CALGARY — Here we are, comfortably into October, and the post-season vibe isn’t strictly reserved for Major League Baseball.
Take it from Jake Dolegala, who is to start at quarterback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders against the Calgary Stampeders on Friday in a pivotal CFL contest at McMahon Stadium (7:30 p.m, TSN, CKRM).
“It’s a playoff game, for sure,” Dolegala said leading up to the Roughriders’ penultimate regular-season game of 2023.
A victory over Calgary would clinch third place in the West Division — and a playoff berth — for Saskatchewan (6-10). Calgary (4-11) is in jeopardy of missing the post-season for the first time since 2004.
“There’s excitement and we’re eager,” Dolegala said. “We’re ready to get out there and even get on that field, because there has been a lot of buildup to this game.
“It’s a big-pressure game, so we want to get out there, get our feet wet on that field, and just go out there and do our thing.”
Pressure is not for everyone, but Dolegala looks upon it positively.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “What do they say? Pressure creates diamonds.
“I think it’s a good pressure and, like I said, I think guys are eager to get out there.”
Especially in light of the determination to make amends for Saturday’s 38-13 loss to the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats — a setback that extended Saskatchewan’s losing streak to five games.
“Guys are excited to get on the road and play a game,” Head Coach Craig Dickenson said after the Roughriders arrived in Calgary on Thursday.
“It’s a short week for us but, in a lot of ways, that’s good, because we didn’t play very well last week and the guys are anxious to get out there and show that they can do better.”
That sentiment fuels the “big-pressure” environment that Dolegala referenced.
“There’s a sense of urgency, for sure,” Dickenson said. “Pressure is what it is, right?
“When you go out there as a pro athlete or a pro coach, you’re expected to perform well and win. If you don’t do that, eventually somebody else is doing it for you.
“I think all the guys get that. I think all of us coaches get that. What I do sense is that the guys are excited about the opportunity.
“They know what’s at stake. They know that if they play well and we win, we’re in the tournament. And when you’re in the tournament, anything can happen. So there’s a lot of optimism about this game and a lot of anticipation.”
The Roughriders are hoping to win on the road for the first time since July 24, when they posted a 29-26 overtime victory at McMahon Stadium — which was occupied by a healthy contingent of Saskatchewan fans.
“We showed some film from that game and we showed some of the highlights from that game,” Dickenson said.
“We’ve always had good support here. We get good attendance from Rider Nation here. It’s an away game, but we feel like we’ve got a lot of good support here.”
The Roughriders enter Friday’s game with a magic number of two. Any combination of Saskatchewan victories and Calgary losses equalling two would put the Roughriders in the playoffs at the Stampeders’ expense.
The Roughriders’ regular-season finale is on Oct. 21 against the Toronto Argonauts (2 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). Saskatchewan has a bye during the final week of the regular season.
After Friday, the Stampeders oppose the West’s top two seeds — the B.C. Lions (on Oct. 20 in Vancouver) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Oct. 27, McMahon Stadium).
DEAN DETAILS
Roughriders middle linebacker Larry Dean needs just two stops to become just the seventh player in CFL history to reach 100 defensive tackles in a season at least three times.
Dean had 105 tackles for the 2018 Tiger-Cats and 101 with last year’s Roughriders.
Very soon, he will join the following players in an elite group:
Willie Pless (7): 107 (1990, B.C.); 110 (1992, Edmonton); 113 (1994, Edmonton); 100 (1995, Edmonton); 116 (1997, Edmonton); 117 (1998, Edmonton); 102 (1999, Saskatchewan).
Adam Bighill (4): 104 (2012, B.C.); 121 (2015, B.C.); 108 (2016, B.C.); 105 (2018, Winnipeg).
Barrin Simpson (4): 115 (2001, B.C.); 110 (2001, Winnipeg); 112 (2007, Winnipeg); 105 (2010, Saskatchewan).
Kevin Eiben (3): 110 (2004, Toronto); 113 (2005, Toronto); 100 (2010, Toronto).
Solomon Elimimian (3): 143 (2014, B.C.); 125 (2016, B.C.); 144 (2017, B.C.).
George White (3): 105 (2000, Saskatchewan); 104 (2001, Saskatchewan); 116 (2005, Calgary).
NOTE: The number of each player’s 100-tackle seasons appears in parentheses beside his name.
