Surging Lions in tough against Riders in Regina
It seems the B.C. Lions have cured their road woes.
The Lions opened the season dropping their first five road games before snapping that dubious streak with a 32-14 win over the Montreal Alouettes on Sept. 14. Since then, B.C. has won two of its last three contests away from B.C. Place Stadium.
B.C. (9-7) will have its road mettle put to the test on Saturday evening when it visits Saskatchewan (11-6). The Roughriders’ rabid fans make Mosaic Stadium a very difficult place to play at the best of times, let alone with the home team still battling for home-field advantage in the West Division playoffs (depending on what the Calgary Stampeders do Friday night, that is).
The Lions have also punched their ticket to the post-season, although it’s still unclear where they’ll finish in the standings. But B.C. comes in as one of the CFL’s hottest teams, having won three straight and six-ofseven games overall.
The Riders are no slouches, having won four of their last five games and eight of 10. That includes a 29-24 road victory over Calgary last weekend without rush end Charleston Hughes.
Hughes, who leads the CFL with 15 sacks, didn’t play after being charged Oct. 11 with impaired driving and failing to supply a breath sample for analysis. The 11-year veteran is expected to return this week.
But the Lions also have a road win over Calgary to their credit, a 26-21 decision on Oct. 13. B.C. clinched a playoff berth last weekend after rallying for a 42-32 win over the Edmonton Eskimos.
Quarterback Travis Lulay threw four TD strikes in that game, three to DeVier Posey. And Tyrell Sutton ran for 97 yards on 16 carries after rushing for 106 yards in his Lions debut versus Calgary.
The Riders effectively bounced back from their lopsided 31-0 loss to Winnipeg on Oct. 13 with their five-point victory over Calgary.
Quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 352 yards — his first 300-yard passing performance this season — while Saskatchewan ran for 140 total yards and two touchdowns.
With both teams having stout defences, this would appear to be a very tight game. In that scenario, Saskatchewan’s loud, enthusiastic fans should give the Riders an edge.
Prediction: Saskatchewan.
Calgary Stampeders at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Friday night)
The Blue Bombers (9-7) can clinch a playoff berth with a fifth straight victory.
Calgary (12-4) has dropped two straight and can finish first in the West with a win. The CFL’s top-ranked defence allowed almost 500 net yards last week, but it’s hard to imagine a Bo Levi Mitchell-led team losing three straight.
Prediction: Calgary.