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Three Stars: Mike Daly, Henry Burris and James Yurichuk top Week Nine's showings

Hamilton Tiger-Cats Mike Daly (35) tries to dislodge the ball from Montreal Alouettes Nik Lewis during second half CFL football action in Montreal, July 16, 2015. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi (REUTERS)

Moving on with our Three Stars series, here's a look at the top performances of Week Nine, where two of the three stars came from Sunday's Ottawa-Toronto clash. 

First star/defensive player of the week: Mike Daly, defensive back, Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Defensive players don't always get top billing here, but Daly's remarkable performance deserves it. The Hamilton offence got much of the credit for their 49-20 thumping of Edmonton Friday, but the Tiger-Cats' defence was also essential, and Daly played a huge role there. The Ticats' safety had six tackles, two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble on the day, incredible all-around numbers. He's showing he can be a valuable part of this team.

(Honourable mentions: Brandon Smith, DB, Calgary; Taylor Reed, LB, Hamilton; Justin Capicciotti, DE, Ottawa.)

Second star/offensive player of the week: Henry Burris, quarterback, Ottawa Redblacks: Burris lit up the Toronto Argonauts Sunday, throwing for 426 yards. That wasn't enough for a win, as Toronto emerged with a 30-24 victory, but it was the most dazzling offensive performance this week, especially when you consider that Burris completed 32 of his 36 pass attempts. That's a dazzling 88.9 per cent completion rate, and it came with just four incompletions and no interceptions. Burris has sometimes been criticized for his decision-making, which has often led to picks, but the Temple product was dialed in for most of the game Sunday.That doesn't mean his play was perfect; he did fumble twice (one of which was lost), and he had a harder time finding his receivers in the final few minutes. It was still a remarkable showing, though, and one that's well worthy of an offensive player of the week nod despite strong competition.

(Honourable mentions; Derel Walker, WR, Edmonton; Tyrell Sutton, RB, Montreal; Eric Rogers, WR, Calgary.)

Third star/special teams player of the week: James Yurichuk, linebacker/cover teams, Toronto Argonauts: Cover guys don't get too many headlines, but Yurichuk deserves them this week. He had a week-leading four special teams tackles Sunday against Ottawa, and was a key part of containing dangerous Redblacks' returners Chris Williams (who only picked up 21 yards on five punt returns) and Chevon Walker (who had 70 yards on four kick returns). The Bishop's alum has been a great special teams player for most of his seven-year CFL career, first in B.C. and now in Toronto, and he's also been a valuable defensive piece at times. It was his special-teams skills that really shone Sunday, though, and he was a big part of the Argonauts' win.

(Honourable mentions: Swayze Waters, P/K, Toronto; Rene Paredes, K, Calgary; Jeff Knox Jr., LB/ST, Saskatchewan.)

Bonus star/Canadian player of the week: Mike Daly, defensive back, Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Daly's a lock for this spot, considering that he earned our First Star choice above, but it's worth considering how he got to this point. It wasn't a guaranteed ascension: the Ticats picked Daly up in the sixth round of the 2013 CFL draft out of Hamilton's McMaster University, but he returned to school that fall after training camp before joining the team full-time in 2014. He was used mostly on special teams last season, but has played more of a role in the defence this year, especially with Craig Butler being hurt, and he already has 14 tackles, three interceptions and a sack. He's showing he can handle the spotlight, and we'll see how he does as time goes on.

(Honourable mentions: James Yurichuk, LB/ST, Toronto; Matt Walter, RB, Calgary; Brad Sinopoli, SB, Ottawa.)

Thanks for reading! Keep an eye on 55-Yard Line for next week's Three Stars, and if you'd like to nominate a candidate during the week's games, contact me via Twitter or e-mail.