Riders defend home turf, defeat Bombers 19-9

Obsidian green was the colour for the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night.

In the team’s new alternate jerseys, the Riders defeated an old CFL foe in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 19-9 in front of 29, 649 fans at Mosaic Stadium.

Riders quarterback Shea Patterson made his third CFL start. He threw for 261 yards and a touchdown.

“It feels great. It’s hard enough to win at this level and any time you can come out like that and get a W against a really good team — coming off a short week as well — we are feeling good about it,” Patterson said.

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The final play of the game showed how intense the rivalry could be once again between the two clubs.

Patterson rolled out and tried to kill the final six seconds of the clock. He ran to the side and eventually threw the ball away but it allowed Winnipeg linebacker Adam Bighill to lay a hit on the quarterback that led to the two teams getting into a war of words at the end of it.

But Patterson said the end result of the play was his fault.

“That’s just him making a play. I can’t hold onto it that long. It’s really just kill six (seconds) and throw it out of bounds,” Patterson said. “Willie (Jefferson) was coming off the edge and I made him miss again and maybe got a little too cocky.

“A veteran linebacker came and sent me a message. Respect to him.”

He said that he feels it is getting easier to run the offence.

“Just executing the game plan. Putting in the extra work and we have a heck of an offensive co-ordinator (Marc Mueller),” Patterson said. “I love working with him and just go out there and trust in the guys.”

On the other side, Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 266 yards and an interception. Outside of his two touchdown passes last week, Collaros hasn’t thrown a scoring strike in any other game.

Bombers running back Brady Oliveira came into the game as the CFL’s top rusher. He had 49 yards on nine carries.

“Nobody has run the ball on us all year. We weren’t going to let them start today,” said linebacker Jameer Thurman said. “They knew the challenge they were going to face and they ran into a wall like we said they would.”

Clint Ratkovich scored his first CFL touchdown on a 15-yard pass.

“It’s a blessing. I have to give it to the man upstairs. It was just a great playcall and all the guys around me to help get open,” Ratkovich said. “I appreciate it.”

That was the only touchdown in the game with Riders kicker Brett Lauther good on all four of his field goal attempts.

One of the biggest question marks for the Riders coming into the game was how the offensive line would hold up with right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick. Hardrick will be out long-term with a quad injury.

But even with Jacob Brammer making his first CFL start, the pass-protection held up with only Jefferson recording a sack in the game.

The Riders’ defence is leading the league when it comes to takeaways and added to their total in the game. Linebacker Adam Auclair picked off Collaros, who has thrown a CFL-high seven picks so far, and linebacker Jameer Thurman punched the ball out of the hands of Nic Demski with defensive back Marcus Sayles picking it up.

“I saw a chance to punch it out and I was watching all the film and I thought that was an opportunity this week and it came my way,” Thurman said.

Thurman said the defence played good but they could have also eliminated the three field goals Winnipeg kicker Sergio Castillo made.

“I thought we came out, we got after the quarterback and created turnovers and got the offence on the field as much as possible and came up with the win,” Thurman said.

Thurman also knew it was going to be a physical game.

“Whenever you play Winnipeg, it’s going to be a physical game,” Thurman said. “They try to assert their dominance by running the ball. We knew that and took that away from them and came away with the win.”

It could be another big loss for the Riders when it comes to injuries. Slotback Kian Schaffer-Baker left the game in the first half.

“At halftime when I spoke to (the medical staff) we were talking about the potential of doing some things to get him out there for the second half but then we decided against it,” head coach Corey Mace said. “That leads me to believe it’s not long-term but I don’t know until I go talk to him.”

Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback Ajou Ajou celebrates a catch with his teammates in a game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 20, 2024. (Supplied/Saskatchewan Roughriders)

But rookie seventh-round draft pick Ajou Ajou came into the game in his absence, recording four catches for 110 yards.

“Coach says it all the time — we have everything we need and nothing we don’t,” Ajou said. “Just being prepared. When the coach calls you up, you’ve got to go and you have to give it 100 per cent.”

It also came at the slotback position which Ajou doesn’t practice often.

“Just knowing the whole offence,” Ajou said. “Anywhere coach, I got your back. That’s all. Just preparation.”

Mace was extremely proud of Ajou and how he has grown since training camp.

“He was a roommate of my brother in high school down in Florida when they went down there and played. I’ve known Ajou for quite a few years,” Mace said. “To see where he has gotten to from the first night we talked on draft night and the things he has done to this point, I’m so proud of the kid.”

Saskatchewan bounced back after its first loss of the season last week against the B.C. Lions.

“That’s our character,” Patterson said. “It’s all about how we were going to respond this week and having a short week but right off the plane (from B.C.), the very next morning guys came in and went to work.”

The Riders (5-1) will head to Montreal to take on the Alouettes (5-1) on Thursday.

Read more

• ‘Council’ back in session: Roughriders bolster offensive line
• New obsidian green Roughriders jersey in high demand
• Riders’ Shea Patterson becomes a dad amid first CFL starts