The Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Western Semi-Final against the B.C. Lions on Saturday, November 2 and Darian Durant wants it to be a sellout.
“When that place is packed, there’s no better stadium in Canada,” Durant told the SportsCage. “Rider fans have such an impact on games, false start penalties, making it tough on offences and it can really be a huge home field advantage.”
The Riders’ opponent, the Lions, are coming off a victory against the reigning Grey Cup Champions, the Montreal Alouettes, 27-3. Adams Jr. finished the game against the Als completing 26-of-36 passes for 385 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
“This is a huge game against a tough B.C. team who’s coming in hot. Vernon Adams Jr. having a great game against Montreal and getting that chemistry they built with the receivers earlier in the season,” Durant said. “They’re going to come in with some confidence, so the crowd can play a huge factor.”
During the regular season, each team won one game apiece on home turf, splitting the series 1-1. The Lions won the first game during Week 6 beating Saskatchewan 35-20 while the Riders won the second match-up in Week 19 by a score of 39-8. According to Durant, the Roughriders’ last win against the Lions could be considered a one-off since Adams Jr. did not play as Nathan Rourke started at quarterback for B.C.
“Offensively, we have talked about the struggles of Nathan Rourke,” Durant said. “That offence that we’ve seen with him is a completely different offence with Vernon Adams Jr.”
Rourke started eight games for the Lions, completing 65 percent of his passes for 1,781 yards with four touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Victoria, B.C. native returned to the CFL after spending over a year in the NFL. Adams Jr. started nine games for the Lions, completing 65 percent of his passes for 2,929 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
“If there’s no wind, B.C. is a 70 percent passing team,” Durant said. “And I think it’s to their advantage.”
The Riders host the Lions in the Western Semi-Final at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday. Countdown to Kick-off begins with a chance to watch Justin Dunk and Wes Cates live at 1:30 p.m. on YouTube. Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder join at 3:30 p.m. with kick-off to follow at 4:30 p.m. on the Co-operators Roughrider Radio Network.
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