The Ottawa Redblacks will have rookie quarterback Dustin Crum under centre when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday.
“Dustin stepped in and played reasonably well (against Hamilton this past week),” head coach Bob Dyce told TSN 1200. “He did a lot of good things, as mobile as he was with 91 yards rushing. He proved a threat in that regard and completed 67 percent of his passes and he did a lot of good things for a guy stepping in when he really didn’t anticipate getting into the game.”
Veteran quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has been ruled out for the rest of the 2023 season with an Achilles injury he suffered in the second quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The injury occurred on a non-contact play and Masoli was seen in a boot and on crutches after receiving attention from team trainers.
Crum threw for 149 yards and two interceptions in relief of Masoli in the 21-13 loss but was highly effective along the ground, rushing for 91 yards and one touchdown. This would mark the first professional start for the young passer.
The 24-year-old played five seasons at Kent State University where he was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) MVP in 2021. He completed 66.7 percent of his passes with the Golden Flashes for 7,420 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions and ran the ball 477 times for 2,071 yards for 24 touchdowns. He went unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft but signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent.
“We’re excited to see Dustin with a full week’s practice and the opportunity to go out and start. Dustin’s a very smart young man,” said Dyce. “The guys really rallied around him and he offers a multifaceted attack. He can drop back to pass but he’s got the ability to move around as well as you saw on the weekend. And so now it’s just a matter for us as coaches doing our jobs to tailor an offence that’s going to allow him to have success.”
Nick Arbuckle, who started the first two games of the year for Ottawa, will presumably be the primary backup behind Crum. The Redblacks will likely add another quarterback this week as Tyrie Adams, who earned a win in Week 4 over the Edmonton Elks, is out for the year due to a torn ACL.
Ottawa (1-3) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-1) on Saturday, July 15 with kickoff slated for 4:00 p.m. EDT.
