BANJO BOWL XI PREVIEW

SASKATCHEWAN (7-2) AT WINNIPEG (6-4)
2:00 pm Sask time, Sunday, Investors Group Field
TSN, CKRM Rider Radio Network, ESPN (Main Network)

RIDERS: Road 3-1, Versus West 3-1
BOMBERS: Home 3-2, Versus West 1-3

RIDER OFFENSE: RUSH 1ST, PASS 8TH, OVERALL 5TH
QB Darian Durant is the CFL’s 6th leading passer (1715 yds, 8 TDs, 5 INTs) … WR Rob Bagg leads the team in receiving and is 6th in the CFL (472 yds, 1 TD) … RB Will Ford is 5th in CFL rushing (391 yds, 6 TDs) … Riders are #4 in points scored and #2 in fewest sacks

BOMBER OFFENSE: RUSH 8TH, PASS 3RD, OVERALL 7TH
QB Drew Willy is the CFL’s 2nd leading passer (2529 yds, 10 TDs, 9 INTs) … REC Clarence Denmark is 2nd in CFL receiving (597 yds, 1 TD) … RB Nic Grigsby is #1 in CFL rushing (557 yds, 7 TDs) … Bombers are #1 in points scored and #9 in fewest sacks

RIDER DEFENSE: RUSH 2ND, PASS 4TH, OVERALL 4TH
DE John Chick is the CFL’s sack leader (12) … DB Mark Legree leads the team in INT (4) … S Tyron Brackenridge leads the team in tackles (36) … Riders are #2 in fewest points allowed and are #1 in the sack race

BOMBER DEFENSE: RUSH 8TH, PASS 4TH, OVERALL 6TH
S Maurice Leggett leads the CFL in INTs (5) … DL Bryant Turner and DL Greg Peach lead the club in sacks (5) … Bombers are #8 in points allowed and #6 in QB sacks

RIDER SPECIAL TEAMS: K Chris Milo is 20/27 on FGs and this week will handle all three duties with P Josh Bartel out with injury … Tristan Jackson leads in KR and PR yards … LB Brian Peters and DE Dylan Ainsworth lead in ST tackles (10)

BOMBER SPECIAL TEAMS: K/P Lirim Hajrullahu is 22/24 on FGs and has a 7th-best punting average of 43.8 yards … Troy Stoudemire leads in KR yards and Aaron Woods leads in PR yards

INTANGIBLES:  The Riders are 5-5 all-time in the Banjo Bowl since its inception in 2004 …  Including Drew Willy this week, Winnipeg has had seven different starting quarterbacks the past seven Banjo Bowls … Sunday is Darian Durant’s 6th consecutive Banjo Bowl start … The Blue Bombers are 4-10 at Investors Group Field since its opening in 2013 … The Roughriders are looking to win seven in a row for the first time since 1970 … Sunday is Weston Dressler’s 100th career CFL game … Saskatchewan is 2-0 in this year’s three-game season series … Riders are a CFL-best +14 in the turnover ratio while Winnipeg is 7th (-6) … Riders are #2 in fewest penalties taken while Winnipeg is #3 … The Riders are favoured by 2.5-points … The forecast calls for sunshine and 23 degrees Celsius.

RP