Mitchell Blair
It may only be Week 3 of the CFL season, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders are looking for a performance that can erase what only be described as a horrid performance one week ago in Toronto. The Riders will take on their first Western Division opponent this year when the B.C. Lions come to town in a 730 start.
Defensive lineman Tearrius George was one of many Riders who walked off the field feeling a little sheepish after getting beat by 33 points in Toronto. He says a victory like that can really bring you to earth quickly and remind you what is needed to win a football game.
“The mood we have in that room is that it was just one of those games.” George said. “Games like that humble you and make you go back to the drawing board. It tells you you aren’t as good as you think you are and that you have to get back to fundamentals that maybe you forget about when you win.”
George fully understands what the Lions will bring to the table and he is confident his team can get up for the challenge and keep the Lions searching for answers.
“I expect those guys to come in here with a fire for a variety of reasons.” George stated. “Their coach said they sucked, we are the Grey Cup champs, they have a lot to prove and they are taking on a Western Division opponent. I know those guys will be ready whether they were 2-0 or 0-2. At the end of the day, we have to beat this team if we are going to successful this year. They are a division rival and we have to get the edge on them. It’s a playoff game within the season.
Rob Bagg is also ready to get back on the field and start making amends for what happened last week. He knows his team is better than what they showed and that they learned a lesson.
“If you don’t bring your best game out here, other teams will beat you. It’s a competitive environment where you need to play well to be successful. “Bagg said. “We’re excited to get back out there and this week is a new start. We remember what happened last week, but we know in the end it doesn’t matter going into this week.”
Head Coach Corey Chamblin let it be known after last week’s loss in Toronto that he was not happy with the preparation his team had had in practice. He feels that problem is now a thing of the past—at least for this week.
“We did good things this week,” Chamblin declared. “They showed some great energy, effort and execution this week. They have rebounded well and hopefully that shows up on the turf this week. They didn’t sulk or anything. They just bounced back from what was handed to them and that’s the sign of a good football team.”
Chamblin adds what is needed from his football team this week is a sense of stability.
“We are still trying to put this puzzle together.” Chamblin said. “There are new players in here and they need an adjustment period especially if they are new to this league. After two weeks, we have had a lot of ups and downs. It looked like it might have been easy against Hamilton, but there was room for improvement even though we looked dominant. There was room for improvement in our loss as well as lopsided as it was. We just need to find some stability and then improve to a team that is consistent in winning a football game.”
Game time from Mosaic Stadium is 7:30. TV coverage will come as always from TSN with radio coverage beginning on 620 CKRM and Riderville.com at 5 as Michael Ball brings you “Roughrider Gameday” live from Pilsner Place. After that. “Rider Nation” pregame takes over as Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri get you ready for the action before calling every tackle and every touchdown. Fans with a radio inside Mosaic Stadium can also listen in on 106.9 FM.
GAME NOTES:
- Going back to 2008, the teams have played 20 games against one another with BC holding an 11-9 edge. 11 of the games have not been decided until the final 3 minutes.
- This will be Darian Durant’s 89th start as the Riders quarterback in regular season play. He has a career record of 47-41-1
- Running back Anthony Allen leads the CFL in yards from scrimmage after two weeks with 292
- Rookie Dylan Ainsworth is making his mark on special teams. He is tied with several others for most special teams tackles after two weeks with 4.
