ROBSERVATIONS: Saluting Saskatchewan’s season-opening standouts — Trevor Harris, Jameer Thurman, Samuel Emilus, Mario Alford, Brett Lauther
as the Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the Ottawa Red Blacks in CFL action in Regina, SK, June 5, 2025. Photo Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards
Trevor Harris is not a big numbers guy — despite his big numbers.
“Nobody really cares about stats,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ starting quarterback said leading up to Thursday’s CFL regular-season opener against the visiting Ottawa REDBLACKS.
“I’ve said it before: Stats are for losers. I think it’s about how you make other people feel and the impact you can leave on people.
“Pinball (Clemons) used to say all the time: ‘It matters more how you treat people. They’ll remember how you treated them more than what you did.’ ”
Harris, a class act, will always be appreciated in that context.
But, with profuse apologies to the Roughriders’ No. 7, I would like to emphasize some (no!!!) stats.
While quarterbacking Saskatchewan to a 31-26 victory over Ottawa, Harris threw two touchdown passes to increase his career total to 182.
He moved past Michael Reilly into sole possession of 19th on the CFL’s All-Time list. Sam Etcheverry (186) and Russ Jackson (185) are now within striking distance.
With 2,768 completions, Harris is ranked 13th. Reilly’s total of 2,772 should be surpassed early in a June 14th road game against the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Tom Clements (2,808) will be next in line.
Attempts-wise, Harris is 18th with 3,913. Directly above him on the lifetime list is Darian Durant (4,001).
In terms of yards, Harris ranks 16th with 33,425. If he remains healthy, Kent Austin (36,030), Dieter Brock (34,830) and Reilly (34,805) could be leapfrogged this season.
Harris is also second All-Time in completion percentage (70.74). Cody Fajardo, now of the Edmonton Elks, is first at 71.02.
After throwing touchdown passes to Samuel Emilus and Thomas Bertrand-Hudon on Thursday, Harris has produced multiple aerial majors in nine of his past 12 regular-season starts as a Roughrider. Over that same span, he has connected for 22 majors.
“It’s fun to observe from the sideline and get that kind of front-row seat,” Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace said after Harris went 19-for-26 for 277 yards on Thursday.
Mace added that the team-oriented Harris is “not one to chase” records or crave attention.
“He’s always going to look to make the right play,” the Roughriders’ chief strategist continued.
“On the pass to Bertrand-Hudon, to see him go through the progressions to get that (pass) there, not a lot of quarterbacks can do that.
“He’s fun to watch for football nerds.”
And for anyone who appreciates the great game of Canadian professional football.
We are privileged to watch someone whose numbers are those of a CFL superstar, in this appraisal.
“In terms of ‘superstar,’ I guess I don’t know how you describe it,” Harris said on Wednesday when asked about the league’s assortment of upper-echelon players.
“I don’t know if someone in Egypt is going to know who I am, but I’m not too concerned about it. As long as they choose me to be the quarterback here, I’m good.”
HAPPY HUNDRED
Jameer Thurman marked his 100th career regular-season game in fine style.
The Roughriders’ middle linebacker, a divisional All-CFL selection last season, registered 10 defensive tackles — his most in 20 regular-season and playoff games with the Green and White — and added a sack.
On the latter play, Mace ordered up a blitz and Thurman had an unimpeded path toward Dru Brown before felling the Ottawa signal-caller for a loss of 10.
“I appreciate them not blocking me on that play,” Thurman said with a laugh. “I’ll take the free ones when they come my way.”
Thurman’s 10 tackles tied a career high.
As a member of the Calgary Stampeders, he mirrored Thursday’s production with a 10-tackle, one-sack game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Aug. 25th, 2018.
Also with Calgary, he registered 10 tackles against Edmonton on Sept. 5th, 2022.
Thursday’s tackles total was among the highest for a Roughrider in a regular-season opener.
Yes, here’s another one of my lists:
11 — Jackie Mitchell vs. Hamilton, July 6th, 2001.
10 — Eddie Davis at Montreal, June 29th, 2007.
10 — Maurice Lloyd at Montreal, June 29th, 2007.
10 — Telvion Clark vs. Winnipeg, June 27th, 2015.
10 — Jameer Thurman vs. Ottawa, June 5th, 2025.
“The main thing for me is coming away with the win,” Thurman said after his 100th game, “but I just want to thank everybody who has been a part my career — my family, my trainers, all my teammates who have pushed me each and every year to be better. I couldn’t have done any of this without them.”
SUPER SAM
Emilus caught eight passes for 133 yards on Thursday. The yardage total is the ninth-best for a Roughrider in a regular-season opener.
You probably saw this coming, but … heeeeeeeeere’s the list!
215 — Jeff Fairholm (7 receptions) at B.C., July 9th, 1993.
180 — Weston Dressler (13) at Hamilton, June 29th, 2012.
154 — Weston Dressler (7) vs. B.C., July 3rd, 2009.
154 — Weston Dressler (9) vs. Montreal, July 1st, 2010 (OT).
151 — Holland Aplin (6) vs. Edmonton, Aug. 23rd, 1952.
147 — Bob Pearce (7) at Hamilton, July 31st, 1972.
142 — Hugh Campbell (7) at Edmonton, July 29th, 1966.
142 — Joey Walters (7) at Winnipeg, July 9th, 1982.
133 — Samuel Emilus (8) vs. Ottawa, June 5th, 2025.
SUPER MARIO
Mario Alford fielded 10 footballs and was handed an 11th.
“We gave him the game ball,” Mace said on Thursday after the Roughriders’ return specialist crucially flipped the field on two occasions.
Alford’s 60-yard return of a missed field goal was followed by a seven-play, 64-yard touchdown march.
His 34-yard kickoff return, which positioned the Roughriders on the REDBLACKS’ 43-yard line, ignited a five-play TD drive.
Overall, Alford amassed 217 return yards — 112 on four kickoff returns, 45 on five punt returns and 60 after the missed field goal.
Mace applauded Alford, whose eight return touchdowns are a Roughriders career record, for “running through the dark areas.”
Alford also received a “big ol’ dog chain,” as Mace put it, because “he was a junkyard dog on special teams.”
EXTRA POINTS
• Brett Lauther made an 18-yard chip shot to extend his streak of successful field-goal attempts to 23. He is at 28 if you include his 5-for-5 performance in the playoffs last year. If you include the post-season, Lauther has tied Dave Ridgway (1993) and Chris Milo (2013) for the Roughriders’ longest field-goal streak. Otherwise, Lauther is five shy of the team’s regular-season standard.
• Saskatchewan’s 31-26 win was its first by that score since Sept. 2nd, 2007, when Kerry Joseph registered a game-winning, 27-yard TD run on a quarterback draw with six seconds remaining in the fourth quarter against the visiting Blue Bombers. The 2007 season was capped when Joseph quarterbacked Saskatchewan to a 23-19 Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg. Three days earlier, he had been named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
• Spotted at Mosaic Stadium on Thursday: An Ottawa fan wearing a Kerry Joseph jersey. Joseph starred for the Ottawa Renegades from 2003 to 2005 before being claimed by Saskatchewan in a dispersal draft on April 12th, 2006.
• This from Roughriders history buff Keith Willoughby: Saskatchewan has won five consecutive regular-season openers. The franchise record is six (1966 to 1971).
ROLL CREDITS …
• Nice people who deserve a plug: Pete Paczko, Milt Stegall, Darlene Stegall, Ted Goveia, Stewart Johnston, Lucas Barrett, Keith Willoughby, Elemer Jerkovits, Kerry Joseph, Dave Naylor, Rye Pothakos, Bob Poley, Roger Goree, Bill Manchuk, Tevaughn Campbell, Jameer Thurman, Larry Dumelie, Murray Mandryk, Malik Carney, KeeSean Johnson, Mario Alford and Maren Tunison.
