Riders look to end skid with first win in Ottawa since 2017

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will look to get back in the win column on Friday as they head to Ottawa to take on the Redblacks.

Saskatchewan is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time during the 2025 CFL season, dropping to 10-4 in the process.

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“It’s very important (to bounce back),” said Riders defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. “Just trying to be who we are. We have been winning a lot of games throughout the year. We had the losses to Calgary (Stampeders) and were able to bounce back. We have to be who we are and make sure we are doing it for four quarters, not two or three.”

One of the big things that has plagued the team this season has been their slow starts. The Riders have only scored 54 points in the first quarter. Only Ottawa has scored fewer (31).

Ottawa hasn’t been an easy road trip for the Riders, with the team last winning there in 2017. The two teams tied in Ottawa last season.

If the Riders win and the B.C. Lions lose to the Calgary Stampeders, Saskatchewan can clinch a home playoff game this week.

This is the first time the Riders will take on the Redblacks since the opening week of the CFL season, which Saskatchewan won 31-26. In that game, Redblacks quarterback Dru Brown threw for 413 yards and two touchdowns. Milligan Jr. expects Ottawa to approach the game same way.

“They are going to try and take the top off with a lot of vertical concepts,” Milligan Jr. said. “It has been working for them — they have been able to put up a lot of yards, they just haven’t been able to win the games. They have a potent offence and have a lot of weapons over there and he is slinging it so we will have to make sure we are on our game.”

Riders head coach Corey Mace said the team will have to get after the ball to make sure Brown doesn’t have the same sort of success.

“Whether it’s putting pressure on him by rushing four or sending pressure, Winnipeg (Blue Bombers) did a good job knocking balls down or taking advantage of tips or overthrows; however it looks, we need to capitalize on those opportunities,” Mace said. “Ultimately, we need to hold them to one less point than we get.”

With Tevaughn Campbell out for another week with a head injury, the Riders will see some changes to their defence. The team released safety Kosi Onyeka, with Mace saying it’s because the player didn’t reach the standard the club has on and off the field.

So this week, the Riders will make a move and play C.J. Reavis at the safety spot.

“I played safety my first year up here so it’s not that different for me,” Reavis said. “I get to talk to my guys more… I can communicate with the boundary side and field side so I think it will be better for us for sure.”

That means Antoine Brooks Jr. will play at the SAM linebacker spot. Saskatchewan will also have defensive back Marcus Sayles in the lineup despite the veteran missing both days of practice with a knee injury.

Saskatchewan will also have a new kicker this week as Campbell Fair makes his CFL debut. Veteran Brett Lauther didn’t practice this week due to a back injury.

On offence, the Riders have a veteran presence added to the starting lineup. After missing most of the season due to a torn bicep in training camp, Philippe Gagnon will be the team’s starting left guard this week. The 10-year CFL veteran was the sixth offensive lineman last week in a loss to the Edmonton Elks.

“Ten years and coming in with fresh legs — what a bonus. You don’t see that often,” Mace said. “He can do it all for us. It was so unfortunate to see what happened to him in training camp because he was playing pretty good to that point. He told me he was going to stay and work his tail off to get here… You’re happy for him.”

Despite a bevy of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, the club has had one of the better units this season. Running back AJ Ouellette crossed the 1,000-yard mark last week on the ground. He’s the first Rider rusher to reach that point since William Powell did it in 2019.

Wide receiver KeeSean Johnson went over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. Fellow wide receiver Dohnte Meyers will reach the milestone soon, only 102 yards away.

Slotback Sam Emilus returned to the lineup last week and this week, the group welcomes back Kian Schaffer-Baker. Schaffer-Baker hasn’t played with the team since Week 1.

He believes this group has the talent to do something special.

“The ceiling is untapped with this group. We have so many great players all around,” Schaffer-Baker said.