From the “could this be a good omen?” department: A.J. Ouellette has accomplished a feat that had eluded all Saskatchewan Roughriders running backs since the team’s championship season of 2007.
On Saturday, Ouellette became the first Saskatchewan tailback in nearly 18 years to have a ground gain of 25-plus yards in three consecutive games.
On Sept. 2nd, 2007, Wes Cates took off on a 35-yard run in the Roughriders’ classic, 31-26 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
(Saskatchewan also has a 31-26 win this year. Another good omen, perhaps?)
Cates followed up on Sept. 9th with a 32-yard run in Winnipeg.
Six days later, he had a run of 49 yards (his season high) against the host Calgary Stampeders.
Fast forward to 2025.
June 14th: Ouellette’s 47-yard touchdown run helped Saskatchewan defeat the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28-23.
June 20th: Ouellette scored from 25 yards in a 39-32 road victory over the Toronto Argonauts.
June 28th: The Roughriders’ opening play from scrimmage was a 26-yard run by Ouellette, who ended up posting CFL career highs in carries (23) and rushing yards (139 yards) as the home side defeated the B.C. Lions 37-18.
Ouellette relishes the responsibility, along with the results.
“It’s the best, especially toward the end of the game when the guys are tired of tackling you,” he said with a smile after the Roughriders’ record improved to 4-0.
“It’s crazy. Some of the guys still get up talking trash after a nine-yard gain and they’re lying on their back, but whatever.”
Ouellette has shown an ability to put the team on his back, as was the expectation when he signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent in 2024.
Coming off a 1,009-yard season with Toronto, he battled a hip injury for most of his first year with the Roughriders. Even so, he rushed for 558 yards in eight regular-season games — a 1,256-yard pace over a full 18 games.
Four weeks into the 2025 campaign, Ouellette has a league-high 347 rushing yards. He is 85 ahead of the closest pursuer, B.C.’s James Butler.
A year ago at this juncture, Ouellette had 237 rushing yards and was averaging 3.5 yards per carry. He is 110 yards ahead of that pace while sporting a 6.2-yard average.
“Night and day, compared to last year at this time, right?” Ouellette said.
“I’m not doing anything too crazy or special out there. I’m just reading my keys and following my guys. It’s a tribute to them, like always.”
The offensive line also performed in robust fashion back in 2013 — the last time a Roughrider boasted more rushing yards than Ouellette’s current total of 347 at the four-game mark.
The featured tailback in 2013 was Kory Sheets, who amassed 572 yards along the ground over the first four games.
Sheets punctuated the 2013 season in fine style by being named the Grey Cup MVP.
That season was also the last time (until Saturday) a Roughrider had a run of 25-plus yards in three consecutive games.
We take you back to the 2013 playoffs:
Nov. 10th: Quarterback Darian Durant had fourth-quarter runs of 35 and 28 yards in a 29-25 home-field victory over B.C.
Nov. 17th: Sheets’ 30-yarder was part of his 177-yard rushing performance in a 35-13 conquest of the Stampeders, who played host to the Western Semi-Final.
Nov. 24th: A 39-yard run by Sheets contributed to his Grey Cup-record 197 rushing yards — and a 45-23 victory over Hamilton at historic Mosaic Stadium.
There were echoes of 2013 on Saturday, when the Roughriders dominated the time of possession (38:35). That was Saskatchewan’s best clocking since the aforementioned 2013 Western Semi-Final. The Roughriders’ time of possession on that occasion: 40:42.
Good omens, everywhere!
AND NOW … MORE A.J.!
Ouellette’s rushing-yardage total on Saturday was his highest since Dec. 19th, 2018, when he carried the ball 29 times for 164 yards to help the host Ohio University Bobcats blank the San Diego State Aztecs 27-0.
In his final game at Ohio, Ouellette completed a torrid four-game tear which also included rushing-yardage totals of 168, 196 and 169.
Ohio’s starting quarterback at the time: Nathan Rourke, who wore a Lions uniform on Saturday but did not play due to an oblique injury.
A.J. OUELLETTE: PART 3
A two-yard run by Ouellette turned out to be a significant play on Saturday.
On second-and-three, he spun away from linebacker Micah Awe and made something out of nothing, putting the Roughriders in a manageable third-and-one situation with 11 minutes left in the game.
Head Coach Corey Mace opted to gamble, even though the ball was on Saskatchewan’s 32-yard line with the home side leading 24-10.
Enter short-yardage quarterback Tommy Stevens, who moved the chains by diving for two yards.
The Roughriders ran four more offensive plays on that possession, advancing to the Lions’ 44 while extinguishing valuable time.
ANOTHER TIMELY TACKLE
C.J. Reavis and A.J. Allen tend to make impactful plays on or near their team’s one-yard line.
Most recently, the Saskatchewan linebacking duo collaborated to stop Butler for a two-yard gain late in the third quarter, with Saskatchewan ahead 23-7.
Butler’s short advance put the Lions in a seemingly advantageous second-and-goal situation at the one-yard line. However, the Lions were then flagged for illegal procedure, whereupon Jeremiah Masoli’s pass toward Justin McInnis fell incomplete. The Lions settled for a chip-shot field goal by Sean Whyte.
Had the Lions scored a TD and followed up with a two-point convert, the Roughriders’ lead would have been pared to 23-15 with the result being a one-possession game.
Reavis and Allen also figured in a goal-line stand during the recent game in Toronto.
On first down from the four-yard line, Nick Arbuckle took off to his right and initially looked like a good bet to score, only to have Reavis swoop in and stop the Argos quarterback on the one-yard line.
Arbuckle attempted a quarterback sneak on the following play but was stuffed by Allen and safety Nelson Lokombo.
Toronto’s third-and-one gamble failed when middle linebacker Jameer Thurman tackled running back Kevin Brown.
Reavis contributed to the resistance by forcing Brown inside and into the clutches of Thurman.
During the Aug. 22nd, 2024 Roughriders-Argonauts game at BMO Field, Saskatchewan had stopped Toronto near the goal line on three different possessions.
Reavis made two tackles on the one-yard line during that contest.
SHORT SNORTS
• Ouellette (this is a recording) provided supplementary pass protection when Jake Maier hit Dhel Duncan-Busby for a 42-yard, fourth-quarter TD on Saturday. On the same play, receiver KeeSean Johnson picked up a blitz to buy time for Maier.
• Johnson also made a key block on Ouellette’s 26-yard run. Fullback Morgen Runge got in on the block party on that play.
• More kudos to Johnson: He snuffed out the Lions’ last gasp by making a leaping catch of an onside kickoff with 2:06 left.
• Key blocks on Mario Alford’s 32-yard punt return — a jaunt that set up one of Brett Lauther’s five field goals — were made by Duncan-Busby, Kerfalla Exume, Benoit Marion and Marcus Sayles.
• Lauther produced his 10th game of five-plus field goals since becoming a full-time Roughrider in 2018. He has not missed a three-point attempt in any of those contests — one 7-for-7 performance, three 6-for-6s and six 5-for-5s.
• Most regular-season games with five-plus field goals by a Roughrider: 23 (Dave Ridgway), 10 (Lauther), eight (Paul McCallum), three (Luca Congi, Tyler Crapigna), two (Sandro DeAngelis, Chris Milo) and one (Jack Abendschan, Bob Macoritti). Congi and Milo each added one such game to the list during the playoffs.
• Duncan-Busby has just become the 601st player to score a regular-season touchdown (or a try!) for the Roughriders or the Regina Rugby Club. The overall regular-season touchdown/try total: 3,404.
