On the road again: Riders preparing for first away game of 2021

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are hoping to make their own noise in Winnipeg while quieting a crowd for the first time this season.

The Riders head out on the road for the first time in 2021 for the annual Banjo Bowl showdown with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Kickoff for the game is Saturday at 2 p.m.

It’s the first time the Roughriders will have played an away game in 687 days due to the 2020 CFL season being cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Saskatchewan played its first four games this season at Mosaic Stadium.

“You go from having 33,000 behind you to 33,000 against you. That atmosphere is one of a kind in both (stadiums),” Saskatchewan centre Dan Clark said. “We are in a hostile environment and we have to capitalize as a unit and go in there and handle our business.”

The Riders find themselves in a rare situation ahead of the Banjo Bowl. Saskatchewan lost the Labour Day Classic 23-8 on Sept. 5, only the second time in the last 16 seasons the Riders have dropped the rivalry showdown. The loss also dropped the Riders (3-1) into second place in the CFL’s West Division, behind the Bombers (4-1)

Now the Riders are the ones searching for a win to try and answer the results of the Labour Day weekend clash.

“(There’s) one thing against you that you didn’t have before in a game and that’s crowd noise,” Clark said. “We are very focused as a unit and we just have to go out there and capitalize.

“It’s everything an athlete wants to be in. It’s a high-pressure environment and how well can you respond?”

In order to try and replicate some of the noise the Riders will face in Winnipeg, the team practised with piped-in crowd noise on Wednesday.

“It’s going to be a challenge but I think our guys are looking forward to getting out of town and playing one on the road,” head coach Craig Dickenson said. “We’re going to crank up the crowd noise and challenge the offence and special teams to be able to get their plays off without being able to hear much cadence.

“It’ll be fun. It’s a neat atmosphere and a real celebration of football out there and we’re looking forward to it.”

Quarterback Cody Fajardo has admitted he will need to play better if the team wants to win the rematch with the Bombers.

But while crowd noise will provide an extra challenge for the Riders’ offence that is trying to solve the Bombers’ defence, Fajardo said there are some positives to heading out on the road.

“It will be nice to get out of the rhythm of this home game-dominant schedule. We’ve been here since the start of training camp and there’s been no change in our schedule other than a bye week,” Fajardo said.

“Going on the road and taking a charter flight and sleeping in a hotel, there’s a bit more energy and a refresh button you hit when you have an away trip.

“When you go into a hostile environment, you get too see what kind of team you have. Everyone’s got to rally together and you’ve got to find ways to overcome adversity because you don’t have the crowd on your side.”

Notes: Defensive back Ed Gainey (foot) didn’t practise for a second straight day … Defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy (neck) left practice early Wednesday. He didn’t practise Tuesday … Defensive lineman Micah Johnson (ankle) practised on Wednesday and is trending towards playing.