Led by three touchdowns from Tommy Stevens, the Saskatchewan Roughriders avenged a home-field loss to the Edmonton Elks by winning 28-26 on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.
The defending Grey Cup champions shrugged off a spate of injuries and improved their record to 5-2. Edmonton leads the CFL’s West Division at 6-2.
In the teams’ previous meeting, Edmonton won 36-34 at Mosaic Stadium on a last-play, 57-yard field goal by Vincent Blanchard. It was the Roughriders’ turn to win by two points on the road nine days later, before 31,717 spectators.
The Roughriders and Elks are to meet once more this season — in the Oct. 24 regular-season finale at Mosaic Stadium. Tickets are AVAILABLE HERE.
Saskatchewan prevailed on Saturday even though three key players — running back A.J. Ouellette (knee injury), receiver Samuel Emilus (foot) and defensive halfback Rolan Milllgan Jr. (knee) were sidelined.
Once the game began, Head Athletic Therapist Greg Mayer had a busy night as a series of players required attention.
“We were able to stick together,” Head Coach Corey Mace told CKRM’s Luc Mullinder. “We came into the game without important pieces — Sam, Rolan, A.J. — and guys had to step up and make plays.
“We go through the game and it’s bodies dropping everywhere. I’m so proud of these guys.”
It was a resilient effort by the Roughriders, who allowed Edmonton to score on its opening possession for the second consecutive game. Justin Rankin completed a seven-play, 60-yard march with a four-yard scoring run at 3:42 of the first quarter. Blanchard added the convert.
The ensuing kickoff was returned 87 yards by Johnny Johnson III, who was tackled on the Elks’ nine-yard line. Three plays later, Stevens scored on a one-yard run at 5:50 of the first quarter. Alex Hale’s convert tied the game.
Blanchard’s 24-yard field goal gave Edmonton a 10-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter.
Stevens scored on another one-yarder at 4:54 of the second frame, punctuating an eight-play, 68-yard march. Hale’s convert put the Roughriders ahead 14-10.
Blanchard’s 44-yard field goal at 12:34 of the second quarter narrowed the gap to 14-13.
Edmonton went up 16-14 when Blanchard kicked a 19-yard field goal at 10:20 of the third quarter. Hale had a missed a 42-yard attempt on the previous possession.
Saskatchewan went ahead 20-16 at 14:53 of the third frame when Stevens scored his third one-yard TD of the game. The two-point convert attempt was unsuccessful.
Blanchard’s 22-yard field goal at 4:40 of the fourth quarter made it a one-point game once more.
Saskatchewan responded with a six-play, 66-yard march that concluded with a four-yard TD pass from Trevor Harris to KeeSean Johnson. The same duo collaborated for a two-point convert that gave the visitors a 28-19 lead at 8:20 of the fourth quarter.
Edmonton stormed back by moving 72 yards in three plays, the last of which was a four-yard TD pass from Cody Fajardo to T.J. Luther. Blanchard’s convert reduced the Roughriders’ lead to two points (28-26) with 4:36 left in the game.
“We’ve got to do better with not letting people come back,” defensive tackle Mike Rose told CKRM. “We play with our food too much and that’s on us.
“As a defence, we can’t give up that last touchdown, but we’ll keep getting better.”
The defence stood tall on Edmonton’s final possession. With 2½ minutes left, Edmonton was forced to punt from its end zone after Fajardo was sacked by Josh Woods on second-and-19. Pressure applied by Desmond Evans forced Fajardo out of the pocket and into the arms of Woods.
On the next possession, the Roughriders strung together three first downs — aided by a roughing-the-passer call against Edmonton — and ran out the clock.
Harris completed 19 of 24 passes for 239 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He needs 49 yards to reach the 40,000 milestone for his career.
As well, Harris threw his 221st career touchdown pass — moving into a tie with Zach Collaros for 13th on the CFL’s All-Time list. Collaros, now of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, is on the six-game injured list.
Quali Conley led the Roughriders’ ground attack with 61 yards on 14 carries. He added three receptions for 36 yards.
Stevens gained 29 hard-fought yards on 13 rushes.
“Anytime I can have any influence on a game, that’s what I try for,” he told reporters after his busiest game as a Roughrider.
Johnson III and Duncan-Busby were tied for the team lead in receptions (four). Duncan-Busby led the Green and White in receiving yards (66). Johnson III added 48.
Fajardo was 22-for-28 for 286 yards and one TD. He had thrown for 510 yards and four scores in the July 23 game versus Saskatchewan.
The Roughriders are to return to action on Friday against the Ottawa REDBLACKS (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). Tickets are AVAILABLE HERE.
TOUCHDOWN TOMMY
Stevens’ three touchdowns gave him eight for the season and moved him into the league lead.
As well, he tied a Roughriders record for TDs in a game by a quarterback:
3 — Kent Austin vs. Calgary, Oct. 23, 1993.
3 — Rocky Butler vs. Winnipeg, Sept. 1, 2002.
3 — Michael Bishop at Toronto, Oct. 30, 2008.
3 — Tommy Stevens at Edmonton, Aug. 1, 2026.
Stevens became the first Roughrider to rush for three touchdowns in a game since William Powell against the host B.C. Lions on July 27, 2019.
Dating back to the 2025 Grey Cup, Stevens has 10 rushing TDs in his last eight games. He has four multi-TD games over that span.
Also on Saturday, Stevens moved into a tie for the most multi-TD games by a Roughriders quarterback.
Austin leads the way with six such games. Stevens, Kerry Joseph and Reggie Slack are next in line with four. That total includes one post-season game, in the cases of Stevens and Slack.
Stevens’ eight TD runs are the second-most in Roughriders history after the first seven games of a season. George Reed had nine rushing TDs at this juncture in 1971.
Only six times in Roughriders history has a player boasted eight or more TDs at the seven-game mark.
Hugh Campbell had 11 touchdowns (all on receptions) in 1966. Reed (1971) and Ken Carpenter (1955) had nine touchdowns at this stage. Wes Cates had eight scores after seven games in 2008 and 2010. Now it’s Stevens’ turn.
JOHNNY JOHNSON’S JETS
Johnson III’s 87-yarder was the second-longest non-scoring kickoff return in Roughriders history.
Craig Ellis took off on a 92-yarder against the host Calgary Stampeders on Aug. 19, 1984.
As well, Johnson III erupted for the Roughriders’ third-longest kickoff return in Edmonton:
98 — Mario Alford, Aug. 13, 2022 (TD).
91 — Demetris Bendross, Oct. 28, 2000 (TD).
87 — Johnny Johnson III, Aug. 1, 2026.
70 — Tim McCray, Aug. 4, 1988.
65 — Pete Thodos, Nov. 17, 1956 (playoffs).
62 — Ken Carpenter, Oct. 23, 1954.
62 — Mario Alford, June 11, 2023.
61 — Ken Carpenter, Sept. 3, 1955.
61 — Jim Elder, Nov. 16, 1975 (playoffs).
58 — Emanuel Tolbert, Aug. 30, 1981.
Back-to-back receptions by Johnson III, for 27 and 15 yards, set up KeeSean Johnson’s fourth-quarter TD.
SHAKE-AND-BAKE
Before leaving Saturday’s game due to injury late in the third quarter, Kian Schaffer-Baker became only the fourth Roughrider to reach 700 receiving yards by the seventh game of a season.
With 704 yards, Schaffer-Baker is third All-Time among Roughriders receivers after seven games. Joey Walters leads the way with 773 (in 1982). Ray Elgaard is next at 713 (1985). Walters also has the fourth-best total (700 yards in 1981).
KeeSean Johnson ranks 11th, with 581 yards after seven games.
ROUGH-RYDER
Linebacker Ryder Varga became the 18th graduate of the University of Regina Rams to suit up for the Roughriders in a regular-season game.
The all-time total, including the junior Rams, is 55.
Varga is the 277th Saskatchewan-born Roughrider and the 155th from Regina.
The Roughriders dressed four ex-Rams on Saturday: Varga, safety Jaxon Ford, cornerback Tevaughn Campbell and receiver D’Sean Mimbs.
Campbell missed the second half due to injury. He watched from the sideline while wearing a sling.
“I don’t think it’s going to be great news,” Mace said of Campbell’s status, “but we’ll see when we talk to the doctors.”
FUN WITH NUMBERS
The 28-26 game was only the second in Roughriders history.
On Oct. 25, 1966, Saskatchewan won 28-26 in Calgary. Ron Lancaster threw TD passes to Campbell, Ed Buchanan and Gord Barwell. Gluey Hughie’s TD catch was his franchise-record 17th.
Lancaster’s grandson, Marc Mueller, is in his third season as the Roughriders’ Offensive Co-ordinator.
This season’s first Edmonton-Saskatchewan matchup produced the first 36-34 score in Roughriders history.
TREVOR TIDBITS
With 2,254 passing yards, Harris has the fourth-best total in franchise history at the seven-game mark.
Austin has the top two totals — 2,552 (in 1993) and 2,475 (1992). Darian Durant had 2,263 aerial yards after seven starts in 2010.
Harris has the team’s second-best total of touchdown passes (17) at the seven game mark. Tom Burgess threw for 19 TDs over the first seven games in 1989. Harris joins Durant (2013) with 17 aerial scores after the team’s first seven games of a season.
EXTRA POINTS
• Emilus, listed as a game-time decision, did not play due to a foot injury. “We thought it would be smart to give it another week,” Mace said, “but he was close.”
• Emilus’s spot on the roster was taken by fellow receiver Dylan Djete — the Roughriders’ second-round selection (18th overall) in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft. Djete, activated from the six-game injured list, became the 2,174th active-roster player in Roughriders history.
• Saskatchewan defensive end Derick Roberson registered a sack in his CFL debut. Woods and Caleb Sanders had the Roughriders’ other sacks.
• Roughriders defensive tackle Mike Rose had two tackles for a loss.
• Jameer Thurman and Antoine Brooks Jr. each had six defensive tackles for the victors.
• KeeSean Johnson has five touchdown receptions — one more than he had in 16 games en route to earning All-CFL honours in 2025.
• Kerfalla Exume led the Roughriders in special teams tackles, with two.
• Halftime lasted slightly more than an hour due to a weather-induced delay.
