ROUGHRIDERS SHOWING SPIRIT OF ’76
Win over Bombers brings back memories of Lancaster-led squad that had same record
For the longest time, it appeared that Cody Fajardo would celebrate only one touchdown on the weekend — his wife’s arrival at Regina International Airport.
With Fajardo at quarterback, the Roughriders’ offence was sputtering well into the fourth quarter of Saturday’s CFL game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium.
Even then, though, the Roughriders were several steps ahead of the Blue Bombers’ alleged offence, which chronically choked when the visitors were in field-goal range.
After the final gaffe — an
L.J. Mccray interception of a Chris Streveler aerial with
5:40 remaining in the fourth quarter — Fajardo and friends finally delivered a scoring drive to cement what would be a 21-6 Saskatchewan win.
The seven-play, 103-yard march, punctuated by Fajardo’s 61-yard TD connection with Shaq Evans, effectively settled matters before 31,080 spectators.
It was a phenomenal showing by Evans, who caught seven passes for 193 yards. He had gains of 61, 49 and 38 yards while compiling the most receiving yards by a Roughrider in one game since Oct. 13, 2017, when Duron Carter scorched the visiting Ottawa Redblacks for 231.
Evans, by himself, amassed nearly two-thirds of Saskatchewan’s passing yardage on Saturday.
It was reminiscent of a different game against a Winnipeg team that eked out six points — the Roughriders’ 25-6 victory in the Manitoba capital on Aug. 25, 1965.
On that occasion, Hugh Campbell caught eight Ron Lancaster passes for 206 yards. The rest of the Roughriders’ receivers combined for three catches for 38 yards.
No wonder Jim Worden, the Roughriders’ tight end at the time, quipped that Lancaster’s favourite song was “I Only Have Eyes For Hugh.”
Speaking of The Little General …
The Roughriders are in sole possession of first place in the West at the 14-game mark for the first time since 1976, a season in which Lancaster was named the CFL’S most outstanding player for the second time.
After defeating the host B.C. Lions 28-15 on Oct. 17, 1976, the Roughriders sported a 10-4 record — a feat they would not repeat until Saturday night.
Beyond 1976, Saskatchewan had been tied for top spot after 14 games in 1988 (at 9-5, tied with the Edmonton Eskimos), 2008 (9-5, tied with B.C. and the Calgary Stampeders) and 2009 (8-6, tied with Calgary).
Only in 2009 did the Roughriders go on to finish first.
By disposing of Winnipeg on Saturday, Saskatchewan set up Friday’s well-timed first-place showdown at Mcmahon Stadium.
Calgary slid to second Saturday as a consequence of a 21-17 loss to the host Montreal Alouettes. That game, which began a triple-header on TSN, put the Roughriders in position to move into first place by winning the three-game season series against Winnipeg.
Mission accomplished.
As was the case in 1976, when the Roughriders improved to 10-4 on the strength of interception-return touchdowns by Lorne Richardson and Ken Mceachern, the defence won the day in the team’s 14th game of the season.
In the second half, Winnipeg turned over the ball three times while in field-goal range.
A.C. Leonard forced a fumble with a sack. Then Ed Gainey notched an interception in the back of the end zone.
Mccray followed up with a one-handed pick on the goalline, advancing to his team’s seven-yard line.
Then Fajardo took over and, as was written last week, offered a sprinkling of Ronnie.
How many times did Lancaster save his biggest plays for a crucial juncture? He was capable of serving up interceptions with Streveleresque frequency, but when a completion or a touchdown was of the essence, No. 23 was lethal.
Such was the case for Fajardo in the latter stages of Saturday’s contest. The offence was moving erratically until he completed all five of his pass attempts, for 104 yards, on the only touchdown drive of the day.
To begin the possession, Fajardo found Cory Watson for nine yards to set up what should have been a rudimentary second-andone situation.
However, Dariusz Bladek was flagged for illegal procedure, leaving Saskatchewan in a second-and-six situation on its 11-yard line.
Fajardo delivered, crucially, with a 13-yard connection to Kyran Moore, a play that kept the drive moving — the alternative being a punt from near the goal-line.
Jordan Williams-lambert (12 yards) and Evans (nine) added important gains before Bryan Bennett ran for four on second-and-short. Then came the 61-yard TD to Evans and, a few minutes later, a rare in-season first-place celebration.
Who could have imagined this when Zach Collaros, who began the season as the Roughriders’ starting quarterback, was concussed on the third offensive play of the opener?
None of this was conceivable when the Roughriders were saddled with records of 0-2 and 1-3.
The third loss — a 37-10 evisceration at the hands of the visiting Stampeders — was especially unsightly.
And now, as the Roughriders prepare to meet Calgary for the second time this season, the perennially powerful Stampeders are looking up in the standings at the surging Saskatchewan squad — green with envy, at least for now.
Evans, by himself, amassed nearly two-thirds of Saskatchewan’s passing yardage on Saturday.