Macho man’s big day leads Riders to win
Defensive back grabs three timely picks, writes Rob Vanstone.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ first two interceptions were straight outta Crompton — and right into the hands of Macho Harris.
Harris, who had a career- high three picks Sunday to help Saskatchewan defeat the Montreal Alouettes 33- 21 on Taylor Field, set the tone for the Roughriders’ second victory of this generally calamitous campaign by intercepting Jonathan Crompton to extinguish the visiting team’s first possession.
For good measure, Harris returned the first interception 26 yards before being felled on Montreal’s 38- yard line. The Roughriders summarily scored, with Kevin Glenn finding Rob Bagg — playing in his 100th CFL game — for a major just 3: 45 into the game.
The touchdown was Saskatchewan’s first on its opening possession during the 2015 season. Over the previous 12 games, Saskatchewan had concluded its introductory series with either a Paul McCallum field goal ( three times) or a Ray Early punt ( nine occasions).
In other words, Roughriders fans were accustomed to seeing Early early.
Then came Sunday, when the Roughriders forced a turnover — something which was not their forte during a futile first half of the season — and immediately capitalized.
“That was a big thing, the turnover right away ...” Roughriders interim head coach Bob Dyce said. “We talk a lot to the guys about opportunities and seizing the opportunity, and they did that. We got the opportunity to get the ball offensively, and then to put six points up was huge. The coaches were aggressive with the call and the guys played aggressively, so that was outstanding.”
The same cannot be said of the Roughriders’ record — a leagueworst 2- 11 — but there is a pulse under Dyce, who succeeded the fired Corey Chamblin on Aug. 31. The Riders’ slim playoff hopes are still alive after the win put them four points back of third- place B. C. in the West Division, but the Lions have a game in hand.
“Everyone in the league’s counted us out, including media,’’ said Riders defensive end John Chick. “We were talking about blessings ( Sunday) and I think it’s a blessing to be 1- 11 because if we come out of this thing, it’ll be the greatest football story I know of.”
Under Chamblin this season, the Roughriders were outscored 58- 14 in first quarters. In four games under Dyce, the Roughriders have enjoyed a 28- 14 advantage in the opening quarters. Over the last three games, the tally is 28- 4 in Saskatchewan’s favour.
Oddly enough, the Roughriders trailed 10- 0 in Dyce’s head- coaching debut — Sept. 6 against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers — but nonetheless prevailed 37- 19.
The 2015 Roughriders are now 2- 2 under Dyce after going 0- 9 under Chamblin. The team’s .500 record in September almost certainly falls into the “too little, too late” category.
After Glenn hit Weston Dressler for a 45- yard TD pass at 9: 19 of the first quarter on July 10 — when Saskatchewan lost 35- 32 in overtime to the host B. C. Lions — Saskatchewan endured a first- quarter TD drought that swelled to 119: 30.
The Roughriders barely missed reaching the two- hour mark, thanks to an 11- yard scoring toss from Brett Smith to Rob Bagg at 8: 49 of the first quarter on Sept. 12 in Winnipeg, a 22- 7 loss.
Saskatchewan followed up with a 30- 27 home- field loss to the visiting Ottawa Redblacks on Sept. 19. In that game, Saskatchewan’s most- explosive play was a 71- yard payoff pitch from Glenn to Naaman Roosevelt.
On Sunday, for a change, Saskatchewan actually won a game in which it scored a first- quarter touchdown.
There should have been more majors, actually, considering that the Roughriders were inside Montreal’s 20- yard line on four occasions, only to settle for three chip- shot field goals by McCallum before Jerome Messam barged into the end zone from three yards away in the fourth quarter.
Harris set up McCallum’s 14- yarder by returning his second pick to the Montreal 10- yard line. Not leaving anything to chance, Harris returned his third interception — at the expense of Crompton’s replacement, Rakeem Cato — 50 yards for a touchdown.
Given Sunday’s result, the man who answers to Macho lived up to his given first name.
Victor.