LIVESTREAM CFL: Edmonton Elks @ Saskatchewan Roughriders, July 7, 03:00 CET (3 am, 9 pm July 6 EDT)
REGINA — The Edmonton Elks will try to make their way into the win column for the first time when they head to Saskatchewan to take on the Roughriders in a rematch of Week 1 on Thursday night.
It was Saskatchewan who walked away with a 17-13 victory in the first game between the two teams.
More recently, Edmonton fell 26-7 to the Ottawa REDBLACKS in Week 4, while Saskatchewan had a bye after a thrilling 29-26 overtime win against Calgary on June 24.
Elks head coach Chris Jones will go back to quarterback Taylor Cornelius after Jarret Doege threw for 223 yards but was picked off three times against Ottawa. Cornelius under centre when the two teams last squared off and he threw for 202 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
Of those 202 yards, 148 were brought down by Eugene Lewis, a weapon Cornelius won’t have this time around as the team’s top receiver remains on the six-game injured list.
If there was a bright spot against the REDBLACKS last week, it was the play of receiver Maurice Ffrench, who caught six passes for 74 yards and the lone touchdown.
The emergence of Ffrench will take pressure off Steven Dunbar Jr., Dillon Mitchell and Kyran Moore who continue to try and get comfortable with Jones’ offence.
Running back Kevin Brown had his best rushing game back in Week 1 when he totalled 59 yards against the tough Riders front. They’ll need him to perform up to his potential as the offence has scored a league-low 51 points.
The Elks defence has given up an average of 27 points over their first four games and struggled to stop the run against the REDBLACKS, coughing up 208 yards on the ground.
Facing star rusher Jamal Morrow, the defensive front of Noah Curtis, Jake Ceresna, Kony Ealy, A.C. Leonard, and J-Min Pelley will need to work as a unit to halt the run game. Ealy was the lone Elk to make his way through the offensive line for a sack last week.
Watch live. Edmonton Elks @ Saskatchewan Roughriders, July 7, 03:00 CET (3 am, 9 pm July 6 EDT)
In the secondary, the Elks were able to limit Riders quarterback Trevor Harris to 179 and picked off two passes when they last lined up against him. However, Harris has settled in well and has thrown for 688 yards in the two games since.
Kai Gray and Nyles Morgan had those two interceptions and will need to lead the pass defence again as they play their third-straight game without Ed Gainey.
Getting the defence on and off the field has been a focus of Jones and his coaching staff all season long.
Despite the disappointing start to his team’s season, Jones still believes his group has the ability to turn things around.
“We certainly wouldn’t have predicted that we’d be 0-4 right now,” Jones told goelks.com. “We feel strongly that we have good players. We’ve got to figure it out. It goes back to day one, we have to coach it better and they have to take it to the field. We’ll show up in Saskatchewan ready to play hard.”
The Riders had 18 players on their injury report earlier in the week and will be without important pieces in offensive linemen Peter Godber and Jerald Hawkins, along with receiver Jake Wieneke.
While limping into the game isn’t ideal, Riders head coach Craig Dickenson will focus on who he does have available, which includes Harris and several playmakers at receiver.
Shawn Bane Jr. and Tevin Jones have stepped up and proven to be reliable targets. Bane Jr. had 77 yards to Jones’ 75 back in Week 3 against the Stampeders. Samuel Emilus, who’s having a strong sophomore campaign, should also see plenty of action.
On the ground, Morrow will try to best his 133 yard rushing performance from Week 3. Facing an opponent who has struggled to defend the run, Morrow’s play will go a long way in dictating his team’s success.
Defensive back Jayden Dalke checks back in to help defend against the pass game alongside Rolan Milligan Jr. and Nic Marshall. Dalke did it well in Week 1, bringing down an interception.
The offensive line of the Elks has had trouble protecting their quarterbacks of late, allowing 10 sacks in their last two games. It won’t be any easier of an assignment this week as the Riders defensive line has become known for causing issues for opposing quarterbacks.
Defensive linemen Miles Brown, Charbel Dabire and Micah Johnson have already recorded a sack on Cornelius this season.
Dickenson says the prep for the rematch with the Elks doesn’t change despite already having seen them once this season.
“We think we’re going to see some different stuff than we saw the first game but we focus a lot on ourselves,” Dickenson told riderville.com. “We want to improve what we’re doing. Whether we’re playing a team for the first time or third or fourth time, the preparation is the same.”
Both team’s are looking for a first on Thursday as the Elks are searching for their first win and the Riders aim to secure their first home victory.
Watch live. Edmonton Elks @ Saskatchewan Roughriders, July 7, 03:00 CET (3 am, 9 pm July 6 EDT)
