7:24 p.m.
Here's are Luc's Three Keys to the Game:
1 – Sense of urgency. Have to come out playing hard right off the hop given the importance of the game, and whichever team does that will have a distinct advantage
2 – Keep Vernon Adams’ plays small. Don’t allow him to be mobile and gain extra yards, keep his passing game short and get lots of second-and-longs.
3 – Second-half adjustments. That’s where things went awry last week, in addition to some missed some big plays. Have to adjust properly at the break to whatever Calgary is doing and adjust their own game as necessary.
4:32 p.m.
As one might expect for this time of year, it’s going to be a cool night in Regina with temperatures around 16 C at kickoff. Winds will be out of the southeast at around 20 km/h, and there’s no chance of rain despite it being mainly cloudy. So not a bad night for an early fall CFL contest!
4:31 p.m.
The Rider Broadcast Network is on the air, with Teagan Witko and Wes Cates and plenty of special guest setting up tonight’s contest. Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder will then have the game call at 7:30 p.m. live from Mosaic Stadium.
4:30 p.m.
It’s a battle of West Division rivals, it’s a key matchup in the race for the CFL playoffs, it’s the Saskatchewan Roughriders taking on the Calgary Stampeders under the Friday night lights at Mosaic Stadium!
It’s safe to say that if you told followers of the CFL six weeks ago that Saskatchewan would suddenly find themselves in a battle for their playoff lives in Week 18, few would have believed you. But thanks to only two wins in their last six games and their division opponents going the opposite direction, the Riders all of a sudden find themselves feeling some playoff pressure.
Now, it isn’t all bad for the 8-6 Green and White, as a win tonight will lock down a spot in the crossover game and make the rest of the campaign all but redundant. But the Stamps could end up as a very tough out, in no small part due to their quest for a late-season turnaround and a chance to move into a four-way tie at eight wins.
That’s right: if Calgary wins tonight, B.C. loses in Toronto and Edmonton wins in Montreal on Saturday, the three West teams will be tied at 8-7 and Calgary will sit at 8-8, making for a very interesting final few weeks of the campaign.
Better believe the Riders want none of that.
The good news is reinforcements continue to arrive.
After getting A.J. Ouellette and Kian Schaffer-Baker back last week, Saskatchewan has receiver Daniel Wiebe and linebacker Josh Woods back in the lineup, with standout defensive back Tevaughn Campbell likely a week away.
Vernon Adams Jr. and his 30 touchdowns will lead Calgary into action at QB, with 1,000-yard receiver Jalen Philpot his top target, and look for Dedrick Mills to give the Riders' run defence a tough test as he attempts to cross 1,000 yards rushing on the season.
It’s easily the most important game of the year to this point in the season, so be sure to tune in and catch all the action!
The Roughriders depth chart
The Stampeders depth chart
