The Saskatchewan Roughriders open the home portion of their 2017 CFL regular-season schedule today against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
To set up the contest (7 p.m., CKRM, TSN), here’s one man’s list of five things that bear watching:
1. Mosaic Stadium: Saskatchewan has played a home game already this season — a June 10 pre-season contest against Winnipeg — but the Roughriders view today’s game as the official grand opening of their new $278-million home. There will be pre-game festivities in the stadium and at nearby Confederation Park and a halftime performance organized by the same folks who have done some halftime shows at Grey Cups (just don’t expect backflips performed by snowmobilers like we saw in 2013). The stadium already has proven to be loud, since much of the crowd noise bounces off the roof and stays in the park. A crowd of at least 33,000 screaming fans is expected — most of them Saskatchewan supporters — and that could be a major advantage for the home team.
2. Seeking redemption: The Roughriders are coming off a 17-16 loss to the host Montreal Alouettes on June 22 in the regular-season opener for both teams. Statistically speaking, Saskatchewan carried the play against the Als — it had the ball longer and produced more yards on offence — but couldn’t get the two points. Kicker Tyler Crapigna will still be smarting after missing a potential game-winning field goal on the game’s final play, but the team as a whole will be looking to bounce back after taking 12 penalties for 113 yards against the Als and after turning over the ball twice in Montreal territory.
3. Kevin Glenn: The 17-year veteran gets the start at quarterback for the Roughriders against a team for which he has played twice before in his career. Glenn was solid in the game against Montreal, completing 31 of 44 pass attempts for 298 yards with one touchdown and rushing five times for 16 yards. That was the most carries he had had in a game since he rushed five times for 38 yards on Sept. 11, 2009. Glenn also threw a fourth-quarter interception in enemy territory in Montreal, a turnover that (a) likely took points off the board and (b) no doubt rankled the veteran pivot.
4. Sam Eguavoen: The second-year linebacker comes off the one-game injured list to replace Henoc Muamba, who’s out with a knee injury. Eguavoen was a revelation for the Roughriders in 2016, making the team as a rookie and winning a starting job as the weak-side linebacker. He had 21 defensive tackles, two special-teams stops and two pass knockdowns in Saskatchewan’s first six regular-season games before suffering a knee injury that ended his season. Now healthy, Eguavoen returns to the roster — but in a different position. In the middle, he could collide often with Bombers tailback Andrew Harris.
5. Jovon Johnson: In his first game with the Roughriders since 2007, the veteran cornerback had seven tackles and a pass knockdown in the loss in Montreal. Perhaps inspired by the fact he was facing the team that had cut him only days earlier, Johnson was all over the field against the Als. The 33-year-old provides a wealth of experience for a Roughriders secondary that’s loaded with young defensive backs who can learn a thing or two from an 11-year CFL veteran like Johnson. He could be inspired again this week, since the Bombers let him leave in free agency in 2014.
