How did Samuel Emilus and Thomas Bertrand-Hudon perform for the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday night?
“They were just awful,” Trevor Harris said, tongue planted firmly in cheek, after quarterbacking the Roughriders to a season-opening, 31-26 victory over the Ottawa REDBLACKS on Thursday night at Mosaic Stadium.
But seriously, folks …
“Sam Emilus is an animal,” Harris said, admiringly.
“The guy dogs people in the run game. He’s really good after the catch. He catches everything. He’s got vice grips for hands.”
As evidence to that effect, Emilus caught eight passes for 133 yards — including a nine-yard touchdown — on Thursday.
A fellow Quebecker, Bertrand-Hudon, entered the game in the first quarter after starting running back A.J. Ouellette.
“Thomas the Train” proceeded to rush 14 times for a game-high 57 yards. He scored on a six-yard run and a 14-yard reception.
“Thomas is just one of those guys where nobody knows how good of a football player he is because he’s behind A.J. Ouellette,” Harris said. “He’s been behind some big-time players.
“Whenever he gets an opportunity, he comes in, he breaks tackles and he falls forward.”
With a little help — OK, a lot of help — from Emilus, if necessary.
On Bertrand-Hudon’s TD run, he fell into the end zone after being grabbed by Emilus near the goal line and tossed into six-point territory.
Emilus also made a key block on REDBLACKS linebacker Adarius Pickett to help Bertrand-Hudon score on a swing pass.
“He blocked his tail off the entire game,” Bertrand-Hudon said of Emilus. “He helped me score a couple of times, so I’ve got to give props to him.”
Emilus was quick to return the compliment.
“With A.J. being out, Thomas had to step up, and he did,” the two-time 1,000-yard receiver said. “Two touchdowns … two crucial touchdowns.”
Bertrand-Hudon, a third-year Roughrider, enjoyed his second two-TD game as a CFLer. He rushed for two majors on Sept. 29th, 2023 against the host B.C. Lions.
One year later, less a day, Bertrand-Hudon scored on a 26-yard run to help Saskatchewan defeat Ottawa 29-16 at Mosaic Stadium.
Bertrand-Hudon entered that game after starting tailback Ryquell Armstead was injured and carried the ball nine times for 72 yards.
“Last year, I had the same type of game against Ottawa, so I know I’m OK against them for right now,” Bertrand-Hudon said with a laugh.
The 6-foot-0, 220-pounder’s performance on Thursday wasn’t the least bit surprising to Corey Mace.
“Rider Nation has seen it,” the Roughriders’ Head Coach said. “Anytime this kid has been called upon to carry the football, he makes plays.
“I’m just so happy for him to be able to celebrate that kind of success, because he put so much work in.
“Everybody gives A.J. all the love for how he transformed his body, but Thomas did the exact same thing.”
Bertrand-Hudon hails from Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., which is 40 kilometres east of Montreal — where Emilus was born.
“Emilus was more hyped with his own celebration for blocking (for Bertrand-Hudon) than he was for his own touchdown,” Mace said. “You love that stuff for those guys.
“I’m really pleased with Thomas. There are no issues with handing him the ball.”
Or throwing it to him.
The touchdown reception was the first by Bertrand-Hudon since 2017, when he was a multi-talented offensive threat for Champlain College Lennoxville in Quebec’s CEGEP ranks
His highlight reel, easily accessible on Hudl, shows scoring runs of 106, 67 and 60 yards, along with a 73-yard touchdown reception.
