ZACH BOUNCES BACK FROM TWO BLOWOUTS
The latest Leader-post-mortem salutes the resilience of Zach Collaros, who has rebounded from a drubbing two seasons in a row.
On July 29, 2017 at Mcmahon Stadium, Collaros was the losing quarterback when the Calgary Stampeders eviscerated the Hamilton Tiger-cats 60-1.
A rouge was unattainable for the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Oct. 13, when the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers won 31-0. Collaros posted a quarterbackefficiency rating of (eek!) 8.4.
The following weekend, he returned to Mcmahon Stadium — the site of the 60-1 pasting — and fared better. He threw for 352 yards, with a 101.1 rating, to lead Saskatchewan to Saturday’s 29-24 victory. Collaros had also bounced back a blowout last year by throwing for 282 yards and three touchdowns five days later against the Edmonton Eskimos. Hamilton lost 33-28, but the quarterback was not to blame. SECOND-DOWN SUCCESS The Roughriders converted seven of 13 second-down situations with at least seven yards to go Saturday. That is a solid success rate of 53.8 per cent against a tough defence. The fourthquarter numbers, however, simply jump off the page. Over the final 15 minutes, Saskatchewan converted all three of its secondand-10-plus situations, including two on the crucial, clock-draining final possession. To recap … Second-and-16: Collaros found Shaq Evans for 17 yards at 1:32. On the previous play, a 27-yard reception by Jordan Williams-Lambert had been washed away when Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson threw a challenge flag and was rewarded when Saskatchewan was called for offensive pass interference. Second-and-16: Collaros to Williams-lambert for 21 yards at 13:06. Again, the Roughriders shrugged off an offensive passinterference call. Second-and-10: Collaros to Cameron Marshall, who gained 11 yards (nine after the catch) at 13:38. After that, the Roughriders were able to exhaust the clock with back-to-back running plays before punting with 20 seconds remaining.
Collaros and his opposite number, Bo Levi Mitchell, combined to convert all three of the game’s second-and-16 situations.
SHAQ STATS PACK
With one regular-season game left, Evans has yet to score a touchdown despite having caught 49 passes for a team-high 764 yards.
How does he rank historically among non-scoring Roughriders pass-catchers?
Most catches without a touchdown: 67 (Dan Farthing, 1998); 59 (Rod Harris, 1996); 56 (Chris Defrance, 1985); 55 (Jamel Richardson, 2005); 51 (Corey Holmes, 2004); 49 (Evans). The league record of 70 non-scoring catches was set by Chad Owens of the 2011 Toronto Argonauts.
Most receiving yards without a touchdown: 772 (Farthing, 1998); 764 (Evans). Evans needs another nine yards, without a touchdown, Saturday against the visiting B.C. Lions to set a league record in this category. (Thank you to the CFL’S superlative statistician, Steve Daniel, for his assistance.)
If the goose-egg sticks, Evans will be in good company.
Farthing, Defrance and Holmes are in the Plaza of Honour. Richardson turned into an elite receiver once he joined the Montreal Alouettes. Harris was twice a CFL all-star with the Sacramento Gold Miners.
Some non-td nuggets from NFL:
■ Hall of Famer Raymond Berry had a 75-catch, 873-yard, no-touchdown season with the 1961 Baltimore Colts. Berry was second in the league in receptions, but did not score until the Colts’ Johnny Unitas found him for a 16-yard major … in the Pro Bowl!
■ The Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones entered Monday’s game against the New York Giants with 44 receptions, 707 yards and zero touchdowns.
■ Hakeem Nicks of the 2013 Giants had 896 receiving yards and still didn’t score a touchdown.
■ Ken Payne of the 1975 Green Bay Packers was second among NFL wide receivers in catches (58) — without reaching the end zone.
TILTING THE FIELD
Saskatchewan had impressive drives after twice being hemmed in inside its 10-yard line.
Beginning on the seven in the second quarter, the Roughriders moved 57 yards in 15 plays before Brett Lauther kicked a 49-yard field goal. The Roughriders began their final offensive series on the six-yard line with 2:53 left in the game. Nine plays, 69 yards and three crucial first downs later, they punted to Calgary in the waning seconds.
One quibble: On the final punt, the ball was snapped with seven seconds left on the 20-second clock.
SHORT SNORTS
■ Mitchell had an interception returned for a touchdown in his three previous games against Saskatchewan. The Stampeders’ pivot didn’t serve up a pick-six on Saturday, but he was intercepted by Mike Edem in the end zone.
■ The Roughriders minimized miscues, a departure from some other recent games. Saskatchewan had nary a turnover or a dropped pass Saturday. The only memorable gaffe was committed by Collaros, who missed a wideopen Patrick Lavoie on a short pass that would have produced a 12-yard touchdown. Evans was also open on the play.
■ Key play: Calgary was secondand-two on Saskatchewan’s 17-yard line when Don Jackson took a handoff and ran wide to the left. Riders defenders Samuel Eguavoen and Crezdon Butler fought off blocks and collaborated to fell Jackson for a one-yard loss. Calgary settled for a firstquarter field goal.
■ Lauther is well-positioned to establish a Roughriders singleseason accuracy record. He has made 90.9 per cent of his field-goal attempts (50 of 55) with one game left. Hall of Famer Dave Ridgway connected with 90.6-per-cent efficiency (48 of 53) in 1993.