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The Saskatchewan Roughriders opened their Grey Cup title defence with a win over B.C. Still, for former Riders defensive lineman Scott Schultz, the biggest takeaway wasn’t a highlight throw or a game-changing tackle. It was what happened at the line of scrimmage.
Speaking with Barney Shynkaruk, Schultz pointed to both Saskatchewan’s offensive and defensive fronts as major reasons the Riders were able to weather adversity and pull out the 31-27 victory.
“You always want more,” Schultz said of the defensive line. “But from what they did and what they were able to do, I’m fine with it. It’s the first game of the season.”
Schultz acknowledged B.C.’s momentum swings during the game but said the Riders showed one trait that championship teams consistently possess.
“Championship teams, what I saw from these guys was composure,” Schultz explained. “Even though there were new guys in there, the composure of the overall units and the team in general is what allowed them to win that game.”
After building a lead and then watching the Lions push back, Schultz said Saskatchewan never appeared rattled.
“They didn’t get panicked. They didn’t get all out of sorts when B.C. was on their run. They sorted it out, and it’s on to the next play.”
That composure extended to the offensive line. Quarterback Trevor Harris had time to operate throughout much of the game and turned in another efficient performance, continuing to quiet any outside questions about age becoming a factor. But Schultz believes the conversation shouldn’t stop with the quarterback. Asked if the offensive line deserves more credit, Schultz didn’t hesitate.
“I think they don’t get enough credit. Linemen in general don’t,” Schultz said.
The former Rider pointed to last season’s challenges along the offensive front, injuries, lineup changes and trying to establish continuity and believes that group showed growth in Week 1.
“You want to talk about a group of guys that struggled last year, they had injuries, guys were up and down and trying to figure it out,” Schultz said.
“For them to come out and weather all that, it speaks to the consistency of the message that the team is coaching these guys.”
There was one anxious moment when veteran tackle Jermarcus Hardrick went down during the game. Schultz admitted he had the same reaction as most fans.
“Oh my goodness. You always do,” Schultz said. “Your eyes bug out, and you’re seeing, is he moving? What’s he doing?”
When Hardrick returned, Schultz said it felt like a major sigh of relief.
“It was great to see him get back up and finish out.”
As Saskatchewan prepares for its next test in Calgary, Schultz believes the opener revealed more than just execution. His hot take wasn’t about scheme, personnel or statistics. It was trust.
“These guys were composed,” Schultz said. “They don’t think about winning games. They think about winning the series because they trust each other.”
For a team trying to defend a championship, Schultz sees that as an encouraging early sign.
