It all ended with a knockdown, followed by two kneeldowns, in Steeltown.
After 59 minutes 48 seconds of uncertainty, the outcome of Saturday night’s CFL game was finally assured when Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker A.J. Allen broke up a third-down pass by Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell.
All that remained was for Roughriders signal-caller Trevor Harris to take a knee — twice — to ensure that a 28-23 victory at Hamilton Stadium was in the books.
“They always say it’s the best play in football,” Harris said of what is popularly (at least from the perspective of the winning team) known as the victory formation.
“When you go out there and kneel on the football and call ‘game,’ it’s definitely a great feeling. It’s one of those ones where you can take a sigh of relief and say, ‘Job well done this week. We got the win.’ ”
Another one of the “it wasn’t pretty, but …” variety.
But it was pretty amazing when you consider all the adversity the Roughriders have encountered during this young season.
Coors Light Training Camp had barely begun when veteran offensive linemen Sean McEwen (knee) and Philippe Gagnon (biceps) suffered injuries that will sideline them for a considerable period.
Receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker sustained a foot injury early in the Roughriders’ regular-season opener — a 31-26 victory over the visiting Ottawa REDBLACKS on June 5th.
In the same game, defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. and running back A.J. Ouellette suffered head injuries that forced them to watch most of the game from the bench.
Also on June 5th, starting weak-side linebacker C.J. Avery suffered a biceps injury. He was soon placed on the six-game injury list.
If that wasn’t enough, left offensive tackle Payton Collins hurt a knee after performing admirably in his first game of professional football.
With Collins on the limp, the Roughriders on Saturday had a first-time starter at left tackle for the second game in a row.
Daniel Johnson, Saskatchewan’s fifth-round Draft choice in 2024, turned in a stellar outing — excelling on an offensive line that limited Hamilton to one sack. Harris had not been sacked in the previous contest.
“I know how much work these guys put in to keep Trev upright and also to get the ball rolling in the run game,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “I know they take pride in that as well.”
The offensive linemen also helped Ouellette (13 carries, 96 yards) and Ka’Deem Carey (four for 26) average a combined 7.2 yards per rush.
Most memorably, Ouellette took off on a 47-yard TD run that put Saskatchewan on the board 26½ minutes into the game.
“To see A.J. break out a long run, it’s awesome to see anytime you get that mullet flying,” Mace said.
Ouellette had 71 yards by halftime only nine days after missing the final three quarters of the season opener.
Milligan Jr., who left the Ottawa game five plays after Ouellette, scored Saskatchewan’s second TD on Saturday — returning an interception 64 yards for six points.
It just so happened that the Roughriders’ first two majors were scored by players who had gone through concussion protocol due to hits absorbed in Week 1.
“It should tell you the importance of those guys in their roles with this team,” Mace said.
“There was one point in the fourth quarter when I talked to Rolan and said, ‘This time last week, you were cheerleading, man. How great is it to be out here?’
“I’m really, really happy for those guys to be able to get out there to what they love.”
Mace was not happy with some coverage busts on defence.
It could have been a sharper performance in several areas.
But it is impossible to argue with the results — especially while factoring in the various forms of misfortune the Roughriders of 2025 have already encountered.
“I believe we’re a good team,” Milligan Jr. said. “Even with mistakes, it’s still hard to beat us, no matter what (level) we play at.”
Keep in mind, too, that Hamilton had its struggles as the result of facing a stubborn opponent.
The Tiger-Cats’ running game was seldom a factor.
The home team could not find a way to neutralize KeeSean Johnson, who made eight catches for 124 yards and was virtually unstoppable in the second half.
Samuel Emilus, who had eight catches for 133 yards in the season opener, couldn’t finish Saturday’s contest due to an injury Mace described as “almost a charleyhorse kind of vibe.”
Mace went on to say that he didn’t think the injury was “anything crazy,” but losing a premier receiver for any portion of a game tests a team’s depth and resourcefulness.
True to form, the resilient Roughriders found a way.
There is a continued adherence to Harris’s mantra from 2024: “Don’t Flinch.”
“I think that’s our identity,” he said. “This year on the wristbands, I put ‘Decisively Engaged,’ which is a military term for essentially going into an operation where it’s essentially burning the boats.
“The mindset is, ‘You’re all-in.’ There is no retreat option. So we’re going all-in and there is no turning back.”
Instead, the focus is straight ahead for a team that has been able to navigate every detour in the eventful early stages of the 2025 season.
This segment of the schedule is especially gruelling. The Roughriders have completed the first of back-to-back, southern Ontario-based road games.
Just six days after the Saskatchewan-Hamilton nailbiter, the Roughriders will return to the gridiron battles on Friday against the Toronto Argonauts.
If “burning the boats” is part of the mindset, a matchup with the Argonauts would seem to be most timely.
