Rider Pride Report

CFL Insider's Saskatchewan Roughriders Columnist Terry McEvoy weighs in with his take on Gang Green.

And step up they did.

After three weeks of waiting, by their own admission, for someone else to step up and make a play, the Saskatchewan Roughriders collectively put it together. In their 33 – 22 win over the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, the game highlights finally included a number of Roughrider names. Kerry Joseph continued a fine season with a 26 for 40 passing performance for 355 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for an additional 73 yards. Andy Fantuz kept his resurgence going, with seven receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown, heading him undoubtedly toward a second consecutive weekly honour.

The varied game plan drawn up by the Rider coaching staff also pushed some names back into the spotlight. Corey Holmes brought a nice change of pace on several plays, including a TD run where he scampered in untouched and a TD reception. The returning-from-injury T. J. Stancil was all over the field and led Saskatchewan with 11 tackles.

At Mosaic Stadium, the wind howled all day, and when Anthony Calvillo led the Als down the field on the game’s initial drive, I was a bit worried. With the strong wind at his back, Calvillo, himself just back from a shoulder injury, quickly piled up five first downs. A pass knockdown by Reggie Hunt forced a field goal, however, and the Montreal team did not use that first quarter to the advantage they might have, leading only 4 – 0 at the end. It took the Riders a bit to get rolling, but they piled up 19 points in the second quarter for a comfortable half-time lead.

Anthony Calvillo made it interesting for much of the second half, eventually ending up with 410 yards through the air, but the Riders seemed to continue to make the plays as needed to preserve their lead. Montreal’s momentum was consistent, but never overwhelming, as the Riders fought off the wind and terrible field position in the fourth quarter. Stancil’s number dominated the tackle stats as the Saskatchewan defence did what they had needed to do the past few weeks. Punter Jamie Boreham, a guy who often defines Hustle, even batted a loose punt to a pouncing Dustin Cherniawski, saving a possession when it mattered in the breezy fourth quarter.

There are a number of “Must Win” games in every CFL season. The phrase is nearly a cliché in Riderville, and I’ve heard it in each of the past three weeks. Even so, this Montreal win was at least very significant, putting the Riders back on track, and even undoubtedly restoring some tarnished team confidence. The Calgary loss to BC, and the prospect of meeting a Burrisless Stamps team on Thanksgiving puts the Riders back in an excellent position for that elusive home playoff game. But it’s now just a five game season, and step up Saskatchewan must continue to do.