The Saskatchewan Roughriders no doubt remember their most lopsided loss of the 2018 CFL season to date.
They’ll have a chance to exact some revenge Saturday, when the Ottawa Redblacks visit Mosaic Stadium (7:30 p.m., CKRM, TSN).
In Week 2 of the regular season, the Roughriders paid a visit to the nation’s capital — and proceeded to give up 459 yards of net offence in a 40-17 loss. The point differential of 23 remains the largest in a Saskatchewan loss this season.
A couple of hits on Zach Collaros also knocked the Roughriders’ No. 1 quarterback out of the game before halftime and eventually put him on the injured list for the next four games as well.
Three months have passed since that outing, though, and Saskatchewan now is riding a four-game winning streak. Ottawa, on the other hand, has lost two straight games.
Here’s one man’s list of five things (or players) to watch during Saturday’s game.
- Zach’s back: Collaros left last Saturday’s 32-27 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers early in the fourth quarter after taking a heavy hit and smacking his head on the turf. Collaros was placed in the CFL’s concussion protocol and didn’t return to the game, but he since has been given a clean bill of health. As a result, Collaros will start Saturday against the Redblacks and will look to build on his 5-2-0 record as a starter this season. The Roughriders’ offence hasn’t been lighting up the CFL this season, but the unit is a different beast with Collaros at the controls.
- Free Mason: Tailback Tre Mason had his finest statistical game as a Roughrider in Winnipeg, rushing 20 times for 117 yards. Since wresting the starting job away from Marcus Thigpen, Mason has improved steadily as the Roughriders’ No. 1 rushing threat — which explains the backs’ respective workloads on offence in Winnipeg. Mason had 20 carries and caught two passes while Thigpen rushed once and caught one pass. That said, Thigpen did get a lot of work on special teams; he led the Roughriders in punt returns (four for 26 yards) and kickoff returns (three for 52 yards) in place of the injured Christion Jones.
- The return game: Saskatchewan’s defence is putting together an amazing season of scoring. The D has registered seven touchdowns, with six pick-sixes (two by Nick Marshall and one each by Tobi Antigha, Duron Carter, Sam Eguavoen and Willie Jefferson) and a fumble return (by Charleston Hughes). The half-dozen interception returns for TDs ties a franchise single-season record set in 1976. Throw in two punt-return TDs (one apiece by Jones and Kyran Moore) and the scoop and score of a blocked punt (by Eguavoen) and the Roughriders have set a new franchise single-season record with 10 return TDs.
- Double trouble: The Redblacks employ two of the CFL’s top inside receivers in Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson. Sinopoli went into the week ranked first in the league in catches (74) and yards after the catch (345) and fourth in receiving yards (894). He also was tied for third in second-down receptions that created a first down (22) and tied for fourth in targets (100). Ellingson, meanwhile, was second in targets (107), fourth in catches (62) and seventh in receiving yards (748), and he was tied with Sinopoli with 22 second-down receptions. Strangely, though, Ellingson has just one TD catch and one reception of 30 or more yards this season.
- Getting their kicks: The contest will feature two men who went into the week as the CFL’s most accurate kickers this season. Ottawa’s Lewis Ward led the league with a 97.0-per-cent success rate on his field-goal attempts (32-for-33, all from inside 50 yards) while the Roughriders’ Brett Lauther was second at 92.1 per cent (35-for-38, including a league-high 23 from inside the 40). Entering the week, Lauther led the CFL in combined yards of field goals attempted (1,357) and field goals made (1,247) while Ward was fourth in combined yards of field goals attempted (1,053) and second in yards of field goals made (1,005).
