
ROBSERVATIONS: Recalling Riders rallies … out-of-nowhere quarterbacking sensations … fan-fuelled frustration flashback … and a running tally
ITEM: The Montreal Alouettes rallied from a 13-point deficit en route to defeating the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders 20-16 on Thursday.
REACTION: It happens. Both ways, in fact.
This season, for example, Saskatchewan registered each of its first two victories by extricating itself from a 13-point hole.
On June 8, the Roughriders trailed 21-8 in the fourth quarter before erupting for 21 unanswered points and defeating the host Edmonton Elks 29-21.
Saskatchewan subsequently stared at a 20-7 third-quarter deficit before storming back and posting a 33-30 victory over the Tiger-Cats on June 16 in Hamilton.
Games of that description, as exasperating as they can be for fans of the losing side, are inevitable.
In fact, they are to be welcomed — OK, maybe not so much on Thursday! — because the precarious nature of double-digit leads is part of the excitement.
Less excitement is provided, I recognize, by the latest deluge of data — numbers I will use, yet again, to reinforce my point.
Since the Second World War, the Roughriders have won 43 times after trailing by 13 points or more. They have also savaged a tie in five such situations, overcoming deficits of 20, 17, 16, 14 and 14 points.
Victories have been achieved after trailing by 26 (once), 24 (once), 21 (twice), 20 (once), 18 (four times), 17 (three), 16 (five), 15 (five), 14 (nine) and 13 (12).
The rally from 26 points down occurred on Nov. 11, 1963, in the finale of the two-game, total-points Western Conference semi-final.
The Calgary Stampeders won Game 1 in convincing fashion (35-9) at McMahon Stadium.
Needing to win Game 2 by at least 27 points, Saskatchewan prevailed 39-12 to edge Calgary by one point (48-47). The comeback was quickly dubbed “The Little Miracle of Taylor Field.”
Ron Lancaster, who threw for 492 yards and five touchdowns in that 1963 classic, also figured in the largest in-game comeback in Roughriders history.
On Nov. 7, 1976, Saskatchewan trailed 24-0 (in the second quarter), 27-8 (third) and 31-18 (fourth) before storming back.
On the final play from scrimmage, Lancaster threw a three-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to Rhett Dawson. A 33-31 victory gave Saskatchewan first place in the West.
Afterwards, Stampeders centre Basil Bark treated Bob Hughes and a Regina Leader-Post audience to a classic quote.
“I didn’t come down in yesterday’s rain,” Bark began. “I’ve played too many times against them to know better than to let yourself think you’ve ever got them. You have to step on their throats and keep your foot there.
“You know, even when we had them 24-0, they didn’t look like they were down or beaten. They just looked mad.
“I’ve played a long time against Ronnie. I know Ronnie. You don’t take anything for granted with him. You know that sooner or later he’s going to come after you. And you’d better be ready.”
DAVIS, DANNY DAZZLED
Lancaster was the Roughriders’ head coach when one of the CFL’s all-time out-of-nowhere quarterbacking performances took place.
On Lancaster’s 41st birthday — Oct. 14, 1979 — Danny Sanders came off the bench to guide Saskatchewan to an utterly improbable, 26-25 victory over an Edmonton team that would soon win its second of an unprecedented five consecutive Grey Cup championships.
The Roughriders carried an 0-11 record into what was presumed to be an obligatory matchup with a perennial powerhouse.
Predictably, Edmonton assumed an 11-2 lead early in the second quarter at Taylor Field.
The Roughriders’ response began when Sanders, who had just entered the game in place of struggling starter Lloyd Patterson, threw a 52-yard touchdown bomb to Joey Walters.
Barely a month after beginning a five-day trial with the Roughriders, Sanders threw for 242 yards to pilot Saskatchewan to a stunner of a victory.
I was reminded of that game, and of comparable circumstances, when Davis Alexander came off the bench after halftime on Thursday and completed 15 of 18 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns to help Montreal score 17 unanswered points.
Until a hamstring injury shelved Cody Fajardo, Alexander had been third on the Alouettes’ quarterbacking depth chart. He was next in line to begin Thursday’s game, during which Caleb Evans was a non-factor for the first two quarters before being replaced by a virtual unknown.
You know, someone like Rocky Butler … or Darian Durant … or Mitchell Gale … or Isaac Harker. Remember?
Rocky Butler: At one point in the 2002 season, Butler was fourth on the Roughriders’ depth chart. After the team encountered injuries (to Nealon Greene and Kevin Glenn) and ineffectiveness (Jonathan Beasley was 3-for-18 in a relief appearance), Butler was named the surprise starter for the Labour Day Classic against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He ended up rushing for three TDs in a 33-19 Saskatchewan victory.
Darian Durant: Durant was fourth on the depth chart as a first-year Roughrider in 2006. He was No. 3 in 2007 and remained in that role when the following season began. Everything changed on July 4, 2008, when Marcus Crandell suffered a hamstring injury during the first half against the host B.C. Lions. Steven Jyles took over behind centre and didn’t generate much offence. To begin the third quarter, Durant entered the game and helped the Roughriders win 26-16. Eight days later, he threw for 347 yards and two TDs in his first CFL start as Saskatchewan posted a 33-28, come-from-behind victory in Hamilton. Durant will soon be formally enshrined in the SaskTel Plaza of Honour.
Mitchell Gale: With Durant nursing a sprained left ankle, Gale was called upon to start for the Roughriders (0-3) against the visiting Ottawa REDBLACKS (3-0). The Gale force was such that Saskatchewan won 30-29. Just 19 days after being acquired from the Toronto Argonauts, Gale made the most of his first CFL start by throwing for 354 yards, 89 of which resulted from a touchdown bomb to Naaman Roosevelt.
Isaac Harker: Needing a victory over Edmonton to secure first place in the West, the Roughriders ran into a jam when starting quarterback Cody Fajardo suffered an oblique injury during practice. Harker, who had thrown only 33 passes to that point in his rookie season, proceeded to go 23-for-28 for 213 yards to help Saskatchewan win 23-13 at Mosaic Stadium on Nov. 2, 2019. The last three quarterbacks to guide the Roughriders to a first-place clinching victory: Lancaster (1976), Durant (2009) and Harker (2019).
MOTE EMOTES
Much has been made of the airhorn-enhanced crowd noise that was audible on Thursday at Percival Molson Stadium.
This grizzled gargoyle of an historian remembers a time when virtual silence was expected, even when the visiting team possessed the football.
On Sept. 10, 1967, the Ottawa brass was apoplectic after Saskatchewan won 32-23 before a vocal crowd at Taylor Field.
Al Bruno triggered the post-game by ranting about the officiating. Then it was time for a fellow Ottawa assistant coach, Kelley Mote, to rant.
“Awwww, never mind the officiating,” Mote snorted, as L-P sports editor Laurie Artiss took notes. “I’m not complaining about that. It’s the fans!
“You call these fans here ‘great’? Why, they’re from Hicksville!”
OUCH!
“That hollering when we were trying to call plays is ridiculous and the poorest sportsmanship I’ve ever seen,” Mote continued.
“We prepared well for this game. We knew what their defence was going to do and we had check-offs to everything.
“Not only couldn’t we use audibles, but our guys couldn’t even hear the signals!”
The nerve!
“It was a disgrace,” Mote went on to say. “If they can beat us fair and square, then fine, but this wasn’t either.
“They should be ashamed of themselves. Maybe they’d smarten up if other cities did the same to their team, and I hope it’s us, because the next time we face ’em, we’re going to whip ’em good.”
Frank Clair also weighed in on the issue.
“Sure, it hurt that we couldn’t check off,” the Rough Riders’ head coach told Artiss, “but I might have been happy if our players could have heard the original signals.
“Look how many times we were called for offensive offside, simply because our linemen couldn’t near the numbers. And we had backs running into each other because they were missing their count.
“Everybody says we need more scoring in our game, and they even suggest four downs. Here we were giving them a great scoring game and the crowd just killed it.
“I’m not saying we would have won, because Regina played a fine game. But I think we, our any visiting club, deserve an equal chance.”
RUNNING TOTALS
Saskatchewan has allowed only 335 rushing yards over its seven games in 2024.
That is, by far, the Roughriders’ best total at this juncture of the season.
The next-lowest figures are 526 (from 2007), 536 (2018) and 544 (1968).
The Roughriders have also held the opposition to a double-digit rushing-yardage total in each of the first seven games for the first time in franchise history.
Post-WW2, Saskatchewan has limited the foe to 33 or fewer rushing yards 59 times. Three of those games have been played this season. Montreal eked out 33 yards on Friday.
Saskatchewan has allowed only 47.9 rushing yards per game this season.
The league record over a complete regular season is 58.5 yards per game, set by Calgary in 1995.
The Roughriders’ best full-season average (78.6) dates back to 1968.
SHORT SNORTS
• From the “where does the time go?” department: Monday will mark the 40th anniversary of the first eight-field-goal game in CFL history. Dave Ridgway accomplished that feat as Saskatchewan won 46-24 in Ottawa on July 29, 1984. Robokicker tied his record on July 23, 1988 against Edmonton. All these years later, he still boasts two of the four eight-field-goal games in CFL history.
• On July 19, Harker threw five TD passes to lead the Billings Outlaws to a 46-41 victory over the Albany Firebirds in ArenaBowl XXXIII. He was named the game’s MVP.
ROLL CREDITS …
• Nice people who deserve a plug: Dean Wilyman, Liam Richards, Kerri Michell, Clint Ratkovich, Pete Paczko, Ben Szumack, Isaac Harker, Maddie Thiele, Edwin Harrison, Lana Mueller, Shawn Bane Jr., Thomas Bertrand-Hudon, Joel Makar, Jason Johnson, Ryan Michell, Neko Michell, Adley Tomlenovich, Joey Walters, Steve Tunison, Jillian Tunison, Maren Tunison, Herb Zurkowsky and all residents of Jasper, Alta.