Riders look for third win to start season in showdown against Argos

The Saskatchewan Roughriders know they can’t underestimate the Toronto Argonauts, despite what the records are.

The Riders head to BMO Field with a 2-0 record while the Argos, who are the defending Grey Cup champions, are at 0-2 as they deal with a number of key injuries, including to quarterback Chad Kelly (leg).

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With Kelly still injured, Nick Arbuckle is expected to start at quarterback for the Argos. He is winless so far this season but was the Grey Cup MVP last year after Kelly suffered his leg injury in the East Final.

“He’s a great quarterback. He won the Grey Cup last year. All respect to him,” said defensive back DaMarcus Fields. “There’s stuff he can dominate in and stuff we’re trying to expose.”

Also, this week, the Argos will be without all-star linebacker Wynton McManis (knee).

Riders head coach Corey Mace was with the Argos as the defensive co-ordinator from 2022-23, so he knows Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie and his staff well and how they’ve been able to bounce back from losses.

“It starts with the players. They have excellent players and the staff as well, they are a group that has coached a lot of ball, specifically in this league as well,” Mace said.

“It doesn’t matter what (the records) look like, it’s the CFL, any game in the CFL you have to go earn that. It’s a tough place to play. I don’t care how you cut it, that’s the reigning Grey Cup champions, so we have to be on our A-game to put ourselves into a position to come out with a win.”

Quarterback Trevor Harris shared that sentiment, knowing they can’t underestimate their opponents.

“They’ve started 0-2, so they are not where they want to be and we know they are going to come out with fire and come out like an animal caged. They are going to be excited to play, especially in front of their home fans, so we’re going to be excited about going to Toronto as a challenge,” Harris said.

“We took a loss there last year, so we know it’s a tough place to play. They use their home field advantage very well, so we have to make sure we are ready to play.”

The Riders are also dealing with their own injuries this week, as wide receiver Sam Emilus will miss the game with a foot injury. Mace said he injured it early in the game but battled through it to finish last week’s win against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

This week, Joe Robustelli will come onto the roster after an impressive training camp.

“(The coaches) do a great job keeping us ready. Even the players know the name of the game — injuries happen, and when you get your number called, you have to be ready,” Robustelli said.

“Even if you’re on the practice squad and not playing, you prepare like you’re playing so you’re always ready.”

Running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon will return to the lineup after missing last week’s game with a groin injury. Running back Ka’Deem Carey, who was a member of the Argos last season and was cut after training camp, won’t play this week as he has been put on the practice roster.

AJ Ouellette is coming off his best game as a Rider, recording 96 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win. The rusher was a member of the Argos from 2019-23 before joining Saskatchewan.

“It’s going to be a fun one. I’m used to the grass and I’m excited to see if I still have the footwork on the grass,” Ouellette said.

Linebacker Jameer Thurman has two sacks in two games to start the 2025 CFL season. (Saskatchewan Roughriders)

The Riders have surrendered 749 yards through the air so far in 2025 — an average of 374.5 per game. That’s the most surrendered in the CFL this season.

“We have to limit the explosion plays. We have given up too many yards in both games that we have played,” said linebacker Jameer Thurman, who has recorded a sack in every game thus far.

“We have come away with the wins, so that’s a thing to be happy about, but at the same time, there’s a lot of work to still be done. We have to eliminate the explosion plays, and we have to put teams away.

“Giving up those big plays allows teams to score touchdowns and stay in the game when they don’t need to. If we take that away, we’re just going to be out there having fun and making even more plays and giving the ball back to our offence.”

The Riders’ rush defence has been one of the best in the CFL, only giving up an average of 40.5 yards per game — only the Montreal Alouettes have a more stout one (37 yards per game). The Argos re-signed running back Kevin Brown, who was also cut after training camp.

Kickoff for the game is set for 5:30 p.m. The Green Zone pregame show begins at 3:30 p.m.