The Saskatchewan Roughriders demonstrated nerves of steel in Hamilton.
The Roughriders outlasted the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28-23 on Saturday in a CFL contest that was not decided until 12 seconds remained in the fourth quarter.
A.J. Allen’s pass deflection on third-and-six forced a turnover on downs, whereupon quarterback Trevor Harris extinguished the clock with back-to-back kneel-downs.
“We were good at keeping composure,” defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. said. “Things are going to happen in games. You have to able to stay level-headed and not get too high, not get too low, when things go good or bad and just continue to play the game and finish.”
That they did, reprising 2024 by improving their record to 2-0 with a down-to-the-wire victory in Hamilton.
On June 16th, 2024, the Roughriders won 33-30 in Hamilton thanks to a walk-off, 43-yard field goal by Brett Lauther. Chapter 2 in Hamilton under Head Coach Corey Mace was another tense affair.
“I don’t think we were even close to the expectation of ourselves, so we’ll continue to chase (perfection) and hope to never cross the perfection finish line, just to give us something to do,” Mace said with a chuckle.
“There were a lot of busts on defence. It was obviously a tough night for our special teams, our kicking game, but I thought our offence was efficient for the majority of the night.”
Saskatchewan owned an advantage in first downs (25-19) and net offence (416-370) while winning time of possession (33:09).
Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris went 26-for-37 for 295 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. His favourite target was KeeSean Johnson, who made eight catches for 124 yards — including a 15-yard TD reception.
A.J. Ouellette powered the ground game with 96 yards — his second-best rushing total as a Roughrider — and scored the team’s first TD on a 47-yard run.
Milligan Jr. registered the Roughriders’ other major, reaching pay dirt on a 64-yard interception return.
There were highlights, to be certain, but the Roughriders emerged from Saturday’s game knowing there is plenty that can and will be fixed.
“Who we will be at the end of the year is not who we are right now,” Harris said after his sixth consecutive regular-season victory as the Roughriders’ starter. “The important thing is we’re finding ways to win and that’s the DNA of a championship-calibre team.”
Hamilton opened Saturday’s scoring when Bo Levi Mitchell hit a wide-open Tim White for a nine-yard major 13 minutes into the game. Marc Liegghio added the convert.
Saskatchewan got on the board at 11:31 of the second quarter, when Ouellette handled a one-play, 47-yard scoring drive. Lauther’s convert attempt was wide.
The Roughriders went ahead when Milligan Jr. scored on the pick-six at 3:04 of the third quarter. Harris then hit Dhel Duncan-Busby for a two-point convert to give the visitors a 14-7 lead.
Hamilton narrowed the gap to 14-10 when Liegghio kicked a 38-yard field goal at 8:58 of the third frame.
Lauther’s 25-yard field goal, at 14:17 of the third quarter, restored the Roughriders’ seven-point lead.
Hamilton tied the game at 17-17 early in the fourth quarter when Liegghio converted a one-yard touchdown run by Ante Milanovic-Litre.
Lauther’s 40-yard field goal at 2:46 of the fourth frame put Saskatchewan ahead 20-17. The kick gave him 1,000 career points. He finished the game with 1,002 CFL points and 971 as a Roughrider.
Liegghio countered with a 32-yarder that created a 20-20 tie at 4:49.
Then it was Saskatchewan’s turn in the back-and-forth affair, with Harris hitting Johnson for a score at 7:17. Lauther’s convert made it 27-20, Saskatchewan.
Another Liegghio field goal, from 40 yards, reduced the Roughriders’ lead to 27-23 at 10:41.
Saskatchewan completed the scoring with a 41-yard single by Lauther at 14:10.
Hamilton then scrimmaged the ball on its 40-yard line, but the possession stalled at midfield when Allen knocked down a third-down pass by Mitchell in the waning seconds.
Allen, making his second CFL start, hails from nearby Burlington, Ont. His father resides in Hamilton.
ROLAN’S STILL ROLLIN’
Milligan Jr.’s 64-yard pick six was his first touchdown since making his CFL debut late in the 2021 season. He reached the end zone in his 40th career regular-season game.
He came close to a major on July 24th, 2023 against the host Calgary Stampeders, returning an interception 56 yards before being tackled on the one-yard line.
Milligan Jr.’s interception return on Saturday was the longest by a Roughrider since Nic Marshall’s 90-yard pick six against the Montreal Alouettes on July 2nd, 2022 at Mosaic Stadium.
Milligan Jr. had a league-high eight interceptions last season and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
OUELLETTE LETS LOOSE
Ouellette’s 47-yarder for a touchdown was the longest run of his career.
His previous high in the CFL was a 42-yarder for the Toronto Argonauts in Montreal on July 14th, 2023.
One year earlier, to the day, Jamal Morrow registered a 51-yard run for Saskatchewan against Toronto in Wolfville, N.S. Ouellette’s 47-yard run was the longest for Saskatchewan since Morrow’s sprint in Touchdown Atlantic 2023.
Ouellette and Ka’Deem Carey, who have three CFL 1,000-yard rushing seasons between them, formed Saskatchewan’s backfield duo on Saturday.
Until then, the Roughriders had not dressed two running backs with 1,000-yard credentials in the same game since Oct. 7th, 1990, when Tim McCray and Orville Lee were in the lineup.
Prior to that, Saskatchewan had not dressed twin 1,000-yard rushers since George Reed and Ed Buchanan (1965 to 1967). Buchanan and Reed both joined the 1,000-yard club for Saskatchewan in 1964.
Carey had four carries for 26 yards and a nine-yard reception in his first game with the Green and White.
EXTRA POINTS
• Lauther’s streak of consecutive successful field-goal attempts was halted at 23. That is the third-longest regular-season streak in franchise history. Dave Ridgway (in 1993) and Chris Milo (2013) both hit 28 in a row. Lauther had also made 28 straight, playoffs included, before going 2-for-5 on Saturday.
• Middle linebacker Jameer Thurman registered a sack for the second consecutive game. He had one sack all of last season en route to earning West Division All-CFL honours. C.J. Reavis had the Roughriders’ other sack on Saturday.
• Harris moved into 12th place on the CFL’s All-Time completions list, with 2,794. He passed Michael Reilly (2,772) on Saturday. Tom Clements, with 2,808, is 11th.
• Johnson registered his second 100-yard game in the CFL. He had five catches for 103 yards against the host Edmonton Elks on Oct. 5th.
• All four of Duncan-Busby’s points as a CFLer have resulted from two-point converts. He caught five passes for 59 yards on Saturday.
• Hamilton’s offensive leader was Kenny Lawler, who had eight receptions for 162 yards. Mitchell was 26-for-40 for 336 yards.
• Saskatchewan has allowed only one sack and 81 rushing yards over its first two games.
• The Roughriders’ next game is Friday in Toronto (5:30 p.m., CKRM, TSN).
SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
Ham — TD White 9 pass from Mitchell (Liegghio convert) 13:00
Mitchell to a leaping Lawler for 27 on second-and-17 was the big play.
SECOND QUARTER
Sask — TD Ouellette 47 run (convert failed) 11:31
Ouellette scored one play after Alford’s 23-yard punt return.
THIRD QUARTER
Sask — TD Milligan Jr. 64 interception return (Harris pass to Duncan-Busby for two-point convert) 3:04
Milligan Jr.’s pick-six was the seventh all-time by Saskatchewan against Mitchell.
Ham — FG Liegghio 38 8:58
Saskatchewan’s defence held after Hamilton began a series on the Roughriders’ 37-yard line.
Sask — FG Lauther 25 14:15
Riders moved 47 yards in 10 plays.
FOURTH QUARTER
Ham — TD Milanovic-Litre 1 run (Liegghio convert) 0:36
TD set up by Lawler’s 39-yard reception to the one-yard line.
Sask — FG Lauther 40 2:46
Spectacular diving catch by Meyers put Saskatchewan in field-goal range.
Ham — FG Liegghio 32 4:49
42-yard reception by Lawler set up game-tying field goal.
Sask — TD Johnson 15 pass from Harris (Lauther convert) 7:43
Johnson caught four passes for 69 yards on the scoring drive.
Ham — FG Liegghio 40 10:41
Hamilton three-pointer followed back-to-back incompletions.
Sask — Single Lauther 41 14:10
Lauther was wide from 29 after eight-play, 49-yard drive.
