During every Rider Broadcast Network pregame show, former Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive lineman and current live game analyst Luc Mullinder offers his Three Keys to the Game. In a recurring segment this season, we’ll take a look at how the Riders met or missed when it came to those metrics and how big of an effect they had on the outcome.
For the second game in a row, Saskatchewan did a pretty good job. And for the second game in a row, they came away with a big win, this time rolling past the Ottawa Redblacks 42-20 to move into a tie for first place in the West Division.
1 – Success will have to go through the offensive line. The offensive line has to win up front in both pass blocking and rushing and Quali Conley needs to have another big game.
How did the Riders do? The numbers don’t lie: Outstanding.
The theory was that with all the injuries on the offensive side of the ball, protecting Trevor Harris and giving the running backs room to maneuver might just decide things. And whoo boy, did it ever make a difference.
Harris used his o-line protection to throw for more than 400 yards for the third time this season and Saskatchewan ended up grinding out 139 yards on the ground through Conley (23 yards), Thomas Bertrand-Hudon (team-leading 63 yards) and Tommy Stevens (45 yards and three goalline touchdowns).
A lot of talk during the week said the Riders would have trouble moving the ball, but when the o-line gets things done as well as they did, you’re going to get results like that.
2 – Have to get pressure on Jake Maier. If the Riders can get pressure on Jake Maier, that’ll lead to mistakes, and that’ll lead to turnovers. Bring blitzes, get Jake moving and let’s see what happens.
How did the Riders do? Not fantastic, but still pretty darn good.
One wouldn’t say the Ottawa quarterback was running for his life all game, but he didn’t have a lot of time to work, either. Maier still had 339 yards passing and did enough to give the Redblacks the lead early in the third quarter, but once the d-line and linebacker corps started to get more pressure late in the game, Ottawa’s offence dried up pretty quick.
Liam Hoskins ended up as the only Rider with a sack on the night, that coming in garbage time in the fourth quarter.
We’d be remiss not to point out that while the Riders weren’t making Maier’s life miserable, they were torturing the running backs — Ottawa ended up with only 12 yards rushing on the day.
3 – Special teams coverage has to be good. Redblacks returner Kalil Plimpleton is dangerous, so the coverage on punt and kick returns has to be spot on. Can’t let this team find life with big special teams plays.
How did the Riders do? Well enough that it didn’t have a major effect on the game.
Saskatchewan saw a few big plays on punt returns and kickoffs go against them earlier in the season, but for the most part they’ve cleaned that up in recent outings.
Pimpleton still got his yards with five kickoff returns for 93 yards and three punt returns for 35, but nothing went for longer than 26 in either facet of the special teams, and that’s most certainly a win.
The Riders defensive special teams have done a pretty good job in recent games, and if they can keep Saskatchewan on the positive side of the field position battle, that’s another factor in the Green and White’s favour.
