Hughes knows all about big games against Esks
CFL sacks leader has tormented Monday’s opponent, the Eskimos, for 10 years
Charleston Hughes is familiar with big games against the Edmonton Eskimos.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end spent his previous 10 CFL seasons as part of the heated rivalry between the Calgary Stampeders and Eskimos.
Hughes had a 23-6 regular-season record against the Eskimos when he was on Calgary’s active roster and he recorded 21 sacks and 73 defensive tackles in those games.
His regular-season success is among the reasons the Riders appreciate his contributions to the green-and-white heading into Thanksgiving Monday’s game against the Eskimos at Mosaic Stadium.
“It’s contagious because he’s a winner,” Riders linebacker Samuel Eguavoen told reporters Friday. “He has won pretty much most of his career, so he really doesn’t know what losing is. We’re just building off of him and his leadership. He makes us believe that we can really do it, like we’re here for a reason.”
Hughes was traded by the Stampeders to the Hamilton Tiger-cats on Feb. 2 for draft picks. Later that day, the Riders acquired him from the Tiger-cats for backup quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.
Hughes, who leads the CFL with 14 sacks this season, is treating Monday’s game like any other contest despite his previous success against the Eskimos.
“You have to show up for every game like it’s big,” said the 34-yearold Hughes. “You can’t just single out one (game) like that because you’re supposed to perform week in and week out. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing Edmonton or Calgary or some team from the East, you have to perform.”
The Riders carry a 9-5 record into Monday’s game, good for second place in the West Division behind the first-place Stampeders (11-2). The Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers were tied for third place with 7-7 records prior to Friday’s game between the Bombers and host Ottawa Redblacks. The B.C. Lions (6-7) are fifth in the West.
That all means playoff positions are on the line Monday. The Riders need to beat the Eskimos by eight points or more to clinch the season series between the two teams and have a leg up on playing host to a home playoff game for the first time since 2013. Edmonton holds the advantage in the season series by virtue of a 26-19 win over the Riders on Aug. 2.
The teams play each other only twice this season. Points for and against is the second tiebreaker, after the head-to-head record, if the teams finish tied.
The Riders and Eskimos appear headed in different directions. The Riders are 6-1 in their past seven games since losing to the Eskimos on Aug. 2. Edmonton has dropped five of its last seven games, including two straight.
“I wouldn’t say they are really struggling,” said Riders guard Brendon Labatte. “For two games there, they have looked almost human. For a while, they were looking almost superhuman. Defensively they have a really good front, so we have one of our biggest games of the year in the trenches.”
Monday’s contest kicks off a stretch of four significant West Division contests for the Riders. After Edmonton, they are on the road against Winnipeg (Oct. 13) and Calgary (Oct. 20) and close out their regular season by hosting the Lions (Oct. 27). The Riders’ third and final bye week is slated for the last week of the regular season.
The West Division schedule means the Riders are essentially in control of their playoff fate.
“It’s nice not having to sit there and worry about this, that or the other and just handle our business,” said Chris Jones, the Riders’ head coach and general manager. “We just have to do what we have to do and go from there.”
The Riders practised indoors at Affinityplex on Friday due to wet field conditions at Mosaic Stadium. Jones said they expect to return to Mosaic Stadium for today ’s practice.