The Saskatchewan Roughriders boast back-to-back 5-1 starts for the third time in franchise history.
Saskatchewan reached the five-win mark on Saturday with a 33-27 victory over the host B.C. Lions (3-4).
The Roughriders’ previous consecutive 5-1s were in 1969-70 and 1975-76.
“You’ve got to prove it every week,” second-year Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace said. “While (5-1) is our record right now, the big focus for us is going 1-and-0 each week. We just stay focused on each week, period.
“We’re grateful for it, but we’re just looking ahead to Edmonton.”
The Roughriders are to play the 1-4 Edmonton Elks on Friday (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium) after rebounding from last Saturday’s 24-10 home-field loss to the Calgary Stampeders. Calgary and Saskatchewan sit atop the West Division with identical records.
“With the fact that we were able to get to 5-and-1 today and be able to kind of flush that bad loss from last week, it did feel good,” quarterback Trevor Harris said after throwing for 395 yards and three touchdowns.
“We’ll enjoy this for a couple of hours and wake up tomorrow and start working on Edmonton. We know that they’re coming off of a bye. They’re a hungry team and I know they’re a very prideful team. They have great personnel and they’re going to pose a great challenge for us at home next Friday.”
Two of the three TD tosses by Harris went to Dohnte Meyers, who caught seven passes for 132 yards.
“Those two were dialled,” Mace said of the Harris/Meyers duo.
The Roughriders led 23-11 at halftime on the strength of two touchdown passes by Harris and three field goals by Brett Lauther.
Harris found Meyers and A.J. Ouellette for TDs of 50 and seven yards, respectively, in the first quarter.
Lauther connected from 45, 41 and 21 yards in the first half in addition to converting the majors by Meyers and Ouellette.
The Lions’ first-half scoring was highlighted by a 40-yard TD pass from Nathan Rourke to Ayden Eberhardt. Sean Whyte converted that major and hit a 48-yard field goal. Carl Meyer registered the Lions’ other first-half point on a 65-yard punt single.
A third TD pass by Harris — a 30-yarder to Meyers — and Lauther’s 16-yard field goal gave Saskatchewan a 33-11 third-quarter lead.
The Lions countered with a 14-yard TD pass from Rourke to Stanley Berryhill III, who added a two-point convert. The Roughriders carried a 33-19 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Roughriders cornerback Marcus Sayles, who was released by the Lions in July of 2024, intercepted Rourke with 3:11 remaining in the fourth quarter. The pass had been tipped by linebacker A.J. Allen.
The Lions’ scored the game’s final touchdown when Rourke found Eberhardt from four yards away with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
KeeSean Johnson secured the victory by catching the Lions’ onside-kick attempt. Johnson had six receptions for 77 yards.
Rourke threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns, but encountered resistance at crucial junctures.
“This is a good (B.C.) team,” Mace said. “They were coming in hot. For us to come into their backyard and put together a performance like that, I thought it was awesome to see.
“I thought there were really some highs in all three phases and it was encouraging to see.”
TREVOR TIME
With three TD passes, Harris finished the game with a career total of 189. He is one shy of tying ex-Roughrider Tom Burgess for 16th All-Time.
Harris leapfrogged Burgess in passing attempts on Saturday, finishing with 4,040 (16th). Burgess had 4,034.
By going 23-for-30, Harris set a CFL record for most consecutive games (nine) with a completion percentage of at least 70.
He originally established the record of eight over a span of two seasons (2018-19). The Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ Dane Evans tied the mark with a streak of eight straight in 2019.
Harris increased his career passing-yardage total to 34,774. He is 31 behind Michael Reilly (15th All-Time) and 56 shy of Dieter Brock (14th).
EXTRA POINTS
• The Roughriders did not allow a sack despite starting their third different left tackle this season. Darius Washington made his CFL debut on Saturday. Payton Collins started the season opener before Daniel Johnson took over for the next four games. Johnson sat out Saturday’s contest with a shoulder injury.
• Lauther was 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts and 3-for-3 on converts.
• Ouellette led the Roughriders’ ground game with 72 yards on 15 carries, one day shy of his 30th birthday.
• Allen registered five defensive tackles and two pass knockdowns.
• The Roughriders did not punt until the opening play of the fourth quarter.
• Saskatchewan has four completions of 50-plus yards over its past two visits to B.C. Three of those passes were caught by Samuel Emilus, who had a 66-yarder on Saturday. Emilus had missed the previous three games with a foot injury.
• Saskatchewan dominated the time of possession (35:46) while holding B.C. to 43 yards rushing.
• Jameer Thurman had five defensive tackles to increase his career total to 482. He is second among active players, behind the Lions’ Micah Awe (505).
SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
Sask — TD Meyers 50 pass from Harris (Lauther convert) 4:54
Harris was 2-for-2 for 60 yards on Roughriders’ opening drive, with both completions to Meyers.
Sask — FG Lauther 45 6:49
Dalke recovery of McGee fumble, forced by Straker, led to Lauther field goal.
BC — Single Meyer 65 8:18
Lions punted for a rouge after back-to-back incompletions by Rourke.
Sask — TD Ouellette 7 pass from Harris (Lauther convert) 12:07
Harris was 4-for-4 for 66 yards on 70-yard TD march.
BC — TD Eberhardt 40 pass from Rourke (Whyte convert) 14:39
Rourke scrambled away from pressure and found Eberhardt near the goal line.
SECOND QUARTER
Sask — FG Lauther 21 11:10
Harris found Emilus on a 66-yard bomb to the Lions’ 12-yard line.
BC — FG Whyte 48 13:36
Lions moved 35 yards in seven plays.
Sask — FG Lauther 41 15:00
Lauther was 3-for-3 in the first half.
THIRD QUARTER
Sask — TD Meyers 30 pass from Harris (Lauther convert) 2:44
Meyers got open deep after a pump fake by Harris.
Sask — FG Lauther 16 10:27
Roughriders moved 77 yards in eight plays.
BC — TD Berryhill III 14 pass from Rourke (Rourke pass to Berryhill III for two-point convert) 13:18
Berryhill III scored on third-and-four gamble.
FOURTH QUARTER
BC — TD Eberhardt 4 pass from Rourke (Butler run for two-point convert) 14:41
Eberhardt caught his second TD pass of the game.
