Taylor Shire
Regina Leader-Post
There wasn’t a lot of sitting for the standing-room only crowd on Sunday in the final minutes of the Labour Day Classic.
While the final score shows a 34-30 victory by the Saskatchewan Roughriders over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 13 of the CFL season, there are so many moments and layers to the game that went into how we got there.
So without further ado here are the top 10 takeaways from the game, with the two teams get set to do it all again next week:
1. Where does that one rank in terms of top Labour Day Classics? It was another down-to-the-wire thriller at Mosaic Stadium but when it comes to Labour Day, I don’t think it tops Kerry Joseph’s quarterback draw in 2007, Rocky Butler’s performance in 2002, Brett Lauther’s Pil Country walk-off in 2019 or maybe even Jaxon Ford’s overtime knockdown in 2023 in a game started by quarterback Jake Dolegala.
2. Plenty of exciting, strange, thrilling moments from Sunday’s game but I think this one will be remembered by Tevaughn Campbell’s game-clinching, 122-yard, two-point convert interception.
3. The Roughriders catching Winnipeg off guard by having quarterback Trevor Harris punt the ball is also a moment to be remembered. If Brett Lauther isn’t having the year he’s been having, you’ve got to think the Riders would have elected to attempt a 51-yard field goal to go up 10 points, right? Or would a deep punt by Joe Couch be the right call? Harris punting was certainly not on my list of potential plays, but it worked. However if he shanked it, the ending could have been much different.
4. Plenty of hype leading into the game and the teams were treated to an outstanding atmosphere in a jam-packed Mosaic Stadium to start the game. But aside from the pre-game fireworks and a flyover, the excitement was tempered with punts on the first six drives of the game. They made up for it in the second half.
5. Saskatchewan handled Hamilton two weeks ago but fell short against Calgary last week. Both of those games were billed at potential playoff previews, but neither was decided in the final minute. On Sunday, the Roughriders were up 14 and had a chance to put Winnipeg away before the Bombers made a game of it. If you’re Saskatchewan, it could have been a cleaner victory, but as they say, they’ll never apologize for winning.
6. After Winnipeg took a 7-0 lead, the Bombers had a chance to go up 14-0 but instead they elected to kick a field goal from the 10-yard line after Saskatchewan’s defence held them short of the end zone after a fumble by Harris on the five-yard line. I’m sure many fans wearing blue would have liked to see a third-down gamble with a top running back and a top short-yardage quarterback at their disposal.
7. Defensive end Malik Carney came to play early with a tackle for a loss and a sack in the first quarter before popping the ball loose from Zack Collaros in the second quarter. That massive turnover sparked the Roughriders and led to their first touchdown of the game by running back A.J. Ouellette. Some good defensive performances by Saskatchewan, but Carney was disruptive all game.
8. While Ouellette had a strong game with 89 yards and a touchdown, rookie Mario Anderson was a bright spot with 34 yards on three carries with two of them going for touchdowns. After making the team out of camp, Anderson was cut before being re-signed due to injuries. The elusiveness he showed Sunday on his limited action is a glimpse into why he made the team in the first place.
9. The Roughriders were fortunate to have a 14-10 halftime lead. Saskatchewan had ten drives in the first half, nine if you don’t count a knee-down with 11 seconds left, and only one drive spanned more than 20 yards. Midway through the second quarter, Harris marched his team 102 yards on four plays to take the 14-10 lead on a 69-yard Tommy Nield touchdown. Saskatchewan was much more effective on offence in the second half.
10. Going in, I think most predicted Saskatchewan would win this game. Considering how close these teams are, does that mean Winnipeg will be favoured in the second half of the home-and-home series? Regardless, we should be in for another entertaining game in the Banjo Bowl as the Roughriders really have a chance to put their foot down if they can find a way to win in a place that hasn’t been kind to them over the years.
tshire@postmedia.com
