HAMILTON — It has taken a while, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats are set to finish their home-and-home series.
Saskatchewan defeated the visiting Tiger-Cats 18-13 on July 5 to open the back-to-back series. After both of the CFL teams enjoyed a bye week, the Roughriders are to visit Hamilton on Thursday (5:30 p.m., CKRM, TSN) at Tim Hortons Field.
The Roughriders snapped a two-game losing skid with their victory over Hamilton two weeks ago. That loss ended Hamilton’s two-game winning streak.
Here’s one man’s list of five things to watch during Thursday’s game.
- The quarterbacks: Three men — and possibly more, depending on injury — are expected to be operating two offences Thursday. Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has exceeded 300 yards passing in nine straight games, tying the CFL record set by Sam Etcheverry in 1956 and matched by Kent Austin in 1991. The Roughriders, who gave up 333 aerial yards to Masoli on July 5, will be out to keep him from claiming top spot by himself. Meanwhile, Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones has revealed that he plans to rotate Brandon Bridge and David Watford in this contest, just as he did in the previous meeting. Bridge will start, with Watford likely to get action early and often. Bridge made the first start of his Roughriders career in Hamilton on Sept. 15, when Saskatchewan won 27-19.
- Marcus Thigpen: The former Tiger-Cat delivered the game-winning touchdown against his previous CFL team on July 5, scooting 34 yards to paydirt with 1:29 left in regulation time. That was the Roughriders’ first rushing TD of the season — and the running game has to produce more to take the pressure off the quarterbacks. Thigpen has yet to hit his stride this season after missing the first two games due to a suspension, but Saskatchewan knows what he can do after seeing the speedster perform well in the 2017 playoffs. If Thigpen can’t replicate his success, Tre Mason and/or Jerome Messam could get the bulk of the carries in his place.
- Tobi Antigha: The CFL sophomore is quickly establishing himself as the Roughriders’ Swiss army knife. After playing receiver in college, Antigha was converted to defensive end by the Roughriders in his rookie campaign. This season, Antigha has been deployed at defensive end, linebacker, cornerback and safety depending on the defensive call. In the second quarter of the teams’ first meeting this season, he blitzed from the corner and levelled Masoli with a huge hit. Then, in the fourth quarter, Antigha dropped to safety and intercepted a pass that set up a Brett Lauther field goal. Antigha’s athleticism has allowed the Roughriders to use him in a variety of ways — and they appear to be looking for even more ways to utilize him.
- Secondary concern: Antigha’s interception was the Roughriders’ third pick this season, but not one of them has been recorded by a veteran defensive back. Rookie corner Nick Marshall and receiver-turned-corner Duron Carter each has an interception, meaning halfbacks Crezdon Butler and Ed Gainey, safeties Mike Edem and Marc-Olivier Brouillette and corner Jovon Johnson all have been blanked so far in 2018. Gainey is coming off a 2017 campaign in which he had a league-high 10 interceptions, but he didn’t get his first pick of the season until the Roughriders’ seventh game — and he added three more in that contest to set a franchise single-game record. The group could benefit from a Roughriders pass rush that can force a quarterback to throw the ball before he wants to.
- Men in Black: Jones is renowned for wearing black clothing all the time. Well, that was the chosen attire of Jerry Glanville during his days in the NFL. Glanville now serves as the Tiger-Cats’ defensive co-ordinator, so he and Jones — who moonlights as the Roughriders’ defensive play-caller — will go at it for the second straight game. Jones’ crew is second in the CFL in opponents’ touchdowns allowed (six), while Glanville’s gang is tied for third (eight). Hamilton is second in the league in yards of net offence allowed (326.3), with Saskatchewan fourth in that category (342.8). Both defences played well in the first meeting, so a similar showing Thursday wouldn’t be a surprise.
