WINNIPEG — The last time the Saskatchewan Roughriders faced the Montreal Alouettes in Week 15 of the Canadian Football League season, it’s safe to say things didn’t go all that well for the Green and White.
Led by an incredible 238-yard receiving performance by Tyson Philpot and 379 total yards through the air from quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, the Alouettes put up 48 points while taking advantage of an injury-riddled Riders defence.
Standout defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. had a front row seat to all of it, as he and DaMarcus Fields were the only starters on the field in that defensive secondary. And while they did their best to shepherd their more inexperienced teammates through the difficult task in front of them, it was tough sledding, as the numbers would indicate.
Now, it’s a much, much different situation.
For the 112th Grey Cup against the Alouettes, the Roughriders pass defence is in as good of shape as it has been all season, with the full compliment of starters — halfbacks Milligan and Fields, cornerback Marcus Sayles, safety C.J. Reavis and cornerback Tevaughn Campbell — all back in action.
That crew turned in a stellar showing against one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league in Nathan Rourke in their 24-21 win over the B.C. Lions in the Western Final, as has been the case all season long when they’ve taken the field together.
Now they’re about to face another stiff test in Alouettes’ quarterback Davis Alexander, who is just as capable as Rourke in putting up big numbers. But this is a different Riders team compared to the last time the two clubs met, and with his veteran teammates lining up alongside him, Milligan Jr. is confident in their ability to get the job done.
“Consistency is always a goal, whether it's in performance, the roster,” Milligan Jr. said during a Grey Cup media day. “You try to get a group of guys that learn how to play together, mesh together well and having those guys back is huge for us. TC was All-CFL this year, Sayles was All-CFL last year, Reavis is All-CFL, DeMarcus is making plays, and [linebacker] Antoine [Brooks Jr.] is making plays. So being able to have that continuity and continue to grow together is always a good thing.”
The entire season has been a trial by fire for the Roughriders, as essentially every position has seen elite players lose time due to injuries, with the defensive secondary arguably the hardest hit. Still, they found a way to find success all season, and Milligan Jr. hopes fighting through that adversity bodes well when things get down to the nitty gritty on Sunday night.
“You gotta go through stuff to be able to build and to grow,” he said. “If everything goes perfect and then you get hit in the mouth one time, you don't know how to respond to getting hit in the mouth. So the losses that we took, injuries, everything, it's helped us get to this point.”
One different sort of adversity both teams have been going through this week is all the hub-bub and hoopla surrounding the biggest game of the year in the CFL. The Roughriders and Alouettes are navigating a busy schedule both on and off the field, and things are only intensifying as the Grey Cup approaches.
“I'm soaking it all in one day at a time, but I'm happy to have the opportunity to be here,” MIlligan Jr. said. “A lot of people don't get here, so to be able to be in this space is a plus, but we ain't done yet.”
Be sure to catch the Rider Broadcast Network Grey Cup pre-game show featuring Teagan Witko, Justin Dunk, Wes Cates, Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder at 2 p.m on Sunday, followed by the call of the 112th Grey Cup 5 p.m
