Brett Lauther has a preferred path to 200 points, should he reach that milestone.
“Hopefully it’s five converts,” he says.
Lauther is five points shy of becoming the first Saskatchewan Roughrider in 33 years — most of his life span — to hit 200.
That opportunity should present itself during Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Calgary Stampeders (5 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
“It’s more of a product of the coaching and the team, the offence, (Offensive Co-ordinator) Marc Mueller, (quarterback) Trevor Harris, all the receivers and the O-line,” the invariably modest Lauther says when asked about the 195 points he has amassed during his sixth season as a Roughrider.
“We’re getting in the other team’s end of the field a lot this year and scoring a lot of touchdowns or kicking a lot of field goals.
“That’s how you win football games — by scoring points — so it’s not really anything to do with me. It’s more hats off to the coaching staff and the offence.”
As it stands, Lauther sports the seventh-best single-season points total in franchise history.
Dave Ridgway, who occupies the first four spots, produced peak point totals of 233 (in 1990), 216 (1989 and 1991) and 215 (1988).
Lauther’s 2018 total of 198 places him fifth. Ridgway, with 196 points in 1993, is next in line.
The legendary Robokicker, a 2003 inductee into the Canadian Football of Fame, last surpassed 200 points on Oct. 27, 1991, when the Roughriders opposed the B.C. Lions at a snow-swept Taylor Field.
Lauther was then eight days shy of his first birthday.
And get this: he was born on Nov. 4, 1990 — one day after Ridgway registered his league-high 233rd point.
All these years later, Lauther has a five-point cushion atop the points parade.
Lirim Hajrullahu of the Toronto Argonauts occupies second spot. He is two points ahead of B.C.’s Sean Whyte, who is idle this weekend because the Lions are on a bye. The Ottawa REDBLACKS’ Lewis Ward is seven points back of Whyte.
As it stands, Lauther is well-positioned to become the first Roughrider to lead the CFL in scoring since he accomplished that feat in 2018, producing 198 points.
The other Roughriders to lead Canadian professional football in scoring: Joe Aguirre (85 points in 1954), Jack Hill (145 in 1958), Hugh Campbell (102 in 1966), Jack Abendschan (116 in 1970) and, of course, Ridgway (215 in 1988; 233 in 1990).
A question about a second run at a scoring title elicits a chuckle from Lauther.
“That’s something else I didn’t really think about or know about,” he says. “I kind of stopped looking at the stats online a few years ago.
“It has definitely helped to concentrate on just trying to make the next kick and going 1-for-1.
“It’s the same thing I mentioned earlier. It’s a product of the offence and the coaching. I’m just trying to do my job like they’re trying to do theirs.
“It results in a lot of points and that usually results in wins. That’s what we’re trying to do.
“Everyone is focused on Calgary right now. Then it’s the next game … and then the next game. That’s how we’re taking it. I think that has really propelled us throughout the season.
“We’re process-driven here. We’re not outcome-driven.”
The outcomes, however, are worthy of mention and, moreover, appreciation.
Lauther’s 2024 total of 51 field goals ranks him sixth in team history.
Ridgway set the Roughriders’ record of 59 in 1990. He also had seasons of 55 (1988), 54 (1989) and 52 (1991). Lauther kicked 54 field goals in 2018, when he was a West Division All-Star.
As well, Lauther has connected on 26 of his past 27 field-goal attempts. The sole miss was on a desperation 60-yarder into the wind.
Including converts, which Lauther attempts from 33 yards away, he has connected on 41 of his last 42 placements.
Thanks to Lauther, Saskatchewan is the only team that has yet to miss a one-point convert attempt this season. He is 39-for-39 on extra points.
Since 2015, when the CFL dispensed with the 12-yard convert attempt and nearly tripled the distance, only one Roughrider has made every extra point over an entire season.
Lauther is looking to finish the season with an accuracy rate of 100 per cent and thereby match Tyler Crapigna, who went 47-for-47 for the Roughriders in 2017.
These numbers, as impressive as they are, will not be perused by Lauther until after the season — if, in fact, he scans them at all.
“When I was growing up, I always really liked numbers and math and analytics with hockey and other sports,” the pride of Truro, N.S. says.
“It’s something that still definitely intrigues me, but I leave the data to other sports and separate it from football.
“I just try to focus on what I need to do that day, what the team needs to do, and our goals for that week. I’m just trying to help us win football games and go out and make the next one.”
A convert, ideally.
