OUT OF THE TUNNEL: R-E-L-I-E-F

They still didn’t look great in an ugly 20-17 victory on the road in Calgary but to finally beat the Stampeders for the first time in three cracks is a giant monkey off their back. Also, this game being a divisional road victory puts a big feather in the Riders cap.

The defence was the same opportunistic, big-play unit that has been the anchor of the club all season long. The offence was the same pop-gun program that will have a couple of long drives but still lacks the big play. The weird thing is, it might be the best formula to win games at this point of the season.

In normal times, we would be thinking about putting a wrap on the regular season as November quickly approaches. November is coming but not the wrap of the season, and it could get weird. Games will be colder than normal, wilder weather than normal and uglier football than normal and this might fit this version of the Saskatchewan Riders like a fluffy warm mitten. Ugly football in an ugly season might mean big success.

The conclusion of Week 12 of this shortened 14-game season has all but solidified the playoff teams in both divisions and the first bonus is no crossover.

In the East Division, the trio of Toronto, Montreal and Hamilton will duke it out over the next four weeks for playoff positioning with one team looking very bad one week and then looking like world-beaters the next. One thing that is almost for sure, with how bad the B.C. Lions have looked the past little bit we will not have a crossover for the first time since 2015.

The West Division is pretty much set as well. Winnipeg has solidified top spot and will host their first West Final for the first time since Saskatchewan beat Winnipeg 27-24 on November 19, 1972. They looked great again, blasting the Lions 45-0 on Saturday afternoon and seem to be on cruise control.

But, don’t they feel like they would be ripe for the picking in the West Final? They have serious 1989 Edmonton vibes. That season Edmonton finished 16-2 before getting mauled by the Cinderella Saskatchewan Roughriders 32-21 in the West Final.

With their win, the Roughriders have put two-points between themselves and the Calgary Stampeders with a game at hand. The Riders need to stay a win ahead of the Stampeders because Calgary won the season series.

It’s not an easy road for either. Saskatchewan plays three of four games on the road and two of Calgary’s final three games are on the road as well.

It’s setting up like it might be a tight race to the finish, but things will more than likely finish the way they are right now.

With the end of the season just around the corner the season defence is becoming clearer.

Not a single passer will eclipse 4,000 yards in this 14-game season. You may say that’s impossible to do in such a short season. It’s not. It’s just 285 yards through the air per game. In past seasons this would be a cinch. Currently, Zach Collaros is closest, averaging 257 yards though the air per game for a total of 2,832 with just three games left.

There is zero shot Collaros will hit that, he won’t even hit 3,500 yards as the Bombers will more than likely shut him down early in the final three games with first place sewn up.

Behind the Winnipeg pivot we have Cody Fajardo and Michael Reilly who have both averaged just 230 yards a game and will be flirting with just 3,000-yards passing. For comparison sake, back in 2019 both Bo Levi Mitchell and Trevor Harris averaged well over 300 yards passing per game with a handful of other quarterbacks around the 250-mark.

With that there won’t be too many 1,000-yard receivers this season. Pass catchers would have to average 72 yards a game to eclipse that milestone. A pair of Montreal players, Eugene Lewis and Jake Weineke as well as Winnipeg’s Kenny Lawler have real shots at the 1,000-yard mark and maybe throw the Lions Bryan Burnham on that list.

The potential 1,000-yard rushing mark is just as slim. With the injury to Andrew Harris, he will not hit the milestone so that leaves the Alouettes William Stanbeck as the only player with a legit shot at 1,000-yards. Ka’Deem Carey of the Stampeders and the Elks James Wilder have outside chances of getting there.

Let’s all revel in the year of the defence and hope that 2022 will bring back mini-camps, longer training camps and a better chance for offences to turn things around.

This Week in Canada West

UBC (2-2) 26
Manitoba (1-2) 24

The crazy Canada West season continued this week and the focus was in Vancouver as the UBC Thunderbirds win their second in a row by handing the Manitoba Bisons their first loss of the season.

The Thunderbirds ran the ball down Manitoba’s throat. Dan Kapler lead the way with 134 of UBC’s 252 rushing yards on the day.

The win puts UBC in the heart of the Canada West playoff race while the Bisons fall into a tie with the University of Saskatchewan for first in the conference.

Alberta (2-2) 36
Calgary (1-3) 30

The Calgary Dinos lost their third in a row in Canada West play and Sunday it was their provincial rivals picking up the victory.

The Alberta Golden Bears held a 19-0 lead in the first half before Calgary stormed back and it was tied at the half at 26 apiece. From there, the Golden Bears were able to power through and improve to the .500 mark with the 36-30 win.

Alberta and UBC are in a tie for second in the Canada West while the Dinos join the Rams in the basement at 1-3.

Saskatchewan (3-1) 28
Regina (1-3) 17

The battle of Saskatchewan (it needs a name and no not the Wheat Bowl) went to the Huskies as they stifled the Regina Rams 28-17.

This game was won on the defensive side of the ball. The Huskies gave up just a total of 167 yards of offence to the Rams. Mason Nyhus was solid again with 301 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

It sets up the biggest week of the Canada West regular season as the Huskies and Bisons face off in Winnipeg for a battle for first place, UBC and Calgary meet in a battle of 2-2 teams while the first playoff elimination game goes in Edmonton with the Rams visiting the Golden Bears.

Week Five in Canada West (all times local)

Saturday, October 30
Saskatchewan at Manitoba 2:00pm

UBC at Calgary 2:00pm
Regina at Alberta 1:00pm

This Week in the Prairie Football Conference

Edmonton Huskies (5-3) 35
Edmonton Wildcats (2-6) 27

The Edmonton Huskies finish their regular season by winning the battle of Edmonton. They needed everything they had to knock off the Wildcats 35-27. The Huskies will now host a quarter-final game next weekend against the Calgary Colts.

Regina Thunder (8-0) 35
Calgary Colts (1-7) 16

The Regina Thunder finish their first ever undefeated season with an easy road victory in Calgary. Touchdowns by Londyn Kups, Munir Majien, Brayden Long and Rylan Sokul powered Regina to the 28-0 lead before cruising to the 35-16 win.

Regina clinches first in the PFC and will have a bye week while Calgary will have to face the Edmonton Huskies in the quarter-finals.

Saskatoon Hilltops (6-2) 32 
Winnipeg Rifles (2-6) 17

The Saskatoon Hilltops finish their season with a victory that sealed up second place in the PFC. The 32-17 win over the Winnipeg Rifles secured a bye into the semifinals for the defending Canadian champions.

The Hilltops got touchdowns from Carter McLean, Lachlan Horsley and Jonathan Chisholm in the victory.

Prairie Football Conference Playoffs

Quarter-finals
Sunday, October 31

Edmonton Wildcats at Winnipeg Rifles
Calgary Colts at Edmonton Huskies

Bye: Saskatoon and Regina

Canadian Player to Watch in the NCAA

Chase Brown (Soph.)
Running Back
Illinois
5’11”, 205lbs.
London, Ontario
High School – St. Stephens Episcopal (Fla.)

This is our second Canadian to watch from the University of Illinois this year. We previously focused on starting safety Sydney Brown and now it’s dynamic running back Chase Brown.

Brown said hello to America this week in Illinois’ nine-overtime victory over the number seven ranked Penn State Nittany Lions 20-18. Brown had 223 yards rushing and a touchdown in the upset victory. The game wasn’t his best rushing day of his career, he did that three weeks ago with 257 yards against Charlotte.

Brown is technically in his sophomore season as he played as a freshman with Western Michigan in 2018, played just four games in a redshirt season in 2019 with Illinois and 2020 is also considered a redshirt year. So, Brown still has a couple years of eligibility left before considering turning pro.

(RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF/PHOTO: MARK STEPHEN)