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The Saskatchewan Roughriders and B.C. Lions will lock horns on Saturday after a week that saw plenty of question marks surrounding both teams’ quarterbacks.
Riders starter Trevor Harris missed the first two days of practice before logging a full one on Thursday but that wasn’t enough to get cleared from concussion protocol. He was ruled out on Friday and added to the one-game injured list. He suffered the injury in the Riders’ 39-32 win over the Toronto Argonauts.
“We put him into protocol but he was dealing with a multifaceted thing so we were trying to decipher what was what. Once we did declare to put him into protocol, there are certain steps you have to take,” head coach Corey Mace said. “It just didn’t match up time-wise and let’s just be smart.”
That means Jake Maier will start the game for the Riders. Maier, whose negotiation rights were traded from Calgary this past off-season, has started 45 games in the CFL, but this will be his first for Saskatchewan.
“I feel like for the first three weeks, I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this organization and to be around coach Mace and the culture he has created here. You hear a lot about it from the outside but when you’re in these walls, you really feel it,” Maier said.
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“If you don’t play, you are a supportive teammate and you love to be a part of it but you don’t get that edge … that you would get when you’re out there and your body is on the line and you’re experiencing those real-time moments.
“So to feel that in front of a home crowd that I know is going to be excited against a division rival, that’s going to be one of those out-of-body experiences that you always look forward to.”
The Lions have also been dealing with their own question marks around the health of their starter Nathan Rourke.
Rourke didn’t finish a Week 2 game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after suffering an oblique injury. He missed last week’s game as Jeremiah Masoli started for the Lions.
This week, Rourke once again remained limited and is listed as a game-time decision. If he is unable to go, Masoli is expected to start.
“You kind of prepare for whatever situation,” Mace said. “It’s similar to our situation in that whoever they are going to have back there has been in the league for a while and has a lot of tape out there. We have to prepare for both, it’s just the smart thing to do,” Mace said.
“Whoever they decide to give the nod to, we will be prepared for that.”
It will be a battle in the trenches between these teams. The Riders come into the game as the CFL sack leaders, tied with the Montreal Alouettes with 10. B.C. has gotten to the opposing quarterback five times.
“Our mindset and determination to get there, being relentless in our rushes and rushing together,” said defensive end Malik Carney when asked about how the group has been able to get to the quarterback. “We all believe in each other.”
Both of these offensive lines have only surrendered two sacks this season.
The Riders will once again look to bring balance to their offensive attack this week and running back AJ Ouellette has been a catalyst for their rushing output.
Running back AJ Ouellette is second in the CFL with 208 rushing yards through three games. (Saskatchewan Roughriders)
Ouellette is currently second in the league in rushing with 208 yards despite missing most of Week 1 due to a head injury.
“It’s just extra motivation. Every week that we play well is just proof we should be playing that way. It does feel good to contribute with the team and it does feel good to roll out some big games to start the year because now teams have to plan for (the running backs) and hopefully that helps out (Maier),” Ouellette said.
The Riders have scored 98 points this season — only behind Montreal (105) in that category.
While the Riders are 3-0 to start the season, the Lions are looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and keep pace in the CFL West Division.
“For them, I’m sure they are itching to get back on the right side of things,” Mace said.
“(Saskatchewan) is another place I believe it’s not easy to play … Any team can come out and win in this league, so we try to just look inward and focus on the things we have to be better at to put ourselves forward.”
The Riders will sport its Indigenous logo, designed by Chris Chipak of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation, during Saturday’s game as a part of the kisiskâciwan game.
Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m. The Green Zone pregame show begins at 3 p.m.
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