A fine line separated victory from defeat for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in their regular-season opener.
Outstanding pass protection by the offensive line helped Trevor Harris throw for 305 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday’s 29-21 CFL victory over the host Edmonton Elks.
“We had clips where Trevor is sitting back there and he looks like he’s ready to grab a cup of coffee or read the newspaper,” receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker joked after Thursday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium.
“That has been a tremendous improvement. None of that — getting yards and touchdowns and opening up holes for A.J. (Ouellette) — is possible without the O-line. They’re the start of that foundation and they get us going.”
They refers to centre Peter Godber, left tackle Trevor Reid, left guard Philip Blake, right guards Logan Ferland and Ryan Sceviour, and right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick.
Saskatchewan allowed two sacks on Saturday but, those plays aside, Harris was virtually untouched. The protection was especially evident on the three touchdown passes to Shawn Bane Jr., whose majors covered a collective 100 yards.
“I was very pleased,” Head Coach Corey Mace said when asked about the pass blocking. “That was one thing we talked heavily about this off-season.
“I was pleased with the way Trevor Reid played, as well, in his first true professional game.
“Of course, as coaches, there are always moments where we think, ‘Oh, man, we could have …,’ but, for the most part, Trevor was kept pretty clean.”
The schemes installed by Offensive Co-ordinator Marc Mueller played a role in the infrequency of sacks surrendered.
“Play-calling helps with that, too, and getting the ball out pretty quick,” Mace noted. “When we need Trevor to stand in the pocket, his pocket presence is amazing.”
Asked about the pass protection, Godber wasn’t inclined toward celebration.
“We didn’t feel like we had a great game,” he said. “Our run-blocking wasn’t the standard here. There were some good things, for sure, but we definitely feel we have a long way to go.”
Such as 2,600 kilometres to Hamilton, where the Roughriders are to face the Tiger-Cats on Sunday (5 p.m., TSN).
RUNNING BATTLE
The Roughriders and Elks both concentrated on repelling the run, with the result being a combined 79 yards along the ground on Saturday.
That was quite the feat, considering that both starting running backs — Saskatchewan’s A.J. Ouellette and Edmonton’s Kevin Brown — exceeded 1,000 yards along the ground last season.
Now the Roughriders are poised to face another returning 1,000-yard rusher. Hamilton’s James Butler was third in the league last season (with 1,116 yards), one spot behind Brown (1,141). Ouellette, as a member of the Toronto Argonauts, was fourth at 1,009.
Butler is coming off last Friday’s 13-carry, 119-yard performance against the host Calgary Stampeders.
“He’s one of the most under-rated backs in the league, in my personal opinion,” Mace said. “I don’t think he gets enough love, but he’s an excellent back.
“He’s got great vision and he’s a strong runner. The offensive line does an excellent job and they’re coached well (by former Roughriders assistant Mike Gibson), so it’s a tall task and we’ve got to be on our P’s and Q’s.”
That was the case in Edmonton, where Brown was limited to 23 yards on seven carries. The Elks’ other running back, Javon Leake, managed just four yards on three carries.
Overall, Saskatchewan outgained Edmonton 40-39 along the ground.
“Statistics can sometimes tell a lie,” Mace cautioned. “It depends on how many carries said team was given. But, from a confidence standpoint, I think Kevin Brown is also a good back (à la Butler).
“Playing against the run should probably be a strong suit for us going through the year. It’ll be a great test for us this week, so we’ll find out if we are who we think we are.”
Part of the team’s identity involves running the football in robust fashion, with Ouellette being a workhorse.
“We’re just going to continue to get better together,” Harris said. “Just wait for him. He’s going to start going nuts.
“He’s the best running back up here, so we’re fortunate to have him. He’s one of those guys where maybe you should go get him in fantasy now. If his stock’s low, go get him. I would, because he’s going to be a scoring machine.”
As it was, Ouellette scratched and clawed to gain a very tough yard and score a touchdown that helped the Roughriders assume the lead for the duration on Saturday.
His TD at 6:31 of the fourth quarter created a 21-21 tie. Brett Lauther added the go-ahead convert.
HELLO TO HARRIS
Although Harris and Schaffer-Baker are second-year teammates, they did not appear in the same regular-season game until Saturday.
Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury in Saskatchewan’s fifth game of the 2023 campaign. Schaffer-Baker was sidelined until the midpoint of last season after undergoing hip surgery in the winter.
“Getting to work with each other is something we’ve been talking about since last year,” Schaffer-Baker said. “Sadly, it didn’t get to happen (in 2023), but we kept those same conversations going all this year.
“It’s a blessing and a wonderful opportunity to be able to get on the field with someone like that who has had so much experience and won several games and just hit his milestone for 30,000 (career passing) yards.
“I’m excited to be out there just playing with him again.”
Schaffer-Baker caught four passes for 52 yards in Saturday’s game at Commonwealth Stadium.
Saskatchewan’s front-line receiving corps also consists of Bane Jr. (who had five catches for 125 yards in Edmonton), Jerreth Sterns (seven for 81), Samuel Emilus (four for 27) and newcomer KeeSean Johnson (one for one).
“Trevor’s got five different receivers to plug the ball in,” Schaffer-Baker said. “We’re always open. It helps us as a receiver group to make each other better.
“We’ve got so many guys to learn from and we can pick each other’s brain and help each other out. We all have different tools and different assets that we bring to the game and we all take that from one another.”
INJURY UPDATE
Hardrick (ankle) did not practise for the second consecutive day.
“He’ll be fine,” Mace said. “He was out there head-butting his teammates with no helmet on. I would expect him to be out there rolling tomorrow.”
Middle linebacker Jameer Thurman, who did not practise on Wednesday, was a limited participant in Thursday’s workout.
“I’d probably keep him in the same thought process as Jermarcus,” Mace said.
