Mitchell Blair
Corey Chamblin and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are right where they wanted to be when they opened training camp back in June. They are the Western Division champions and they are ready to walk onto the Mosaic Stadium turf in the 101st Grey Cup hoping they walk off with the fourth championship in team history.
Chamblin is happy to be where they wanted to be, but he knows there is one more step.
“Our mindset was to be here right from day one,” Chamblin said. “We have one more game to go though. We have put together a championship team and we’ve done everything we can to get here, now it’s just time to go out and win that final game.”
When the Riders come out from their dressing room, they will be greeted by a crowd of 45-thousand people with likely 95 percent of them wearing green or cheering for the home team as people from Avonlea to Yorkton have made the trek to what they hope will be a chance to witness history. Defensive lineman Keith Shologan has played many games at Mosaic throughout his Rider career, but he believes this game will be entirely different than any other home game he has ever played in because of the magnitude.
“It’s going to be unbelievable,” Shologan says with a chuckle. “If there was a dome on top of this stadium, they would take it off because they are so excited and we are so focussed to play this one. We are in the Grey Cup and we are at home and we know that we will be the overwhelming crowd favourite. I can’t wait.”
Shologan, like many others on the roster were on the 2009 and 2010 teams that were beaten by the Montreal Alouettes in the championship game. He says those games and those defeats are serving as huge motivators as they take the field.
“This is the year to do it.” Shologan said. “We want to do what B.C did two years ago and what Toronto did last year. We want to win this one at Mosaic and any talk of us being the team that can get to the big game but can’t win it. It’s been a little different than those two years because our focus is clear even though we are at home. That’s not to say we weren’t focussed in those other games, but the fact we are in home surroundings makes getting that focus just a little better. It’s time for us to go play.
Darian Durant has every right to be excited as he gets ready to quarterback the Riders in the Grey Cup game for the 3rd time in the last five years, but he remains calm in what will be the biggest game of his career.
“I’m glad the week is over and we can finally get down to business, “Durant said. “I won’t tell you I don’t have some butterflies because I do, but they say that’s a good thing. I think the biggest difference for me from those other two games is being more mature and learning how to adjust to a different workweek and to live for the moment. I just want to enjoy every second of it.”
Durant also has a request for the fans coming to the game and that is to do what his teammates will do and that is leave it all on the field.
“If I had one message for the crowd, it would be to be loud. We need you to scream until you lose your voice and then scream some more. Make it as tough on those guys as possible! “Durant said. “Doing that will make it hard for their offence and what they want to do. We need to hear you no matter what section you are in and we want to hear you from across the province. Be ready to cheer and cheer loud.”
Durant also joked that he doesn’t feel sorry for Henry Burris because of the catcalls the former Rider and current Hamilton quarterback will receive and that Burris should do the honourable thing and let him have the Grey Cup since he already has one.
Kickoff is slated for just after 5 o’clock. The game can be heard on radio across Saskatchewan on 620 CKRM. Pre-game activities will begin with “Roughrider Gameday” at 1 o’clock with Michael Ball. That show can also be seen live on Riderville.com. That will pave the way for the play-by-play with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri.
TSN will bring the game to Canadians from coast-to-coast and to Americans on the NBC Sports Network. TSN’s pre-game show will start at Noon with Chris Cuthbert and former Rider Glen Suitor on the call.
GAME NOTES:
- The Riders will wear their green uniforms while the Ti-Cats will wear their traditional road whites
- This is the 7th time the two teams have played for the Grey Cup. Hamilton holds a 5-1 advantage, but the last time the two teams played was 1989 when Dave Ridgway’s last second field goal gave the Riders a 43-40 win in a game many say is the best Grey Cup ever played.
- When Kory Sheets has 15 or more carries, the Riders are 10-0 this season
- In 42 visits to Mosaic Stadium/Taylor Field, the Ti-Cats are 15-25-2. They were beaten 37-0 by the Riders in their lone regular season visit in July.
- On the respective 46 man rosters, the Riders have 34 players who have played in a Grey Cup, the Ti-Cats have 20
