Sometimes you cook your meat hot and fast, like a good steak. Other times, you need to take it low and slow like a big ol’ brisket.
The Riders opted for the latter in the annual Banjo Bowl at Princess Auto Stadium. They didn’t play their best football but with enough patience, they were able to put together a pretty good meal for fans on Saturday afternoon — much like the brisket I got to enjoy with some friends on a nice afternoon in Regina.
The 21-13 win marks the first time the Riders have won the annual Labour Day rematch since 2018, when both Zach Collaros and Willie Jefferson were wearing green instead of blue. The win also gives the Riders the season series over the Bombers on top of being eight points clear of their rivals in the standings, meaning a home playoff game seems very likely in 2025.
Here’s the good, the bad, and the dumb of the Riders’ 10th win of the season.
The Good
There have been times this season when I’ve been pretty critical of the Riders’ ability to come up with big plays on offence when they need it the most.
Specifically, I’ve wondered out loud on more than one occasion if quarterback Trevor Harris has the ability to will this team to victory when needed. For much of his time in Saskatchewan, we haven’t seen it. It’s felt like things need to go right for the Riders from the start of the game in order for them to win games.
On Saturday afternoon, Harris showed that he might have that extra gear in him.
After Zach Collaros was intercepted by defensive back DaMarcus Field to set up the Riders at the Bombers’ 27-yard line down 13-6 in the third quarter, Harris made a couple of seemingly small but important plays to keep a drive alive.
After finding KeeSean Johnson for a first down on the first play from scrimmage following the pick, Harris took matters into his own hands. He rushed on back-to-back plays for 10 total yards when nothing was materializing to ensure that the drive would continue.
After a big seven-yard run on the second down, running back A.J. Ouelette finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown run to bring the Riders within one after a missed convert attempt from Brett Lauther.
It’s unrealistic to expect Harris to go full Darian Durant in the 2013 West Semi-Final and run wild to drag his team to victory, but a big play at the right time could be the spark needed to get over the hump. Harris provided just that in the Banjo Bowl.
The Bad
For the second week in a row, returner Mario Alford made a big mistake that easily could have cost his team the game. I think it’s fair to say he simply got caught trying to do too much with the lead late in the game.
Last week, Alford fumbled the ball late in the fourth quarter following a Bombers’ punt, which eventually set up a touchdown that once again made it a one-possession game.
This week, with his team up just two points, Alford attempted to return a missed field goal from Sergio Castillo. Given the score, Alford made the right decision in getting the ball out of the end zone as even a single point would have brought the Bombers within a rouge of tying the game. That’s when things got interesting. Alford, in an attempt to get away from a growing number of Bombers, kept running sideways but also backwards before eventually getting tackled at his one-yard line, nearly giving up a safety in the process.
The whole thing could have ended very poorly, but luckily for Alford, he was bailed out by Harris, who hit Joe Robustelli for 48 yards on the next play from scrimmage.
Last season, fans seemingly grew tired of Alford often fielding the ball and heading for the sideline. The last couple of weeks, they probably would have been fine with that decision over what occurred.
The Dumb
One of the most important traits for a football player is their vision. Reading what your opponents are doing is one of the vital aspects of the game.
So, it’s safe to say that a player losing a contact lens in the middle of a game probably isn’t a good thing.
That exact thing happened to Ouellette early in the first quarter. The Ohio native was spotted looking around for something following a run before eventually finding the lens and trotting off the field.
I can only imagine how difficult something like a contact lens would be to find, especially when you don’t have great vision out of one of your eyes. Luckily for Ouellette and the Riders, the lens was found. He went on to rush for 50 yards on 11 carries and provided an important touchdown in the second half.
Who knows what might have happened if the lens hadn’t been found?
Joel Gasson is a Regina-based sports writer, broadcaster and football fanatic. He is also a beer aficionado.
