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.
1 – Cannot turn the football over whatsoever. Winnipeg turns turnovers into points, so don’t have any turnovers.
How did the Riders do? One miscue, and then perfect the rest of the way.
Turns out, Luc was bang on: Winnipeg had one chance with the ball off a Riders turnover and that turned into a first-quarter field goal. D’Sean Mimbs’ fumble would turn out to be the only of the game for either team, though, and there would be no interceptions, either. So a pretty clean game for both squads.
Coaches and players regularly preach the importance of taking care of the ball and how it can make all the difference in a game, and on Saturday, neither team was going to let the other have much by way of great field position due to their own mistakes.
2 – Have to win the special teams battle. Covering punts, covering kicks, can’t let Winnipeg win the special teams battle, Saskatchewan needs to win the field position game.
How did the Riders do? Well…
Technically Winnipeg won the punt and kickoff return field position battle — 76 yards in punt returns to 28 for Saskatchewan, 67 yards in kick returns to 43 — but the margin was so negligible as to be pretty much meaningless.
Field goals are also part of special teams, though.
Winnipeg’s Sergio Castillo went 4-for-4 on his attempts, and Winnipeg needed every single one of those 12 points, as demonstrated by their game-tying touchdown on the last play of regulation.
Riders kicker Alex Hale, on the other hand, was 1-for-3, with misses on a pair of 40-yard-plus attempts. That point differential was nearly the difference in the game, but Saskatchewan pulled it out.
3 – Have to be ready to dominate physically. Have to dominate for 60 minutes and if it’s two minutes more, be ready to fight even harder. Can’t stress enough how important it is to play as physically as possible against Winnipeg.
How did the Riders do? Can you call attempting to straight-up de-cleat guys playing physical?
Neither team was messing around in the Labour Day Classic, but boy howdy did the Riders have a couple bashers right off the hop. Jameer Thurman ran down Winnipeg receiver Tim White on a short catch and laid down an absolute hammer, and not long after that, Melique Straker clobbered Trey Vavral on a punt return.
That helped set the tone for the Riders, and they never really let up. And beyond hits on the defence, the most physical quarterback in the CFL was also at it, as Tommy Stevens had another three short yardage touchdowns added to his ledger.
Then there was the defensive line, as they pressured quarterback Zach Collaros all night and got to him three times for sacks.
Luc wanted physical play, he got it, and it was a huge factor in the Riders’ success.
