Ryquell Armstead will start at running back this week for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who haven’t won a game since July 19
Third-place Saskatchewan is coming off a bye week while the Stampeders tied the Montreal Alouettes 19-19 last week. Fifth-place Calgary is just two points back of the Riders with five games left. The Edmonton Elks (5-8) currently sit fourth.
The Riders and Stamps will also meet on Oct. 26 in the final week of the season while Saskatchewan will face Edmonton on Oc. 5.
Roster changes
Along with the change at running back, Saskatchewan is making a few changes defensively.
Defensive end Malik Carney (ankle) has been placed on the six-game injured list as Habakkuk Baldonado draws the start this week.
In the defensive backfield, halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. (personal) will be out this week after announcing the arrival of a baby daughter. Amari Henderson will start in his place.
Linebackers Nick Wiebe (knee) and Justin Herdman-Reed (elbow) have also been placed on the six-game injured list which means defensive lineman Eric Black, linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. and defensive backs Kosi Onyeka and Jayden Dalke will draw into the lineup. Additionally, fullback Clint Ratkovich has returned to the practice roster.
Familiar foe
Trevon Tate doesn’t view Friday’s matchup as a revenge game.
Instead, the Roughriders offensive lineman thinks it’s the opposite.
“It’s just another game for me, man,” said Tate, who will make his fourth straight start at right tackle for the Green and White on Friday since being signed on Aug. 19. “I’m not looking to prove anybody wrong; I’m only looking to prove people right who gave me a chance.
“I’ve already had the chance to do that so it’s just another team that’s in the way of us trying to get to where we’re trying to get to.
“It’s really no hard feelings with that organization. In life, things just don’t work out sometimes and it’s all fine.”
Run game
While Saskatchewan’s run defence is tops in the league giving up an average of just 73.3 yards per game, Calgary’s run defence ranks last, as the Stampeders are giving up an average of 116.8 yards per game along the ground.
With Armstead set to make his first start for the Riders, Saskatchewan will want to attack a vulnerable Calgary run defence.
“Statistics, I think, tell half the story sometimes,” said Riders’ head coach Corey Mace. “They’ve got some really good players over there; I know they’re well coached.
“But certainly, as we look inward for ourselves, that’s something that we do identify as (something) we want to get better at and run the ball.”
This year, the Riders are second in the CFL with a plus-14 turnover ratio while the Stampeders are last with a minus-15 ratio.
Winless skid
Since 2021, Saskatchewan has not recorded a victory post-Labour Day as the Riders ended both the 2022 and 2023 seasons with seven-game losing skids.
This season, the Riders are currently on a seven-game winless streak (0-6-1), having last won on July 19.
While it’s not mathematically a “must-win” game for Saskatchewan this week, there’s urgency to get back into the win column to remain in the driver’s seat when it comes to their playoff fate.
“Every game is the biggest game of the week,” said veteran offensive lineman Logan Ferland. “We have the effort; it seems to be the mental errors that get us.
“We know we have the effort. We know we have the physicality; it’s putting it all together and mentally too.”
Since the 2021 season, Calgary sports a 6-2 record against Saskatchewan.
Coming off a bye, the Riders have won their previous three meetings.
The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.
With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.