Ed Gainey is on the board.
After going without an interception through the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ first nine games this season, the defending CFL leader in picks finally got one Sunday.
Gainey’s leaping interception of Matt Nichols in the game’s final minute sealed the Roughriders’ 31-23 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Classic at Mosaic Stadium.
“It has been a long time coming,” Gainey, who had 10 interceptions during the 2017 regular season, said after the contest. “I’ve just been (using) bad technique on a couple of plays and (they) ended up in touchdowns.
“I just want to join the party, that’s all. The top guy in the league has got three, so that ain’t enough in my book. I’m coming.”
Entering play Sunday, five players — Winnipeg’s Kevin Fogg, the Ottawa Redblacks’ duo of Rico Murray and Jonathan Rose, the B.C. Lions’ Winston Rose and Branden Rozier of the Montreal Alouettes — were tied for the CFL lead with three picks. Nick Marshall and Tobi Antigha are tied for the Roughriders’ lead with two interceptions.
In 2017, Gainey didn’t have any picks through Saskatchewan’s first six games before getting four in a game against B.C. Saskatchewan head coach-GM Chris Jones spoke to Gainey before that game in hopes of sparking him and the veteran defensive back responded.
On Sunday, Jones noted that he hadn’t talked to Gainey about his lack of picks this season.
“Ed’s a great player … (and) a lot of times when you’re a great player, sometimes the ball doesn’t come your way,” Jones said. “Sometimes you’re playing a little too far off and you’re there a little bit too late. The opportunity (Sunday), he clouded up the coverage and … he just made a play on the football.”
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Even though his team was celebrating a victory and he was celebrating playing in his 100th career CFL regular-season game, Sam Hurl had something of a bitter taste in his mouth.
The veteran middle linebacker wasn’t happy that his defence had surrendered 193 yards rushing to the Bombers, including 158 on 15 carries by tailback Andrew Harris.
“Personally, it’s disappointing,” Hurl said. “There were a couple of plays where I feel like I could have done better in order to help limit that large number.
“At the same time, when a guy like Andrew is coming off a game where he didn’t have the yards that he wanted, you’re going to get that kind of animal out of him. He has been playing too long to not get frustrated and make a point of playing harder.
“We’re frustrated. I don’t think it had anything to do with the play-calling. It had to do with us, myself included, making sure that we’re getting where we need to be in order to make sure that we’re gap-sound.”
On Aug. 25, the Calgary Stampeders limited Harris to 13 yards rushing on seven carries; both totals were season lows for the Winnipeg tailback.
On Sunday, he had eight carries for 105 yards in the first half before the Roughriders slowed him down in the second half. Still, Harris had runs of 38, 31 and 25 yards in the contest — the three longest runs allowed by Saskatchewan’s defence this season.
“It’d be great to see us in our gaps,” said Jones, whose team went into the game ranked second in the league in run defence. “In the first half, it’d be great to see us have enough people at the point of attack and all the gaps covered and let’s see what happens.
“But you’ve got to give credit to (Harris). He has got tremendous vision and he breaks tackles. We’ve got to play much more solid if we expect to go over there and win a football game.”
The Roughriders visit the Bombers on Saturday in the annual Labour Day rematch. It’s likely that Saskatchewan’s defenders once again will try to keep Harris in check to make the Bombers’ attack one-dimensional.
“We’ll see what the main focus is going to be, but we came into this (game Sunday) wanting to eliminate Andrew and I feel like we didn’t completely fulfill that,” said Hurl, who led the defence with six tackles. “I think we’ll be going into this week seeing how we can change things to limit that.”
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Roughriders quarterback Zach Collaros waited more than six minutes to get his hands on the football Sunday.
Saskatchewan kicked off to start the game, but the Bombers’ first possession ended when Nichols was intercepted by Matt Elam. His return to the one-yard line set up Saskatchewan’s short-yardage team and Marshall — the Wildcat quarterback — scored from there.
The Bombers took the ensuing kickoff and drove down the field for a Justin Medlock field goal at 6:14 of the opening quarter. Saskatchewan then opted to scrimmage at its 35-yard line, giving Collaros his first chance to play in the game.
The QB remembered a similar thing happening in 2015 when he was a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
In a game in Calgary on June 26 of that year, Hamilton DB Johnny Sears returned an interception 76 yards for a TD on the Stamps’ first possession and then Calgary put together a lengthy drive to tie the game.
Collaros finally got on the field with five minutes left in the first quarter.
“It’s definitely different,” he said of having to wait to play, “but I think guys (Sunday) did a good job of locking in and understanding what their roles are and what the job is.”
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The Roughriders are now 3-0 since Jones started wearing a green T-shirt honouring former Roughrider Neal Hughes as part of the CFL’s “Diversity is Strength” campaign in Saskatchewan.
But, inquiring minds wanted to know Sunday, has Jones worn the same shirt in all three wins?
“I don’t know,” he replied with a chuckle. “Gordie (Gilroy, Saskatchewan’s equipment manager) puts it in my locker.”
Jones has said his players — who apparently are a superstitious lot — have decreed that he has to wear the green shirt instead of his traditional all-black garb to keep the streak going.
