B.C. Lions (9-7-0)
at Saskatchewan Roughriders (11-6-0)
Saturday, 5 p.m., Mosaic Stadium
CKRM, TSN
THE FORECAST: Environment Canada is calling for a mainly cloudy day with a high of 11 C, but clearing in the evening with a night-time low of -2 C.
THE LOWDOWN: The Roughriders wrap up their regular-season schedule with their second game of the season against the Lions. Saskatchewan won the first meeting, prevailing 24-21 in Vancouver on Aug. 25 … The Roughriders can clinch a home playoff game in this contest. If the Calgary Stampeders beat or tie the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday, Saskatchewan will finish in second place in the West with a win or a tie against the Lions. If the Bombers defeat the Stampeders, the Roughriders can pull into a first-place tie with Calgary if they beat B.C. — and they can keep alive their hopes of finishing first in the division … The Lions, who already have clinched a playoff spot, need to win this game by four points or more to have a shot at catching the Roughriders for second place … B.C. is 4-1-0 in its last five regular-season visits to Saskatchewan … This is the final regular-season game in Regina for Lions head coach Wally Buono, who is to retire at the end of the 2018 campaign … This is the annual Cameco Touchdown for Dreams game, during which the Roughriders will pay tribute to eight women who are battling cancer.
THE RIDERS’ ROSTER: Quarterback Zach Collaros, who is to make his 14th start of the season, is coming off one of his finest performances of the 2018 season. Collaros was 24-for-35 passing for 352 yards in Saskatchewan’s 29-24 victory over the host Stampeders on Saturday and led the offence on numerous extended drives to win the time-of-possession battle. That showing came one week after Collaros was pulled after just over one half of action in a 31-0 loss to the Bombers … Collaros is 3-0-0 in his career meetings with Lions quarterback Travis Lulay … The Roughriders’ situation at tailback took an interesting turn Saturday. With Marcus Thigpen scratched and Tre Mason out with a mouth injury, Cameron Marshall — who hadn’t played in nearly two months — took his opportunity and ran with it. Marshall rushed 11 times for 76 yards, caught two passes for 23 yards (both of which produced first downs) and returned a kickoff 58 yards. Marshall and Mason will be the tandem again Saturday, with Thigpen going on the one-game injured list … The receiving corps comprises the same group as last week, except with K.D. Cannon — last week’s backup — replacing Caleb Holley in the starting five. Cannon and Shaq Evans are the wideouts and Patrick Lavoie, Kyran Moore and Jordan Williams-Lambert are the slotbacks … Naaman Roosevelt, who missed the past four games with a knee injury, is to join Holley, Rob Bagg and Brian Jones among the backup receivers … Saskatchewan’s offensive line remains the same as last week, with Brendon LaBatte at centre, Josiah St. John and Philip Blake as the guards, Thaddeus Coleman and Takoby Cofield as the tackles and Braden Schram as the sixth man … The Roughriders’ defensive line welcomes back defensive end Charleston Hughes, who was deactivated prior to the Calgary game. He joins Zack Evans, Willie Jefferson and newly signed Lavar Edwards in the starting unit, with Tobi Antigha, Chad Geter, Jordan Reaves and Eddie Steele as the backups … Sam Eguavoen had five tackles and one tackle for a loss against Calgary and entered the week ranked sixth in the league with 101 defensive plays (74 tackles, nine special-teams stops, nine tackles for losses, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two knockdowns, one interception and one fumble return). He once again joins Sam Hurl and Derrick Moncrief in the starting linebacking crew, with Kevin Francis and Cameron Judge in the rotation … The secondary features the same starting five as last week, with Crezdon Butler and Nick Marshall on the corners, Ed Gainey and Loucheiz Purifoy as the halfbacks and Mike Edem at safety. Jovon Johnson is the sixth man … Kicker Brett Lauther is 50-for-55 on field-goal tries this season. With a 90.9-per-cent success rate, Lauther is on pace to set a franchise single-season record; the current mark of 90.6 was set by Dave Ridgway in 1993 … Punter Josh Bartel and long-snapper Jorgen Hus are the other specialists … Alexandre Gagne went into the week with a league-high 22 special-teams tackles. He has recorded at least one such stop in each of his past 10 games … Another special-teamer, Albert Awachie, comes onto the roster to replace Makana Henry (one-game injured list).
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