Robservations: Character, composure, connection are calling cards for Roughriders’ Trevor Harris

Trevor Harris would like one throw back from Throwback Thursday. 

Just under three minutes remained in the third quarter when Harris, having briskly moved the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offence 85 yards in four plays, looked to Mosaic Stadium’s north end zone from 20 yards out. 

Marcus Lewis diagnosed the play and made an interception to preserve an 11-3 Edmonton Elks lead — for the time being, anyway. 

“It was just a stupid decision,” Harris, always accountable, said after playing an integral role in a 12-11 Roughriders victory that improved their record to 3-1. 

Harris was at the controls of an offence that, officially, moved 78 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown that, coupled with a two-point convert, enabled Saskatchewan to tie the CFL game with barely a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. 

But he actually had to guide the offence 83 yards to complete the 78-yard march. (This will make sense. Trust me on this one.) 

Saskatchewan’s final possession began when A.C. Leonard sacked Harris for a loss of five on first down. (See? It all adds up now, as you were assured.) 

On second-and-15, Harris was forced to scramble to his right before finding Samuel Emilus just in-bounds for a 16-yard gain that moved the chains. 

“I’m just a scrambling quarterback,” Harris deadpanned. “That’s all there is to it. I’m 37 years old and getting faster, I guess.” 

Well, he does work out … 

“It was big to use my legs a little bit in that possession,” Harris continued, “because I think we did it twice where they covered it up pretty well.” 

After the pass to Emilus, Harris found Tevin Jones for 29 big yards. An incompletion followed, leaving Saskatchewan in another second-and-double-digits predicament. 

Once again, Harris used his legs to make a difference, escaping the pocket and running 13 yards for a first down. 

Four plays later, he found Mitch Picton for a four-yard score that pared Edmonton’s lead to 11-9. Another short toss, to Kendall Watson, produced the game-tying two-point convert. 

Then came a third consecutive scoring play — Brett Lauther’s kickoff single that was ultimately the difference. 

Yet again, Harris proved to be a difference-maker in his own right, shaking off adversity in much the same fashion that he did when Saskatchewan opened its regular season with a 17-13 victory in Edmonton on June 11. 

“He’s only human and he’s going to make some throws that he wishes he had back, but he’s got such composure,” Head Coach Craig Dickenson said. “He’s got great resiliency. He’s got a never-say-die attitude that just shows up time and time again. 

“There’s nobody I’d rather have with the ball in his hands late in the game than Trevor.” 

CORNERBACK = CLOSER 

It has become customary for Nic Marshall to have the ball in his hands late in the game. 

On June 24, Marshall’s walk-off interception to conclude double overtime secured Saskatchewan’s 29-26 victory over the Calgary Stampeders. 

Marshall followed up on Thursday by jumping a route and intercepting the Elks’ Taylor Cornelius at the Roughriders’ 43-yard line with 27 seconds left to seal the deal for the second game in succession. 

In the latter case, Marshall attributed some of his success to what he noticed as the Elks broke the huddle. 

“I was just paying close attention to the receiver,” he said. “I just saw him come out of there fidgeting with his gloves and looking to the sideline and I just assumed that I was hot. 

“I was just thinking ‘the ball is coming to me on this play,’ so I locked in and I was able to make a play at the end of the game.” 

This is a recording — the recordings being a crucial part of the preparatory process. 

“It comes from film study,” Marshall said. “I’m not going to say too much, but everybody has tendencies with what they do, so I just picked up that tendency that he has and was able to capitalize on it.” 

In so doing, Marshall became the first Roughrider to register an interception in back-to-back games since, well, himself. 

On July 2 of last year, Marshall returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown in a 41-20 victory over the visiting Montreal Alouettes. That long-distance major gave him the Roughriders’ all-time lead in interception-return touchdowns (five). 

Six days later, he added another pick as Saskatchewan downed the Ottawa REDBLACKS 28-13 at Mosaic Stadium. 

“He’s got nice ball skills,” Dickenson said. “He can finish a game for you. He’s a dangerous DB because, if it’s close to him, he can catch it.” 

RETRO ROUGE 

Lauther’s game-winning rouge reminded this oldster of a decisive single that (sorry for this flashback) did not go the Roughriders’ way, nearly a half-century ago. 

Late in the fourth quarter at Taylor Field, a 55-yard punt single by Eric Guthrie proved to be the difference as the B.C. Lions won 28-27. 

The ball landed near the goal line and kept rolling until one of the Roughriders’ two punt returners, Jim Elder, was finally able to gain possession. Alas, he was promptly tackled with 2:22 remaining in the game. 

There was ample time for a comeback, but the Roughriders’ notions of a victory evaporated when Ron Lancaster was pressured by Elton Brown and intercepted by another Lions defensive lineman, Gary Robinson. 

Saskatchewan rebounded eight days later by defeating the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers 20-13. 

With just under three minutes left, Steve Molnar scored on a 14-yard run to put the visitors ahead 18-13. Lancaster then found Rhett Dawson for the first two-point convert in Roughriders history. The two-pointer was introduced by the CFL to begin the 1975 campaign. 

ROUGE-RIDER TRIVIA!
• If you thought Thursday’s game was a rouge-fest, check this out! On Aug. 23, 1954, the Roughriders defeated Calgary 11-7 at Taylor Field with the help of five towering punt singles by Larry Isbell, who averaged 56.5 yards on 11 boots. According to Hank Johnson, who covered that game for the Regina Leader-Post, Isbell averaged 57.2 yards on the punts that went for singles. Calgary’s Keith Spaith added a punt single to make the game a six-rouge spectacle. 

• Edmonton had four singles (three on punts; one on a missed field goal) on Thursday. The Roughriders’ lone rouge was registered by Lauther.
• Isbell’s rouge output (five) was equalled by the Roughriders as a team on Aug. 5, 1983 in Edmonton. Ken Clark punted for three singles and Dave Ridgway added two rouges on missed field-goal attempts. Also that evening: Chris DeFrance set an enduring Roughriders single-game receiving-yardage record (260).
• In case you are wondering: The CFL record for most singles in a game by one team was set Aug. 1, 1985, when B.C.’s Lui Passaglia erupted for six (!) rouges in a 43-18 victory over the host Toronto Argonauts. Passaglia rouged for the cycle, registering a single point on four punts, one kickoff and one field-goal attempt.

MITCH-AND-CATCH 

True to form, Picton produced in the clutch against Edmonton. 

On June 18 of last year, remember, he caught a 28-yard TD pass from Cody Fajardo with 4:42 left in the fourth quarter to give Saskatchewan a 21-16 lead at Commonwealth Stadium. Fajardo proceeded to find Picton for a two-point convert — another key play in a 26-16 Roughriders victory. 

Watson’s two-pointer followed Picton’s latest touchdown against the Elks. 

Most recently, the former LeBoldus Golden Suns and University of Regina Rams standout had four receptions for a game-high 79 yards in his first start of the 2023 season. 

“Every time you can get in the paint, it feels good,” Picton said of his fourth career TD, “but I’m just one of 12 out there on the offence and I try to make plays when the ball comes my way.” 

Picton’s 39-yarder late in the second quarter ignited a Roughriders passing attack that had been virtually dormant. 

Before the deep throw to Picton, Harris was 3-for-6 for 40 yards. Over the final 32 minutes, the Roughriders’ QB was 16-for-23 for 252 yards. 

“I feel like he’s a starting receiver in this league,” Harris said. “Somewhat unfortunately for him, he’s so darned good at every position that they feel that he can back up everywhere, so he’s become so valuable to us in that way. 

“A lot of times, when we get our next man up, they’ve played (at positions defined as) R or Y or X all of camp, so we insert them there, and Mitch is the backup for every spot. 

“He only got one day of practice this week at that (slotback) spot and I didn’t get too many reps with him at training camp. The fact that he does that shows what type of a professional he is. 

“I love that guy.” 

Lauther echoed those sentiments.  

“I’m just so happy for Mitch,” the Roughriders’ placement specialist said. “I know the work he puts in and he’s the best. 

“He could be starting anywhere and he deserves (the winning TD).” 

SHORT SNORTS 

• Key play: With slightly more than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Edmonton was in a seemingly advantageous second-and-three situation on its 47-yard line. The Elks attempted a short pass, only to have the ball knocked down by an onrushing Roughriders linebacker, Micah Teitz. Even if the pass had been completed, linebacker Derrick Moncrief would have dropped the intended target (Kyran Moore) for a loss.
• After four games this season, the Roughriders have been assessed 20 penalties for 218 yards. Two other penalties have been declined. Last year at this juncture, Saskatchewan had been flagged 50 times for 480 yards, with one penalty having been declined. In terms of infractions that have been marched off, the Roughriders have seen a 60-per-cent reduction. Yardage-wise, there has been a 54.6-per-cent decrease from 2022 at this juncture.
• Lauther has provided the winning point(s) in all three Roughriders victories while helping the team enjoy a 3-1 start for the third season in a row.

ROLL CREDITS … 

•  Nice people who deserve a plug: Barb Ryan, Minnie Y’vonne Florence Moncrief, Derrick Moncrief, Kasia Moncrief, Felicity Wieneke, Jake Wieneke, Brenda Wieneke, Gary Hoffman, Brandon Council, Deion Melvin, Lachlan Earl Lane McLellan, Meagan McLellan, Grant McLellan, Allyson McDonald, Kelly McCrimmon, John Paddock, Chico Resch, Dean Barton, Bobby Dubeau, Terry Lumsdon, Patti Lumsdon, Randy Ambrosie, Lowell Peterson, Darla Peterson, Karina Peterson, Bruce Vance, Ron Camphaug, Darcy Holstein, Kim Holstein, Pete Kourles, Pete Paczko and, well, anyone who sat through the inundation of Rouge-servations.