, with both teams battling for the final playoff spot in the East Division.