RIDERS LAND IN OTTAWA, ANNOUNCE ROSTER
The Saskatchewan Roughriders hopped on a plane for Ottawa Friday afternoon hoping it is not just a weekend excursion.
The Riders (10-8) are to oppose the RedBlacks (8-9-1) in the 2017 CFL Eastern Semifinal on Sunday (12 pm kickoff, TSN, 620 CKRM).
If all goes well, the team will not be in Regina until after the Grey Cup with the hope being they come back with the CFL’s championship trophy in hand as they will remain in Ontario until either they have won it all or have seen their quest to win it all come to an end.
Riders head coach Chris Jones continues to play his cards close to the vest when it comes to who will and who won’t play at TD Place.
Jones told reporters he is taking his healthiest bodies to Ottawa and when asked who his starting tailback would be, he would acknowledge Marcus Thigpen is the healthiest, but would not proclaim him to be the starter.
The Riders and REDBLACKS meet in what is the first playoff game between Saskatchewan and Ottawa since the 1976 Grey Cup which ended with a Tony Gabriel touchdown giving Ottawa the Cup and handing the Riders one of their most crushing losses in team history.
620 CKRM is your official voice of the Riders. “Rider Nation Pregame” will kick off the longest, and most continuous game day coverage in the CFL on Sunday morning at 9 AM followed by the play-by-play at 12 PM with Rod Pedersen and Luc Mullinder.
The winner will move on to play Toronto in the East final.
http://www.620ckrm.com/2017/11/10/riders-embark-on-what-they-hope-is-three-week-road-trip/
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GAME NOTES:
– On Saturday morning the Riders announced their roster for the ESF. Kienan LaFrance is listed as the starting tailback, backed up by Marcus Thigpen. Both Cameron Marshall and Trent Richardson are injured.
– Saskatchewan is 10-14 in Semifinals, Ottawa is 9-7.
– The last five games between the Roughriders and RedBlacks have been decided by a total of 8 points.
– The Riders’ 5-win improvement in 2017 constitutes the most in the CFL.
– Rider kicker Tyler Crapigna is 7/7 on field goals against Ottawa this year while the RedBlack’s Brett Maher is 3/4.
– Saskatchewan’s 35 TD passes this year are the most in the CFL.
– Rider QB Kevin Glenn started 17 of 18 games this year but has only finished 2 of the last 7.
– Kevin Glenn is 4/7 in the playoffs while Ottawa’s Trevor Harris is 0-0.
– Glenn starts a playoff game for a 5th different CFL team, tying him with Damon Allen for the CFL record.
– Rider returner Christion Jones had the highest punt return average (14.3) since Corey Holmes (15.2) in 2005.
RP
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