Jake Wieneke has played at Mosaic Stadium three times.
He has twice worn a Saskatchewan Roughriders uniform in game conditions.
But he has never played for the Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium.
That will change on Friday night, when the Green and White plays its home opener against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The CFL game is slated to start at 7 p.m.
“It’s going to be amazing,” the personable pass-catcher says. “I can’t wait.”
As a member of the Montreal Alouettes, Wieneke played at Mosaic Stadium in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Since signing with Saskatchewan as a free agent on Feb. 14, he has suited up for two road games — a June 2 pre-season matchup in Winnipeg and last Sunday’s 2023 lidlifter against the host Edmonton Elks.
So far, he is undefeated as a Roughrider, having celebrated a 28-16 win in Winnipeg and a 17-13 victory at Commonwealth Stadium.
The focus now is to keep that tradition alive while experiencing something new — emerging from Mosaic Stadium’s northwest tunnel to the accompaniment of “Bring ’Em Out!”
“I’ve just heard of it,” Wieneke says. “I haven’t really seen it. We don’t really get to see that too much when we’re on the other team, so getting to be a part of that is going to be pretty special.”
The opportunity to live and play in such an environment contributed mightily to Wieneke’s decision to sign with Saskatchewan.
“The people and the community have been fun over the last month or so,” he says. “To kind of get to know that community and now to go out there and play in front of them is going to be very special.”
Wieneke has enjoyed an assortment of special moments since debuting in the CFL.
In 2019, he was named the league’s top rookie. Two years later, he caught a league-best 11 touchdown passes and was named a CFL All-Star.
Even then, he always looked upon Saskatchewan rather enviously.
“I’ve always loved playing here, even when I was coming here on the road,” Wieneke says. “Now, to have this be my home crowd, I just can’t wait.
“I can’t wait to come out of that tunnel. I can’t wait to play in front of our fans and to just get the home opener going.
“It’s going to be a fun game.”
HOME OPENER HISTORY
The Roughriders are about to play the Blue Bombers for the 18th time in a home opener.
Leading up to Friday’s game, the Roughriders have won 10 of 17 such contests.
Here is a recap, with profuse thanks to newspapers.com and its treasury of Regina Leader-Post back issues:
Sept. 12, 1936 — Roughriders 8, Winnipeg 7: Fritz Falgren’s touchdown and Louis Chumich’s blocked kick were the key plays as Winnipeg lost for the first time in two years.
Sept. 1, 1939 — Winnipeg 20, Roughriders 6: In the early hours of the Second World War, the Roughriders got two field goals from Toar Springstein and two interceptions by Ernie Simonson.
Sept. 2, 1940 — Roughriders 3, Winnipeg 1: Springstein’s field goal provided all the points the home side would require.
Sept. 6, 1947 — Winnipeg 6, Roughriders 5: It was the first game at the newly renamed Taylor Field (previously Park de Young). The venue was re-named in memory of Neil J. (Piffles) Taylor, who died on May 24, 1947.
Aug. 28, 1948 — Winnipeg 14, Roughriders 13: On the final drive, Don Hiney made a 30-yard reception and added a 43-yard run before kicking the game-winning field goal.
Sept. 5, 1949 — Roughriders 20, Winnipeg 0: Sammy Pierce, Del Wardien and Dean Bandiera scored (five-point) TDs before a then-record Regina crowd of 7,500.
Aug. 20, 1955 —Roughriders 17, Winnipeg 7: Ken Carpenter scored both Saskatchewan TDs early in the fourth quarter. He finished the 1955 season with 18 majors, an enduring franchise record.
Aug. 25, 1956 — Roughriders 28, Winnipeg 16: Bruising back Bobby Marlow ran for two Saskatchewan TDs.
Aug. 24, 1957 — Winnipeg 7, Roughriders 3: The Blue Bombers snapped their 10-game winless streak at Taylor Field, where they had not posted a victory since 1952.
Aug. 21, 1958 — Roughriders 21, Winnipeg 13: Saskatoon-born Roughriders quarterback Ron Adam threw second-half TD passes to Jack Hill and Mike Hagler.
Aug. 7, 1964 — Roughriders 37, Winnipeg 29: After trailing 14-1, Saskatchewan piled up 36 second-half points on the strength of three TD passes from Ron Lancaster to Hugh Campbell.
Aug. 7, 1966 — Roughriders 38, Winnipeg 14: Lancaster threw another three TD passes to Campbell before a then-record crowd of 18,360 at a newly expanded Taylor Field. Campbell finished the championship season of 1966 with 17 TD receptions, still a Roughriders record.
Aug. 4, 1968 —Roughriders 27, Winnipeg 8: Saskatchewan’s Silas McKinnie rushed 10 times for 120 yards and added a 43-yard reception.
July 12, 1981 — Winnipeg 22, Roughriders 20: William Miller caught a game-winning, seven-yard TD pass from Dieter Brock with 39 seconds remaining.
June 25, 2005 — Roughriders 42, Winnipeg 15: Saskatchewan’s Corey Holmes returned the season’s opening kickoff 81 yards for a TD. He went on to earn CFL special-teams-player-of-the-year honours in 2005, duplicating the laurels he had received in 2002.
June 27, 2015 — Winnipeg 30, Roughriders 26: Darian Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles’ tendon near halftime.
July 1, 2017 — Winnipeg 43, Roughriders 40 (2OT): Ex-Roughrider Weston Dressler caught two TD passes for Winnipeg in the first regular-season game at new Mosaic Stadium.
WAITING FOR WINNIPEG
Roughriders receiver Tevin Jones is poised to see CFL action for the first time since Oct. 22, when he suffered a knee injury against the visiting Calgary Stampeders in the Roughriders’ second-last game of the 2022 season.
“It’s just another day in the life being a Rider,” Jones said matter-of-factly. “I take it one day at a time.
“One man goes down. Another man goes up.”
Jones has been activated in place of Derel Walker, who injured a knee on Sunday in Edmonton. Walker has been placed on the six-game injured list and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
Jones, a second-year Roughrider, was in the lineup for both of the team’s games against Winnipeg last season.
“When I see blue, I just want to win,” he said. “That’s how it is.
“The W (for Winnipeg) is on everything. I just want to take it off and put it in our little categories so we can be 2-and-0.”
SHORT SNORTS
- Saskatchewan’s Deontai Williams is to make his first CFL start. He gets the nod in place of cornerback Nic Marshall, who suffered a shoulder injury in Edmonton. Marshall will likely be able to return next Friday in Calgary.
- Winnipeg will be without defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, who has been placed on the six-game injured list. He suffered a calf injury in last Friday’s 42-31 victory over the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Celestin Haba lines up in place of Jeffcoat.
