REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders will meet for the second time in less than a month when they close out Week 6 action Saturday night.
The last time the two teams met, four quarters weren’t enough as Saskatchewan kicked a field goal and intercepted a Jake Maier pass to secure a 29-26 overtime victory at McMahon Stadium.
The scene switches to Regina for the rematch as the 3-1 Riders face a 1-3 Stamps team hoping to snap a two-game skid.
When Trevor Harris heads out on the field to lead the Riders offence, he’ll do so with plenty of confidence as he completed 20 passes for 275 and a touchdown in the first matchup.
His six touchdowns and 1,159 yards both rank third best among the league’s quarterbacks.
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Calgary has been able to limit opposing pass games to 261 yards per contest but doing so against Harris and receivers Shawn Bane Jr. and Tevin Jones will be a tall task. Bane, Jones and Samuel Emilus torched the Stamps for 209 yards three weeks ago.
With Jake Wieneke still out with a knee injury, Harris will rely on the play of his three top receivers as he tries to stretch the Stamps’ defence from sideline-to-sideline.
Harris knows despite their 3-1 record that the offence can play significantly better and needs be ready for another tight game.
“We have the team that believes in one another,” Harris told Riderville.com. “Obviously we’re not satisfied with where we’re at offensively, we’re going to keep grinding and getting better. The teams that can figure out how to win the tight games are the ones that are going to have the good record.”
Watch live. Calgary Stampeders @ Saskatchewan Roughriders, July 16, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm EDT July 15)
While Jamal Morrow had 133 yards on 22 carries against the Stamps, he comes into the game with something to prove after being held to just 52 against Edmonton.
Despite the down game he still sits second in the league with 285 rushing yards, a total he’ll want to improve on against a defence that’s one of four in the league to allow more than 100 yards per game on the ground.
Maier was picked off three times the first time go-round, once each by defensive backs Nic Marshall, Rolan Milligan and linebacker Larry Dean.
He won’t have to worry about Milligan this time though, as he sits out with foot and back issues.
Knowing the ability his opponent possesses in the pass game, Maier needs to be aware when putting the ball in the air.
Calgary’s offensive line, led by Sean McEwen and Ryan Sceviour, have done a good job of keeping Maier on his feet and giving him time to make good reads. They’ve allowed just seven sacks, the second fewest in the league.
With the Riders coming into the game with a league-low six sacks, Maier can feel good about shifting his attention downfield but should still be cognizant of Micah Johnson and Pete Robertson off the edge.
When he does drop back, he’ll be on the lookout for Tre Odoms-Dukes, like he has been 36 times this season.
With Malik Henry sidelined for the season, veteran Reggie Begelton anchors the receiving corps alongside Odoms-Dukes. Begelton’s shown his work doesn’t end when the ball hits his hands, as he’s totalled 143 yards after the catch.
Stampeders’ head coach Dave Dickenson had a few pieces of advice for his quarterback heading into this week.
“I want him to play confident,” Dickenson told Stampeders.com. “For me, when I played 100 years ago, it was about your eyes. Don’t let your eyes fool you. As long as your eyes are in the right spot, don’t be afraid to make a mistake. I think he’s a confident guy. As a group, as an offence, I’m not going to sugarcoat it, we need to be better.”
Rusher Dedrick Mills continues to prove that the run game remains a threat without Ka’Deem Carey. He had 97 yards in the Stamps’ loss last week to Winnipeg and familiarity should serve him well on Saturday.
Allowing 353 net yards of offence per game, Dickenson will need his defensive front to plug holes on the ground to keep Morrow in check.
Those duties fall on linemen Julian Howsare and Mike Moore.
Linebackers Micah Awe and Cameron Judge are also no strangers to physical play and creating issues for offences in the middle of the field. On top of stopping the run, Judge has the ability to drop back in coverage and support the secondary in the air.
It’s a secondary that includes Kobe Williams, who has four pass knockdowns and the established Jonathan Moxey.
The Riders can stay with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and BC Lions near the top the West Division standings with a win.
The Stamps are in search of their first victory since June 15.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Canadian fans can catch the game on TSN, while American viewers and international audiences can watch on CFL+.