Road woes: Riders lose fifth straight away game

The road continues to be the bane of the 2023 Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The CFL club lost a fifth straight game as the away team after being defeated 36-28 by the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday at TD Place. Saskatchewan hasn’t won a road game this season since a 29-26 win over the Calgary Stampeders on June 24.

It was also the third straight loss by the team, while the Redblacks snapped their seven-game losing streak.

“It’s not good. The locker room is down (and the) confidence is down,” said Riders quarterback Jake Dolegala. “Everyone has to look in the mirror and figure out what we need to do individually better and then we can collectively be better for next week.

“It’s not a good feeling.”

After last week’s 36-27 loss to the Edmonton Elks, Riders head coach Craig Dickenson said they would find out a lot about the character of the team in the upcoming games.

“I think it’s still a good bunch. I still believe they care about each other and care about football, but we just aren’t playing well enough,” Dickenson said. “We have to find ways to get better. Maybe it’s a player here and a player there that we move.

“As coaches, we will have to look hard at the scheme and make sure we are putting them in the right positions to succeed and then we’ve got to challenge them to play as good as they can.

“If that’s all they got, that’s all they’ve got but I think we have more in the tank, we just have to find a way to get it.”

Dolegala faced pressure from the Redblacks throughout the game and was sacked five times, three of them by defensive end Bryce Carter.

Two of those sacks ended in fumbles and Dolegala also had two interceptions in the game. Dolegala threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

“We didn’t help ourselves at all — a bunch of penalties and a bunch of after-the-whistle stuff,” Dolegala said. “You have to protect the ball better on my end. There was things available and I’ll take it and be patient. They brought pressure but I have to do a better job of getting the ball out on time.

“We just didn’t execute the way we need to.”

After back-to-back games giving up more than 260 yards rushing, the Riders’ rushing defence nearly gave up 200 in Ottawa as well. The Redblacks, with running back Devonte Williams amassing 136 yards, had 193 yards on the ground.

Ottawa quarterback Dustin Crum added 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground to go with 243 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Redblacks short-yardage quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome added a rushing score as well.

“It’s ridiculous. It’s just too many missed tackles tonight and bad eyes and everything like that,” said linebacker Micah Teitz, who had three tackles in the contest. “It’s not the way you want to play, especially when it’s getting cold outside. We’re going to have to stop the run if we want to make a run at the playoffs.”

Penalties were another issue that plagued the Riders in the game; they committed 11 infractions for 123 yards.

“Penalties are a problem and you can’t simulate the emotion you get in a game in practice, so that’s got to be something we address because a lot of the penalties were guys being over the top,” Dickenson said.

“We got a memo from the league that told us what they were going to do. We’ve talked to the players and showed them what the league is going to do and we just, for some reason, get into a game — maybe we’re not mature enough right now and take stupid penalties.”

Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive lineman Christian Albright (97) sacks Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Dustin Crum (18) on Sept. 22, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

Saskatchewan came into the game with a number of injuries to its defensive line with defensive ends Anthony Lanier II and Nic Dheilly missing the game along with defensive tackle Miles Brown.

In their absence, defensive ends Christian Albright and Cody Roscoe joined the lineup and had some success. Albright had two sacks and a forced fumble while Roscoe contributed a sack.

“I was really proud of (Albright), I thought he had a great game and certainly opened some eyes on our staff and probably around the league,” Dickenson said.

Another injury the Riders dealt with was to starting tailback Jamal Morrow. Frankie Hickson was given the start and rushed for 77 yards on just nine carries. Riders short-yardage quarterback Antonio Pipkin added a touchdown in the game.

Riders kick returner Mario Alford provided a spark late in the fourth quarter with the score 36-14. He returned a punt for a 107-yard TD late in the fourth quarter.

Saskatchewan was able to jump on an onside kick to get one more drive to make the score 36-28.

Riders kicker Brett Lauther didn’t attempt a field goal but was 1-for-2 on converts. Punter Adam Korsack added a single in the game.

Redblacks kicker Michael Domegala, who won the job after kicker Lewis Ward suffered a season-ending pectoral injury, was good on two of his three field-goal attempts. Punter Richie Leone added a single as well.

Saskatchewan now finds itself in an eerily similar spot to last season, once again at a 6-8 record, and it will be up to the team’s leaders to try and ensure this season doesn’t suffer a similar fate.

“We just have to get back to being whatever kind of leader you are,” Teitz said. “If you lead by example, lead by example. If you’re vocal, be vocal.

“We can’t be done. We started too well, we have been playing too physical and too hard to not have it not work out for us. I think we just need to really motivate each other and try to get back to confident football.”

The Riders will once again be on the road next Friday in B.C. against the Lions.