The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Ryan Meskell celebrated a landmark on Friday, becoming the first Australian to kick a field goal in a CFL game.
Meskell connected on all four of his three-point attempts during a 26-19 loss to the host Calgary Stampeders.
He had not attempted a field goal since Dec. 24, 2019, when he helped the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors defeat the BYU Cougars 38-34 in the Hawaii Bowl.
“The last kick I had that game, I missed, so I’d been waiting a while to make sure that it went through,” Meskell said with a chuckle.
Meskell, who signed with the Roughriders on Aug. 28, was pressed into duty on Friday when veteran placekicker Brett Lauther became ill.
The nearly four-year wait for another field goal ended at 1:59 of Friday’s second quarter, when Meskell split the uprights from 34 yards away at McMahon Stadium. Just like that, he became the first Australian to kick a field goal in a CFL game.
He proceeded to hit from 31, 38 and 43 yards in addition to making his lone convert attempt. In all, he registered 13 of the Roughriders’ 19 points.
“It was fun to get back out on the field,” Meskell said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the win. We were close. But, for myself, it was a good experience and I definitely enjoyed it.”
The same description applies to three years spent at the University of Hawaii.
“It was unreal,” Meskell said. “I was just so lucky that I ended up going to that school.
“A lot of people go to Alabama or go to these big schools and they always say, ‘Where’d you play college?’ I’d say ‘Hawaii’ and they’d always be in awe. They’d say, ‘Oh my God. I’d love to have gone there!’
“You won a national championship, but …”
But … Hawaii!
“It’s amazing,” Meskell continued on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon in Regina. “The culture’s amazing. I was lucky to be part of a great team there for a few years.
“I loved it. I can’t wait to go back and watch a game, maybe, at the end of the season if it all pans out.
“It’s a good program. They had a great run-and-shoot offence so I got to kick the ball a lot — there were a lot of PATs, which is also good — and there was beautiful weather.
“It was like Hawaii out here today, actually.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Saskatchewan carries a 6-11 record into Saturday’s regular-season finale against the 14-2 Toronto Argonauts (2 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
The Stampeders (5-11) are two points behind Saskatchewan with one game in hand.
Calgary can lock down third place in the West Division, thereby eliminating the Roughriders, by winning its final two regular-season games — Friday against the host B.C. Lions and Oct. 27 versus the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
However, a Calgary loss on Friday would open the door for Saskatchewan to secure a playoff spot by defeating Toronto, which has clinched top spot in the East Division.
“We’re trying really hard to focus on the here and now,” Head Coach Craig Dickenson said. “We want to play our best game regardless (of what happens on Friday) and we want to win that ball game.
“We want to put on a good show for the fans who have supported us all year long and we want to play well for each other.
“There will be pressure on the guys to play well. There will be pressure on us to win, but no more pressure than we’ve had the last month.
“We haven’t responded like I’d hoped, but there’s always another game.”
And another chance to flip the script.
“You’ve just got to put one foot in front of the other,” receiver Shawn Bane Jr. said. “I think we’ve got the pieces to do what we need to do.
“It’s just a mindset and it’s just the small habits that we’re creating — finishing the close games at the end, making the play when we’re tired, and things of that nature.
“We’ve got plenty of the pieces to do so. We just have to actually do it.”
SPARE TIME
The Roughriders were up for a bowl game on Sunday night.
As a respite — and for recreation — the CFL team’s players and coaches hit the Golden Mile Bowling Lanes for a couple of hours.
“You don’t have many opportunities to get together off the field, because guys are busy and guys have families, so when you have a long week it makes sense to try to do something,” Dickenson said after Tuesday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium.
“It was nice. Trevor (Harris) brought his kids, as did a couple of other guys. One of the guys brought his girlfriend and their dog.
“It was a fun night. I think the guys enjoyed spending some time together and being able to talk about something other than football.”
For the record, nobody saw a dog bowl.
“He just sat there and stared at the pizza the whole night,” Dickenson noted. “He didn’t throw any balls … and didn’t chase them, either.”
