‘Crazy hostile:’ Riders ready for roaring crowd at IG Field

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are preparing to enter hostile territory this week.

Saskatchewan will venture to what will be a raucous IG Field to take on the hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Saturday’s Banjo Bowl. Kickoff for the game is set for 2 p.m.

“It will be crazy hostile,” Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson said. “I usually hear it from the same two dudes behind the bench every year.

“I don’t even know who they are but they do not like me. I don’t get any invitations to Christmas dinner from them.”

It’ll be particularly hostile after the Riders emerged victorious over the Bombers for the first time since 2019 with a 32-30 win in the Labour Day Classic on Sunday.

“I think they’ve got a little bit of an axe to grind,” Dickenson said. “They are not used to coming into that game on the short end of the first one.

“It’s going to be fun. It’ll be hostile, but it’s just football and I think it will be a lot of fun for our guys.”

While Riders quarterback Jake Dolegala has only started three CFL games – two this season and one in 2022 – he did get a small taste of what the Banjo Bowl can be like.

He was thrust into action in the 2022 Banjo Bowl after the team pulled then-starter Cody Fajardo in a game in which Saskatchewan battled a stomach flu that forced a few players to sit out. In the game, Dolegala completed three of seven pass attempts for 23 yards and an interception in the 54-20 loss.

“It was hostile last year and we weren’t at full strength,” Dolegala said. “A couple guys went down last week, which we will deal with and rally. Guys will have to step up and I think they are excited about the opportunity.

“Playing in last year’s Banjo Bowl, it’s good to get that feeling.”

Dolegala’s second crack at the Bombers had better results for the Riders and the 26-year-old quarterback.

In front of 33,350 fans Sunday at Mosaic Stadium, Dolegala didn’t throw a touchdown pass but threw for 326 yards and hit a crucial overtime pass to Shawn Bane Jr. for the winning two-point convert in overtime.

But that was in front of a mostly green-clad crew of fans. This week, to get ready for a sea of blue, the Riders are using piped-in crowd noise to help simulate it in practice.

Dolegala thought the volume could have been increased.

“I wanted them to pump it up because you’d rather be overprepared than underprepared in a situation like that,” Dolegala said. “Communication is going to be key for the game, (with) getting the play calls in and out and having to watch the play clock.

“You try to make practice as stressful as possible and I think we are doing a good job of that.”

Notes: Safety Jayden Dalke (knee) and guard Evan Johnson (foot) have been ruled out of the game … Logan Bandy is expected to start this week on the offensive line while Jaxon Ford will start at safety.