Latest news with #Roughriders
National Post
4 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Rider Rumblings Ep 170: Roughriders ready for Edmonton Elks
After beating the B.C. Lions in Vancouver on the weekend, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are back at on Friday night as they are set to host the Edmonton Elks in Week 8 of the CFL season. Article content In Episode 170 of the Rider Rumblings podcast, Leader-Post sports editor Taylor Shire and columnist Darrell Davis preview the upcoming matchup which features the 5-1 Roughriders against the 1-4 Elks. Is it a 'trap game' for the Green and White? How will they defend Edmonton's quarterbacks? Article content Article content The duo also gives their thoughts on Saskatchewan's performance in B.C. while giving their report card on the team as we're now a third of the way through the season. Article content
National Post
a day ago
- Sport
- National Post
'Just throw it up': Roughriders' Dohnte Meyers already enjoying career year
Article content Article content Whether it's Meyers or one of his teammates, what you see on game day is a product of what happens during the week of practice. Article content 'It starts with the game plan that (offensive coordinator Marc) Mueller sets for the top of the week,' said Meyers. 'And on the execution on details from Trevor Harris that he preaches. Article content 'Him being a veteran quarterback and me still learning the ropes in the league, you just try to soak up all the game and listen to them when it's game time, because they're proven to have success.' Article content Case in point on Saturday where Meyers caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Harris on Saskatchewan's first offensive series of the game before the second-year receiver caught a 30-yard bomb from Harris to open the second half. Article content 'The double move they hit, it was a thing of beauty,' said Roughriders head coach Corey Mace. 'You see it in real time, and you've seen it in practice, it was just incredible. Article content 'We're happy as ever that Trevor Harris is our quarterback and Dohnte and the rest of receiving corps are with us.' Article content Article content Article content And the depth of that receiving corps has been on display this season with Harris having a different 100-yard receiver in his first four starts this season. Article content In Week 1, Samuel Emilus went for 133 yards and a touchdown before KeeSean Johnson put up 124 yards and a score in Week 2. In Week 3, Meyers had his 124-yard, two touchdown performance against the Argonauts before Joe Robustelli led the way with 191 yards and a touchdown in Week 6. Article content Last week, it was Meyers' turn once again with 132 yards and two touchdowns. Article content 'What you love about Trevor Harris is he's not going to get too locked in onto one receiver,' said Mace. 'He's going to find who's open and we feel so confident in the entire group.' Article content
National Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Roughriders bounce back with 33-27 win over B.C. Lions
The Saskatchewan Roughriders responded in a big way on Saturday night. Article content After suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of the Calgary Stampeders one week ago, the Roughriders improved to 5-1 with a 33-27 over the B.C. Lions, who dropped to 3-4, in Week 7 of the CFL season. Article content It was Saskatchewan's second victory over the Lions this season after also beating B.C. 37-18 in Week 4. Article content Article content Quarterback Trevor Harris, who was out with injury the last these teams met, completed 23 of 30 passes for 395 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Two of those touchdown passes were to receiver Dohnte Meyers, who led the way with 132 receiving yards on seven catches. Article content As for how it all played out, it was an electric start to the game for the Green and White. Article content After Saskatchewan's defence forced a two-and-out, Harris and the Roughriders' offence went to work. Article content Following a first-down run by A.J. Ouellette, Harris hit Meyers for another first-down gain. Two plays later, Harris went back to Meyers on a 50-yard touchdown strike to put the visitors up 7-0 early. Article content On the ensuing kickoff, the Roughriders' special teams unit forced a fumble on the return as Jayden Dalke scooped up the loose ball and gave Saskatchewan's offence a second opportunity to put points up early on. Article content And while the Roughriders couldn't find the end zone, Brett Lauther nailed a 45-yard field goal to make it 10-0. Article content Article content After linebacker A.J. Allen nearly intercepted Lions' quarterback Nathan Rourke, the Lions put up a single point on the board with a punt into the end zone for a rouge to make it 10-1. Article content Article content On Saskatchewan's third drive of the game, Harris found Joe Robustelli for a 29-yard gain before hitting Dhel Duncan-Busby for a 19-yard gain to B.C.'s seven-yard line. Article content On the next play, Harris rolled out the pocket and found Ouellette for a short touchdown pass to make it 17-1 Saskatchewan. Article content B.C. responded on their next drive as Rourke escaped a sack before throwing a 40-yard touchdown pass to Ayden Eberhardt to make it 17-8 at the end of the first quarter. Article content As the Roughriders looked to put another scoring drive together, Saskatchewan's offence gained a couple of first downs before Harris was intercepted on a deep pass by B.C.'s Ronald Kent on his own five-yard line. Article content After the Lions were forced to punt it away, rookie Drae McCray returned it 24 yards before Harris found Samuel Emilus, making his return to the lineup for the first time since Week 2, for a 69-yard gain down to the 12-yard line.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Davis: Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive linemen are ticked off ... at themselves
The Saskatchewan Roughriders' large group of offensive linemen is not happy. They don't like being pushed around. They don't like getting criticized. And they really don't like losing. 'Sometimes I think that was one of the best things that could have happened to us, especially as an offensive line,' said centre Logan Ferland, the longest-tenured player on Saskatchewan's offensive line, looking back to an embarrassing CFL loss that snapped the team's four-game, season-opening winning streak. 'You know, realizing where you are and not getting too confident or complacent. That's exactly what that game did, it made us realize where we are and that we have to keep pushing every day.' There are 13 O-linemen listed on the Roughriders roster, counting the six who will dress for Saturday's game in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions. There are seven more divided between injury lists and the practice roster, looking to step in if the starters continue to falter. Considering all the changes, following a challenging season in which the Roughriders deployed 16 offensive linemen through five positions, an occasional poor performance should be acceptable. Not to this group. 'I don't think we ever expect there to be ups and downs because of that,' said Ferland. 'We want everyone to be able to plug and play regardless of who goes in there and be able to play to the same standard we always play to.' That didn't happen Saturday afternoon, in a game rescheduled from Friday night at Mosaic Stadium because of poor air quality, when the Roughriders came back from a bye week to surrender three quarterback sacks and gain only 16 rushing yards in a 24-10 loss to the Calgary Stampeders. The Roughriders were particularly sluggish to throughout the first half, as noted postgame by head coach Corey Mace when he admitted his team's offensive and defensive lines lost their early physical battles. Mace's criticism was evidently justified. 'One hundred per cent,' said Ferland. 'You can see it right off the hop. It was like we weren't there. We weren't who we normally were and that really woke us up.' In their first practice following the loss, Mace used one of his team's rare full-pads day to re-spark his squad. Judging by the popping sounds and the tenacity of the workout, the message was sent and well-received. 'That (loss) deflated, I want to say, our ego,' said Mace. 'That was a tough one for everybody to swallow. But it's early in the year and you kind of want to get that out of they way. 'Certainly how they practised today, I think they understood what we need to do.' In addition to dropping them into second place in the West with a 4-1 record — Calgary improved to 4-1 and temporarily earned the first-place tiebreaker — the drubbing knocked the Roughriders out of the league lead for points scored, most rushing yards per game and fewest sacks allowed. Those are numbers the ever-changing offensive line had been especially proud of, so falling from such lofty perches is an affront to Ferland and his cohorts. 'Absolutely,' said Ferland. 'We got no stats, right? So we take great pride in that and obviously we need to get a lot better.' Ferland and right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick have started all five games, with Jacob Brammer, Trevon Tate and Zack Fry rotating through the guard positions while Payton Collins and Daniel Johnson, who won't play this week due to a shoulder injury, have played left tackle. Ferland prefers guard, but he shifted to centre when projected starter Sean McEwen joined the large contingent on Saskatchewan's injury lists. With a large, noisy crowd expected for Saturday's game inside domed B.C. Place Stadium, it adds another challenge to Saskatchewan's oft-changing offensive line, who may have to rely on silent counts for snapping the ball. The Lions will also be looking to avenge a 37-18 loss at Mosaic Stadium on June 28. And B.C. (3-3) is on a two-game winning streak, coming off a 21-20, last-play road victory against the Montreal Alouettes and a 32-14 thumping of the hometown Edmonton Elks on Saturday. The road to happiness goes through Vancouver. Related The Big Question: What happened to the Saskatchewan Roughriders? Davis: Roughriders surprising no-shows for first-place showdown against Stampeders The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
‘It'll be explosive': Ouellette, Carey hope dual threat may turn fortunes of Riders' run game
Saskatchewan Roughriders running back A.J. Ouellette (45) stiff arms B.C. Lions defensive back Ronald Kent Jr. (21) during the first half of CFL football action in Regina, on Saturday, October 12, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu Saskatchewan Roughriders running backs A.J. Ouellette and Ka'Deem Carey believe they can be the next great backfield tandem in the Canadian Football League (CFL). '[Ka'Deem] is a Grey Cup champion running back,' Ouellette said about his teammate. 'He knows how to play no matter the score, pressure of the game - he knows the offense. [He] is a smart, physical running back.' 'It's nice knowing [I] don't have to stay out there the whole game,' he added. Together, the two running backs have more than 10 years of CFL experience, two Grey Cup rings and three 1,000-yard rushing seasons. 'It's been great just being in the same room as [A.J.], honestly,' Carey said. 'I'm learning a lot from him. I can look at A.J. and see how he gets it done and put that in my arsenal.' 'I love having him right next to me and we just make each other better that way,' the running back added. Ka'Deem Carey Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Ka'Deem Carey (29) before the start of the CFL football action against the Hamilton Tiger Cats, in Hamilton, Ont., Saturday, June 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power (Peter Power/The Canadian Press) Ground game struggles The tandem's confidence may not be coming at a better time. Last week against Calgary, Saskatchewan managed just 16 yards rushing, averaging less than two yards per carry. Ouellette had just nine yards on nine carries. 'It wasn't what they were doing,' he told reporters Thursday. 'It was more what we were doing. We just have to play better.' 'Wake calls are good every now and then,' Ouellette added. Riders' offensive coordinator Marc Mueller believes his team was outplayed at the line of scrimmage against the Stamps. 'They got good players,' Mueller said. 'It was something maybe we needed. And it is good to have one of those early in the year, rather than later.' Despite the troubles on the ground, Saskatchewan did put up 425 passing yards. 'We have to be balanced while doing what we're good at,' the offensive coordinator added. Marc Mueller Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive coordinator Marc Mueller looks on before CFL football action against the Montreal Alouettes in Regina, on Friday, August 16, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu (Heywood Yu/The Canadian Press) Looking up field Now the Riders turn to the B.C. Lions in hopes of turning things around, particularly in the run game. 'We have to stay on the field,' Mueller reiterated. 'Early [against Calgary], we had three or four three and outs in a row. When we had a little momentum, they got us off the field with turnovers.' Saskatchewan played B.C. just three weeks ago – a 37-18 win over the Lions. 'They're a good defense and it's going to be a great challenge for us,' Mueller said. The coordinator hinted Carey could see an expanded role in the backfield, now with the team for a few weeks. 'We're comfortable putting both [A.J. and Ka'Deem] out there, whether it's together or individually – we showed that a bit last game,' Mueller said. 'They're not much different [from each other]. They're both really good, well-rounded backs and we trust them to run the offense the way we run it.' Carey says the transition to Saskatchewan has been smooth as he awaits his larger role in the play calling. 'We're just trying to figure out what is the best plays to put out there with me and A.J. and attack the defense,' Carey said. 'We're slowly getting into it. But the time [is] coming and it's going to be pretty explosive when it does.' A.J. Ouellette Saskatchewan Roughriders running back A.J. Ouellette (45) leaps before CFL football action against the Calgary Stampeders in Regina, on Saturday, July 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu (Heywood Yu/The Canadian Press) Against the Lions in Week 4, Ouellette rushed for 139 yards – his first 100-yard rushing game as a Rider. However, he welcomed the possibility of adding another 1,000-yard rusher to the offense on a regular basis. 'That'd be nice,' Ouellette said with a chuckle. 'I would love some more deep threats down the field.' Saskatchewan has one final practice Friday morning, before travelling to Vancouver for Saturday's game. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CST at B.C. Place.
