Riders, Alouettes meet in showdown between the CFL’s best

It’s a showdown for first place in the CFL as the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes battle it out on Thursday night.

Both teams head into the game at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium with 5-1 records, with kickoff set for 5:30 p.m. Sask. time. The Green Zone pregame show begins at 3:30 p.m.

“It’s one of the toughest places to play since my time playing in this league,” said Riders head coach Corey Mace.

“Their fan base is excellent and I think they have been doing an even better job with their team and the success that they’ve had. It’s a pretty good draw out there. They play the game the right way and they play hard.”

Both of the teams come in with some key injuries to their lineups.

The Riders have already had to find ways to win previously, without quarterback Trevor Harris (MCL), offensive guard Philip Blake (quad) and right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick (quad), all of whom are on the six-game injured list.

This week, the Riders also added Canadian slotback Kian Schaffer-Baker (shoulder) to the six-game injured list. The talented Mississauga, Ont. product has 352 yards and two touchdowns in six games this season.

Saskatchewan will also be without running back AJ Ouellette, who is out this game with a hip injury. Frankie Hickson will start in his place.

Montreal will be without quarterback Cody Fajardo (hamstring) and receiver Kaion Julien-Grant (shoulder), as both of them were added to the six-game injured list.

The game will be Shea Patterson’s fourth straight start due to the injury to Harris. He has the team out to a 2-1 record in his first three games.

“The mindset is to come in and put our best foot forward and be ready to go by game time,” said Patterson, who helped the Riders earn a 19-9 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last Friday.

“We’re on a shorter week so the attention to detail and walk through just in the meeting rooms is key this week.”

Patterson is also familiar with how difficult Montreal can be for opposing teams to play – he was a member of the Alouettes in 2021.

“It’s got to be the cowbells,” Patterson said. “Just cowbells and the constant guy over the speaker – he’s talking throughout the entire game. I’m looking forward to it though. It’s a very fun atmosphere to be in.”

The game will feature two of the top defensive units in the CFL — Montreal has given up a league-low 22.7 points per game with Saskatchewan right behind them with a mark of 23 points per game.

Last time these two teams met, Fajardo also missed the contest but that didn’t matter as Caleb Evans — who will start this Thursday’s game — ran for 66 yards and two touchdowns, and only needed to completed eight passes for 149 yards and a touchdown in a 41-12 Alouettes win.

While the Als had 186 total rushing yards in that game, things are expected to be different this time around as the Riders come in with the CFL’s best rushing defence, only giving up 50.3 yards per game on the ground.

“(Evans) is an athletic guy. A guy that can make all the throws and we’re aware of that,” said defensive lineman Micah Johnson said. “For us, it’s just about trying to keep him in the pocket as much as you can and keep him from running around and extending plays.”

Johnson said it’s the team’s physical upfront that has led to the Riders’ ability to stop the run.

“Stopping the run is a mindset and I think, across the board as a D-line, we have that mindset,” Johnson said. “No one is going to out-physical us.”

The Riders last victory in Montreal on Oct. 30, 2021, in a 19-14 win.