The decision by the Saskatchewan Roughriders to switch to kicker Dawson Hodge for the Labour Day Classic rematch surprised some people when it was revealed on Friday morning.
But the message from most since then has been the same. The move was necessary, and there’s no better time than the present to make a change like that.
Roughriders Broadcast Network analyst Luc Mullinder joined the SportsCage on Friday and talked about the move. He said everyone is in the same situation on the team. When things don’t go as well as they should, changes have to happen.
“You only get a few opportunities in professional football to show what you can do,” Mullinder said. “You have to take advantage of the opportunity and you have to control what you can control. This is a massive opportunity for Dawson and I'm excited about it because he's been here for a while and, quite frankly, it was time for a change.”
Hodge takes over from Alex Hale, who missed a pair of field goals against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Classic before Saskatchewan went on to a 32-26 overtime win. That, as it turns out, was too close for comfort for the Riders brass.
“We wouldn't have had to go into overtime if we just hit some kicks,” Mullinder said.
Mullinder also suggested that this might not be the last change at kicker if things don’t go well as hoped for Hodge, and the discussion also looked at who could be next in line.
Calgary Stampeders second-stringer Jude McAtamney immediately came up due to his success filling in for veteran Rene Parades earlier this season. Former Riders kicker Jonathan Kim was also a suggestion after he looked good in the preseason but was a victim of the CFL player ratio when it came to final roster decisions.
That’s all in the far future, though, and the focus now for the Riders is on the task at hand — get the job done on Saturday and pick up another September sweep over the Bombers.
“I don't think you're in a rush. I just think that you give the guy that was here an opportunity and then react after that,” Mullinder said. “Right now, let's just go out, let's get a win and let's not even leave it to the kickers.”
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.
