as the Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the BC Lions in CFL West Final action in Regina, SK, November 8, 2025. Photo Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards
What a rush!
A.J. Ouellette’s 17-carry, 113-yard performance helped the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat the B.C. Lions 24-21 in Saturday’s CFL Western Final at a sold-out Mosaic Stadium.
“He was clutch when we needed him,” victorious quarterback Trevor Harris said. “He was running the ball downhill and was very physical.”
That was evident on the Roughriders’ first play from scrimmage, when the relentless Ouellette ran for 12 yards — his first of six double-digit gains along the ground.
“I’m happy for the team,” he said after the game, “but the job’s not done.”
Ouellette and the Roughriders are to depart this afternoon for Winnipeg, where the 112th Grey Cup Game is to be played on Sunday. The Montreal Alouettes will represent the East Division.
It will be the second Grey Cup appearance for Ouellette, who ran for two touchdowns to help the Toronto Argonauts edge the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24-23 at Mosaic Stadium on Nov. 20, 2022.
That game wasn’t decided until the final minute, when the Argonauts blocked a Blue Bombers field-goal attempt to preserve a one-point lead.
Saturday’s game was also a down-to-the-wire affair. Harris hit Tommy Nield — like Ouellette, a member of the 2022 Argonauts — for a game-winning, three-yard TD pass with 11 seconds remaining.
“It felt about the same (as 2022),” Ouellette noted. “I was calm the whole time, because there wasn’t any doubt that we were going to win.
“When we got down early, I felt like we just had to go out there and stack plays, one by one.”
Ouellette contributed in whatever-it-takes fashion, as usual.
Saskatchewan’s game-winning, seven-play, 76-yard TD drive included a 10-yard reception by Ouellette. Harris found Dohnte Meyers for 21 yards on the next play. Then came the payoff pitch to Nield. Ouellette’s view of the climactic catch was obscured because he was pass blocking.
In three post-season games with the Roughriders, Ouellette has 41 carries for 234 yards — an average of 5.7 yards per rush — and three TDs.
His 113 rushing yards represented the 16th-highest total by a Roughrider in playoff or Grey Cup competition. (A full list of the Roughriders’ 24 post-season 100-yard games appears below.)
TOUCHDOWN TOMMY’S MAGIC TOUCH
Nield is hoping to win a championship for the third time in a span of four seasons.
He celebrated Grey Cup victories with Toronto in 2022 and 2024 before signing with Saskatchewan on Feb. 4.
“I can’t even put that into words,” Nield said of his Grey Cup-related good fortune. “It’s something you dream about as a kid.
“The reason why you play is to play in the big games and to get the opportunity to play for a championship. I’m just happy to be going to another one.”
Nield and Head Coach Corey Mace also have a shared Grey Cup history. Mace was the Argonauts’ Defensive Co-ordinator in 2022 and 2023 before joining the Roughriders on Nov. 30 of the latter year.
“Tommy is an unbelievable human being who also happens to be an unbelievable football player,” Mace said. “He does everything that we ask. He’s super-reliable. I’ve seen it, essentially, his whole career.
“When we were able to get him here, we all knew as coaches and as anybody who has been around him the type of player that he can be.
“It was unfortunate that he started out in camp with an injury but, when he came back, we all knew what he could do. He has been unbelievable — and now they call him Touchdown Tommy in the locker room.
“I’m super-excited for that kid and his family. Unbelievable family.”
Nield, who missed the Roughriders’ first five regular-season games with an ankle injury, has been a starter for the past 13 contests.
Over that span, he has caught 45 passes for 564 yards and six touchdowns. That includes Saturday’s three-catch, 29-yard performance.
T-MOBIL(E)
For the Western Final, the lower back of each Roughrider player’s jersey included an advertisement for the Mobil petroleum brand.
It was perfect product placement for Harris, who refers to himself as “T-Mobile” while exaggerating his running ability for comedic purposes.
What was his reaction, then, when he saw Mobil on his jersey?
“Some of my teammates were like, ‘You’ve got to put a T in front of the Mobil,’ ” Harris said with a laugh.
Harris lived up to the label by running three times for 15 yards on Saturday.
The highlight was a 10-yard scramble on second-and-10 that gave Saskatchewan a first down on B.C.’s nine-yard line. Three plays later, Harris threw a two-yard pass to Kian Schaffer-Baker for the Roughriders’ first touchdown.
MOST RUSHING YARDS BY A ROUGHRIDER IN A POST-SEASON GAME
204 — George Reed (37 carries) vs. Calgary, Nov. 26, 1967
197 — Kory Sheets (20) vs. Hamilton, Nov. 24, 2013 (Grey Cup)
177 — Kory Sheets (28) at Calgary, Nov. 17, 2013
169 — Marcus Thigpen (15) at Ottawa, Nov. 12, 2017
168 — George Reed (29) at Edmonton, Nov. 18, 1973
156 — George Reed (26) at Winnipeg, Nov. 19, 1972
150 — George Reed (26) vs. Edmonton, Nov. 11, 1967
144 — Steve Molnar (27) vs. Edmonton, Nov. 20, 1976
141 — Kenton Keith (16) at Calgary, Nov. 5, 2006
133 — George Reed (23) vs. Ottawa, Nov. 26, 1966 (Grey Cup)
133 — George Reed (26) vs. B.C., Nov. 11, 1973
130 — Kenton Keith (14) at Winnipeg, Nov. 2, 2003
128 — George Reed (31) vs. Winnipeg, Nov. 6, 1971
125 — Ed Buchanan (16) at Winnipeg, Nov. 16, 1966
114 — Milson Jones (12) at Edmonton, Nov. 11, 1990
113 — A.J. Ouellette (17) vs. B.C., Nov. 8, 2025
109 — George Reed (17) at Calgary, Nov. 18, 1970
109 — Kerry Joseph (14) vs. Calgary, Nov. 11, 2007
105 — Bobby Marlow (13) vs. Winnipeg, Nov. 5, 1955
102 — Cookie Gilchrist (13) vs. Edmonton, Nov. 8, 1958
102 — Reggie Slack (12) at Calgary, Nov. 2, 1997
101 — Kerry Joseph (10) vs. Winnipeg, Nov. 25, 2007 (Grey Cup)
100 — George Reed (19) at Winnipeg, Nov. 16, 1966
100 — Molly McGee (20) vs. Edmonton, Nov. 20, 1976
