The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offensive linemen had a good-natured beef, shall we say, with Corey Mace.
The issue was resolved rather emphatically when the CFL team’s Head Coach was tossed into a Mosaic Stadium cold tub after Friday’s 29-16 victory over the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
“I guess there has been some tradition here,” Mace explained after Tuesday’s practice. “If anybody calls the O-line ‘fat,’ they get thrown in the cold tub.
“I called them ‘fat’ a couple of weeks ago for not chasing the ball on a play, so they were hinting at it. I kind of said, ‘I dare you,’ and then I kind of figured (it would happen) so I said, ‘Let’s just get it out of the way.’
“I’ll uphold the tradition and let it keep going. Anybody can get it.”
That was said, point blank, while Mace looked directly at the Roughriders’ resident writer and keeper of the record, who warbled: “Ummm … (gulp) … what is the punishment if you call the historian ‘fat’?”
“Nothing,” Mace replied with a smile. “We just go eat something.”
FROM WET … TO BRETT
Brett Lauther is coming off a game in which he kicked the second-most field goals (seven) in franchise history.
He went 7-for-7 on Saturday to improve his current roll to 18-for-19 — the lone miss being a desperation 60-yarder into the wind.
Factor in 33-yard convert attempts and the sixth-year Roughriders kicker has made 28 of his last 29 placements.
“It was a fun one to win and a lot of guys made some great plays,” Lauther said on Tuesday. “I just kind of went out and did my part.”
In so doing, he allowed the Roughriders to put seven or more field goals on the board for the eighth time in franchise history:
8 — Dave Ridgway (8-for-9) at Ottawa, July 29, 1984
8 — Dave Ridgway (8-8) vs. Edmonton, July 23, 1988.
7 — Bob Macoritti (7-8) vs. Toronto, Aug. 27, 1978.
7 — Dave Ridgway (7-7) vs. B.C., Sept. 27, 1987.
7 — Dave Ridgway (7-7) vs. Edmonton, Aug. 19, 1990.
7 — Paul McCallum (7-8) vs. Edmonton, Sept. 28, 1997.
7 — Luca Congi (7-7) vs. Hamilton, July 31, 2010.
7 — Brett Lauther (7-7) vs. Ottawa, Sept. 28, 2024.
Lauther connected from 41, 39, 35, 35, 33, 23 and 21 yards for a Saskatchewan team that dominated the time of possession (37:39).
“The offence was moving the ball all day,” he said. “I wasn’t really asked to do too much distance-wise or anything.
“We found a way to win again. That’s two in a row. We’re just looking forward to Edmonton.”
Saturday’s matchup with the host Edmonton Elks will be Lauther’s 100th CFL regular-season game.
WILLIAMS REGRETFUL
Deontai Williams met with the media on Tuesday to discuss a late-game infraction that led to a rough play penalty and a disqualification on Saturday.
“I wish I could rewind everything and go back in time on that play right now,” said the 27-year-old cornerback, whose forceful tackle of Kalil Pimpleton resulted in the Ottawa receiver landing head-first on the turf.
Williams met with reporters after having a hearing with the CFL on Tuesday.
“I told them that I regret my decision and that I apologize to Pimpleton,” he said.
Those sentiments were also conveyed directly to Pimpleton over the weekend.
“We e-mailed each other and started talking and stuff like that,” Williams said. “I told him that I’m never that guy who tries to get in the way of you feeding your family.
“He was very professional and he understands that football is football. It’s a contact sport. I apologized to him and said there was no intent of trying to hurt him out there. I was just trying to get him down.
“For him to forgive me and then give me a Bible verse after, that speaks a lot about him and about how great of a man he is.”
REMEMBERING REED
Tuesday’s practice was conducted one year to the day after George Reed passed away, one day shy of his 84th birthday.
Tributes to the Roughriders icon were visible throughout Mosaic Stadium as the team conducted its first workout of the week.
“During the season, I’ve had two or three sit-downs with his wife (Angie) — just the two of us talking and sharing stories,” said Mace, who is in his first season with the Roughriders.
“I know the community loves him. With the stories that I hear from his family and other people who had the opportunity to be around George, man, I wish I had gotten here a little bit earlier.
“Definitely, anytime you want to talk about a person who meant so much to the province, I’ve got all the time in the world for that.”
