‘Happy to be out there’: Harris perfect in limited action during Riders’ pre-season win

It was a perfect pre-season debut for Trevor Harris.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ new pivot went 4-for-4 for 72 yards and a touchdown to Derel Walker in his only series of work in Friday’s 28-16 CFL win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I was happy to be out there. I lost an argument with (head coach Craig Dickenson) to play some more, but at the same time I get it and understand where he’s coming from,” Harris said from IG Field following the win.

It was the first game action the 37-year-old has had this pre-season after he missed last week’s 30-27 win over the B.C. Lions. He was at home in Ohio for the birth of his third son.

“It felt good to get out there and feel the play clock and be able to see things we wanted to do. We kept it really basic and simple, which was our strategy. We want to be basic and simple all year to execute fast,” Harris said.

Harris wanted to get some more action in, but his pleas to Dickenson weren’t enough to convince the coaching staff to let the veteran QB go back in.

“You try and temper your expectations because I know they are trying to see certain things out of me and see certain things out of other guys, so when (Dickenson) told me I was out, I asked him why and he answered it,” Harris said. “I tried, but I didn’t want to push too hard. He said, ‘How about this? We will let you play all four quarters next weekend.’ ”

Saskatchewan opens the regular season June 11 in Edmonton against the Elks.

With Harris out of Friday’s game, all eyes turned to the backup quarterbacks.

The one man who looks like he will have a job as the short-yardage and change-of-pace quarterback is Shea Patterson. He didn’t throw in the contest but was used throughout, rushing eight times for 38 yards and a touchdown.

“We wanted to give Shea most of the short-yardage stuff. I think he did a real good job with it,” Dickenson said.

Mason Fine was given the first shot after Harris was taken out. Fine completed nine of 13 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown to Kalijah Lipscomb.

About midway through the third quarter, Jake Dolegala came in to finish the game. Dolegala’s night didn’t feature a touchdown pass, but he completed five of six pass attempts for 49 yards and also added three rushes for 23 yards.

“I thought (Dolegala and Fine) looked good,” Dickenson said.

The Riders’ offensive line also had a good showing, only giving up one sack in the game.

Another stat Dickenson will be happy with is getting penalties down to just one accepted penalty for six yards against the Riders. Last week, the Riders had seven infractions for 88 yards.

“It’s certainly an improvement over last week. I think it’s starting to stick a little bit, I really do,” Dickenson said. “We have emphasized (discipline) all camp and I think the guys are starting to get it.

“We’re going to have some bumps in the road and some up and down, but I think that’s something you can really build off of.”

On the defensive side of the ball, it was business as usual for a squad that expects to be among the league’s best.

The defence had only given up nine points through the first three quarters.

“I feel like our ceiling as a D-line group, there’s no telling how high we can go,” said defensive lineman Cody Roscoe, who had a sack in the game. “It feels amazing to have my first sack as a professional. It was kind of surreal but afterwards I was ready to get another one.”

The win makes the Riders 2-0 in the pre-season this year. The last time the team won both of its pre-season games was 2007.

Harris said there are some positives the team can take away from pre-season wins, but he knows the Riders can’t put much stock into it.

“We restart at 0-0 (for the regular season), but I think winning is a habit,” Harris said. “I think a lot of times people can make a mountain out of a molehill … (The Bombers) weren’t playing their starters; they had a handful of their starters in on defence. They are playing base coverages and whatnot.

“I don’t think there’s a ton to take away from it aside from the fact the team is supporting each other and everyone is in sync and playing well. A lot of times confidence breeds confidence.”

It will be restless times for the next 24 hours as final cuts will be made over the weekend.

“As much as you love the guys you have been building with, it’s a business,” Roscoe said. “I feel like we all understand as professionals that we have to decrease the numbers some. I pray that I am here next week for the trip to Edmonton but wherever I go, I have the best interest of my (teammates) and I just hope everything works out for the best.

“I know the group we have here is going to do something special.”

The next 24 hours will be a busy time for the coaching staff as well as they determine what their roster will be for Week 1.

“We’ll watch the film as a staff … We’ll meet in the morning and talk about it – how we feel about our guys and what we feel like is our best team moving forward,” Dickenson said.