“Man, we wish we had even more time together”: Riders conduct final full practice before Grey Cup
WINNIPEG — And that’s a wrap … sort of.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have completed their final full practice of a memorable 2025 CFL season.
Saturday’s walk-through at Princess Auto Stadium is all that precedes the 112th Grey Cup Game, which will pit the Roughriders against the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday.
“That was our last Day 3 as a group,” Head Coach Corey Mace lamented after Friday’s closed practice. “We still have so much special stuff coming up for us.
“I think everybody kind of senses that, ‘Man, this is the end.’ I can’t tell you how much this group loves each other — coaches, football operations, players and everybody included.
“It’s exciting, but it’s like, ‘Man, we wish we had even more time together.’ ”
There are still meetings leading up to Sunday’s kickoff. Ample time remains for refinements and tweaks. But most of the heavy lifting, as it were, is finished.
“Come game day, when the stuff is real, it’ll definitely hit me, for sure,” defensive end Malik Carney said.
“I’m just taking in everything. I’m appreciative of this moment — hanging out with the guys, just enjoying this moment, honing in on the details.
“From the start of training camp, we talked about our vision, our plan to make sure that we were coming here. Now that we’re here, I’m thinking of the process — the ups and downs, the corrections, the success.
“It’s time to put it together now. We’ve got one more game and I’m very, very confident in our plan that we’re going to get it done.”
It all sounds very purposeful. Instead of pre-game nerves, there is an evident resolve.
“This is definitely business and, as men, we’ve got to get it done,” Carney said. “We’ve got to handle business and that’s what we’re going to do up front as a defence.
“Offensively, I know we’re going to get the ball down the field and score touchdowns. Defensively, we’re going to get sacks. We’re going to get interceptions, TFLs (tackles for a loss) and forced fumbles.
“Everything that we worked on, right from training camp, is for this moment right here.”
CANADIAN COACH
Corey Mace hopes to become the first Canadian head coach to guide Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup title.
He will soon become the second Canadian to coach the team in a post-Second World War championship game, following Jim Daley in 1997.
“I’m a proud Canadian guy but, ultimately, I’m prouder to represent the team and to do it with this group,” said Mace, who hails from Vancouver.
“I don’t wake up and check my passport every morning but, when you look back at it, being a Canadian representing the country in our biggest game in this sport, one day I’ll say, ‘Man, that was pretty sweet.’ ”
Mace has been a coach-of-the-year finalist in each of his two seasons with the Roughriders, but his successes extend far beyond the field of play.
“I can’t say, or really put into words, how much this guy means to me and my football career,” seventh-year Roughriders kicker Brett Lauther said while seated to Mace’s left on Friday.
“At any level of any sport I’ve ever played, he’s the best coach, the best person, I’ve ever been around and had.
“I think we’re here for a reason — and the main reason is because he became the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.”
INJURY UPDATE
Receivers KeeSean Johnson (knee) and Joe Robustelli (head) are listed as out for Sunday’s game, according to the Roughriders’ latest injury report.
Johnson had 86 catches for 1,159 yards in 16 regular-season games en route to being named an All-CFLer. He had a league-best 39 receptions on second down.
Robustelli started in place of Johnson, a fellow American receiver, in last weekend’s Western Final. He had 38 catches for 544 yards and three TDs in 12 regular-season appearances.
