Calgary Stampeders (5-0-0)
at Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-2-0)
Saturday, 7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium
CKRM, TSN
THE FORECAST: Environment Canada is calling for a mix of sun and cloud with a 30-per-cent of showers in the afternoon and a high of 25 C. The evening is to be clear with a low of 11 C.
THE LOWDOWN: The Roughriders and Stampeders meet for the first time in the 2018 regular season. The teams played in the pre-season, with Calgary winning 39-12 in Regina on June 8 … Saskatchewan won the teams’ most-recent regular-season meeting — 30-7 on Oct. 20 in Calgary — but the Stamps are 10-1-0 against the Roughriders over their past 11 games. Calgary also hasn’t lost in Regina since July 5, 2013 … Thanks to a quirky schedule, neither team has faced a West Division opponent yet this season … Calgary is the CFL’s only undefeated team, with five straight wins. The Roughriders have won two in a row, sweeping a back-to-back set from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
THE RIDERS’ ROSTER: Quarterback Brandon Bridge is to make his fourth straight start for Saskatchewan and the fifth of his Roughriders career. He’s looking to win for the first time against someone other than the Tiger-Cats; all three of Bridge’s career victories have come against Hamilton … Backup QB David Watford is expected to rotate with Bridge during the contest … Tailback Marcus Thigpen had one carry in Saskatchewan’s 31-20 victory over the host Tiger-Cats on July 19, but it went for a momentum-changing 80-yard touchdown on the Roughriders’ first offensive play of the second half. His 13.1-yard average this season (144 yards on 11 carries) led the league entering the week … Jerome Messam (180 yards on 47 attempts) and Tre Mason (152 yards on 29 carries) join Thigpen in the rotation at tailback. Messam was the closer in Hamilton; he rushed eight times for 52 yards in the fourth quarter to help kill the clock … The Roughriders’ receiving corps remains the same, with Shaq Evans, Caleb Holley, Naaman Roosevelt, Josh Stanford and Jordan Williams-Lambert in the starting five … Left guard Brendon LaBatte suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the game in Hamilton, but he returned in the second quarter — and he isn’t missing this game, either. That means the offensive line remains the same, with Dan Clark at centre, LaBatte and Dariusz Bladek at guard and Thaddeus Coleman and Terran Vaughn at the tackle spots. Defensive tackle Eddie Steele is expected to be the sixth O-lineman … After being acquired by Saskatchewan in the off-season, former Stamps defensive end Charleston Hughes talked about sacking Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell. Well, here’s Hughes’ first chance to do so. The veteran entered the week with a league-leading six sacks this season, proving that he still has gas in the tank … Hughes once again will be joined on the defensive line by tackles Mic’hael Brooks and Zack Evans and end Willie Jefferson, with Steele, Tobi Antigha, Chad Geter, Makana Henry and Jordan Reaves as backups … Henry takes the roster spot of national linebacker Adrian Clarke, who has been placed on the six-game injured list … Linebacker Derrick Moncrief also has been placed on the six-game injured list, so former NFL first-rounder Matt Elam joins the lineup to start on the strong side. Sam Eguavoen (weak side) and Sam Hurl (middle) are the other starters, with Cameron Judge as part of the rotation … Cornerback Jovon Johnson recorded his first interception of the season in Hamilton, giving him at least one pick in 11 straight seasons and 35 interceptions in his career. The secondary — Johnson, cornerback Duron Carter, halfbacks Crezdon Butler and Ed Gainey and safeties Mike Edem and Marc-Olivier Brouillette — did well in the game in Hamilton, holding the Tiger-Cats’ receivers in check … Christion Jones returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown in Hamilton, giving him three punt-return TDs in 15 career regular-season games (and four in 17 career CFL games, including playoffs). He’ll handle the bulk of the returns again Saturday … Long-snapper Jorgen Hus, punter Josh Bartel and kicker Brett Lauther once again will handle those duties.
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