Leading up to last week’s Labour Day Classic matchup at Mosaic Stadium, much of the talk among players and coaches revolved around how incredible the atmosphere is for the annual game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Veterans couldn’t say enough about what the crowd would be like, and first-timers were excited to experience the biggest game of the regular season in Saskatchewan.
And in the end, the whole situation once again delivered.
You can add defensive back Jonathan Edouard to the multitude of players who were left in awe of what the Classic was like in their first appearance.
“Oh, it was beautiful. It was a blessing,” Edouard said after Saskatchewan’s 32-26 win in front of a sold-out crowd of 34,352 fans. “It was exactly how all the guys said it'd be and it was loud in there. The feeling when you make a play, it was like a feeling I never felt before. … It was, honestly, the most exciting game I've ever had in my career because there were 30,000 fans. I'm starting. I'm at the highest level of football I've ever been. It was a dream come true.”
Edouard went on to have a solid outing in the contest, picking up a couple of crucial pass breakups that were nearly interceptions. That was in part a product of having a pretty good idea of how Winnipeg was trying to play and what their tendencies were.
“It was exactly what we thought they'd present and it went exactly how we wanted it to go,” Edouard said, adding that limiting standout running back Brady Oliveira was a key component. “(They had) 28 rushing yards and we wanted (quarterback Zach) Collaros to put the ball in the air a little bit and that's what he did.”
Edouard now has 26 tackles through 11 games on the season, including 10 on special teams, to go along with five pass knockdowns and an interception.
“I'm very, very, very hard on myself,” Edouard said. “When I say expectations, I like to think of the expectations of Jonathan Edouard. Twelve weeks ago when he was on his couch, he never thought he'd play football again. I'm exceeding that young man's expectations.”
The fourth-year CFL veteran still feels he has a lot more to offer, though.
That includes the Labour Day Classic rematch on Saturday in Winnipeg, where the Riders will find themselves in a similar situation to their home-and-home set with the Edmonton Elks earlier this season — only things will be a lot louder and rowdier in Winnipeg.
“I think playing your opponent at the same time two weeks in a row, it’s how much can they change and how much will they change,” Edouard said. “This is when it gets exciting and you put your best foot forward. You're ready to go and play those same guys.”
As for what he has to do to have an even better outing in the rematch, Edouard said it’s as simple as doing what he’s done all season, only with more effectiveness.
“Listen to my coaches even more, run even more to the ball,” he said before referring to one that got away last week as an example. “I had that tip play where the ball almost got to me and I turned it off because I didn't know if the ball would get to me. You have to play relentless and whether the ball's coming your way or not, run full speed and great things will happen to those players.”
The Rider Broadcast Network pregame show begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday with Teagan Witko, Wes Cates and plenty of special guests. Dave Thomas and analyst Luc Mullinder will then have the game call at kickoff at 2 p.m. from Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
