CHRIS JONES: "IT MAKES ME WANT TO THROW UP"

Roughly 3,000 fans turned out to Saskatoon’s SMF Field – home of the PFC’s Hilltops – for the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ annual Green & White scrimmage on Saturday.  It was sunny with temperatures in the mid-20’s with a 40 km/h wind.  Although the defense won the day 44-39, Riders Head Coach and GM Chris Jones wasn’t pleased with the showing.

“It was not very good execution,” Jones simmered.  “Too many penalties, sloppy play, ball on the ground, throwing to the other team, defense can’t stay onside, that was a poor display.  We’re gonna have to look at the film real closely and find out guys who want to do things the right way.  We will pick the right players.  It’s just a matter of getting the film evaluated but unfortunately there’s gonna be some guys who won’t be with us.”

Veteran receiver Naaman Roosevelt scored the only touchdown on the day (a deep pass from Darian Durant) while kicker Tyler Crapigna was 3/3 on field goals.  That was about it for positives.

“There wasn’t many bright spots,” Jones continued.  “I didn’t see a whole lot.  It was one of those deals where, for whatever reason, on a day when you have the most people at your practice, you decide that you’re going to take the day off.”

Jones was particularly discouraged that after six days of training camp, they’d have a showing such as Saturday’s in simulated live-game action.

“It makes me want to throw up,” Jones concluded.  “When you play like this, you’re not going to win many football games.  It’s not what we’re going to be about and it’s not how we’re going to do things.  But we’ll bounce back.  Unfortunately we have to live with this for a week.”

The Rider boss was asked if he often feels nauseous.

“Every time we lose a game”.

As far as quarterbacks went on Saturday, Darian Durant was 9/17, Brett Smith was 8/16, B.J. Coleman was 9/14 and Jacob Huesman was 2/5.  Durant and Smith both threw interceptions while Huesman fumbled a snap which was recovered by the defense.  That was part of four turnovers on the day.

“It wasn’t good enough,” Durant concurred, speaking after Sunday’s afternoon practice at Griffiths Stadium.  “If we wanna hold ourselves to high expectations and be a championship team, it just wasn’t good enough.  We need to get in the meeting room and make sure we don’t keep making those same mistakes over and over.

“It’s not that we fell apart.  It’s just that there were too many pre-snap penalties, turnovers, missed assignments, you name it, we did it.  I wouldn’t call it a ‘fall apart’ act, but we just need to clean some things up.  If you’re a fan of defense, they had a great day.”

Defensively, DB Rollins Stallworth (Stanford) had a game-high five tackles with a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.  Four players had one sack each: Shawn Lemon, Corey Irvin, Markus White and Kalonji Kashama.

The most-targeted receivers (5) were Ryan Lankford, Qudarius Ford and Nic Demski.

The Riders host the B.C. Lions in preseason play Saturday at 7:00 pm on TSN and the 620 CKRM Rider Radio Network.

RP
@rodpedersen


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The following is the Day 7 report Saturday) from the 2016 Roughrider Training Camp presented by Coors Light.

ROSTER MOVES

Did not participate:
Dylan Ainsworth (day-to-day)
Justin Capicciotti (day-to-day)
Marcus Davis (day-to-day)
Johnny Dixon (day-to-day)
Jeff Knox Jr. (day-to-day)
Brendon LaBatte (day-to-day)
Eric Norwood (injured)
Jordan Reaves (day-to-day)
Matt Vonk (6 game injured list)

MOCK GAME HIGHLIGHTS
–          Markus White was laid out on a great block by running back Terrance Cobb early in the scrimmage
–          Levi Steinhauer now playing at fullback picked up his first catch playing on that side of the ball
–          The first score of the game was a 26-yard pitch and catch from Darian Durant to Naaman Roosevelt. That drive set up by a Tre’ Von Armstead fumble recovery.
–          Former Stanford Cardinal receiver now turned defensive back, Rollins Stallworth had an interception that ended up on a Tyler Crapigna field goal, his third of the game.
–          The defensive backfield continued to shine when Samuel Eguavoen made a leaping grab for an interception.
–          Brett Smith had a great drive snuffed out by a halfback option pass that was intercepted at the two-yard line.
–          Smith’s first drive of the second half of the mock game saw him connect with Alec Lemon on a deep pass to the one-yard line.

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