ROUGHRIDERS STELLAR DEFENCE
Defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall’s unit this season has allowed opposing teams only 339 points, the best results since 1986.
REGINA — Richie Hall has seen both extremes during his long association with the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defence.
Now the Roughriders’ defensive coordinator, Hall was a defensive halfback with a 1991 Saskatchewan team that allowed 710 points — the most in Canadian Football League history.
He has also designed the Roughriders’ stingiest defences since the league expanded each team’s regular-season schedule from 16 games to 18 in 1986.
Since then, only one Roughriders team has allowed fewer than 400 points in a season. The Hallcoached defence permitted 393 points in 2002. With 339 points against after the first 16 games of 2013, Hall’s charges are on pace to set a franchise best over an expanded schedule.
“When we talk about defence, we talk about winning the football game and then we talk about keeping them out of the end zone,’’ Hall said Thursday.
Hall experienced the other end of the spectrum in 1991, when Saskatchewan posted a 6-12 record despite establishing enduring team single-season records for points scored (606) and touchdowns (62).
Even with a high-powered offence, the Roughriders of 1991 could not overcome their matador defence. They remain the only team in CFL history to allow 700-plus points in a season.
“Yeah, that was a lot of points,’’ Hall said. “It was frustrating, because you were part of it. I think anytime you’re part of something that’s not successful, you feel embarrassed by it.
“I was one of the reasons why we gave up 700 points. It’s disheartening, especially when you’re a competitor. When you’re giving up that many points, it’s tough to win football games, because you can’t go out there and score 50 points every week. That’s reality.
“I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum, but I also understand what it takes to win championships, and that’s good defence. You’ve got to score points. ... But if you can keep them off the scoreboard, that increases your chances.’’
Hall has won two championships with Saskatchewan — as a player in 1989 and as the defensive co-ordinator in 2007. In the latter year, he choreographed a Saskatchewan defence that sparkled in the West Division final and the Grey Cup game.
The objective is to repeat that feat during the 2013 season, which is to conclude Nov. 24 when the league final is played on Taylor Field.
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Roughriders have allowed the fewest points in the league. The Calgary Stampeders, who are to play host to Saskatchewan on Saturday, are next in line at 362 (23 behind the Riders).
“That’s the biggest stat,’’ second-year Roughriders head coach Corey Chamblin said about the pointsagainst figure. “I don’t go by yards. When we talk about being the No. 1 defence, it’s about how many points that we allow — because if they’re not getting in the end zone, it doesn’t matter how many yards you are (allowing).”
“So we’re doing a good job of keeping opponents out of the end zone.’’
Again, the numbers bear that out. Saskatchewan has surrendered a league-low 32 touchdowns. The Montreal Alouettes are next at 36, followed by Calgary (38).
The modest Hall is quick to deflect the credit to Chamblin, who was the defensive backs coach with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2007) and Calgary (2008-10) before serving as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ defensive co-ordinator in 2011.
“Corey has done a good job with our football team,’’ Hall said. “He has assembled a good group of guys. I think the guys buy into the package. They play hard. We try to keep it simple but, at the same time, we try to exploit what they do best.
“Collectively, they’re playing together as a team, and I think that’s a big thing. They believe in themselves, they believe in the system, and they’re going out there and they’re just playing hard and making plays.’’
An infusion of playmakers has helped Saskatchewan improve upon a 2012 season in which it allowed the second-fewest points in the eight-team league (409).
“No. 2’s not good enough,’’ Chamblin stated. “We want to be No. 1. That’s what we strive for.’’
Hall, meanwhile, strives for continued improvement — citing losses to the Toronto Argonauts (who won 31-29 in Regina on Sept. 14) and Calgary (which beat the visiting Roughriders 42-27 on Aug. 9) as examples of how the puzzle is not yet solved.
“When I look at this season, up until this point, as well as we’ve played at times, we’ve also played p--- poor,’’ Hall said. “I remember the meltdown against Toronto here at the end. We had the game won and we gave up 19 points in the fourth quarter. The last time we played Calgary, we gave up 40-something points.
“We’ve shown that we can hold people, but we’ve also shown that we’ve given up a lot. ... Our points against on the road is different than our points against at home, so we have to play with the same tenacity and the same execution on the road that we do at home.’’