Jake Maier’s number called, several starters not dressing when first-place Riders take on Winnipeg

WATCH: Riders’ quarterback Jake Maier will get his second start for the Green and White when they take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday.

Quarterback Jake Maier will make his second start for the Green and White against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Friday night, the Roughriders’ announced Thursday morning.

Saskatchewan was awarded the ability to rest many players after clinching first place in the West with last week’s win over Toronto.

“To continue to build momentum going in this playoff run is something you don’t get every year in the CFL,” Maier told reporters Monday. “Any time you get a chance to play, you’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities and embrace it.”

Starter Trevor Harris was a limited participant at team practice the majority of the week due to load management.

Harris will dress Frid

ay but is listed as QB3.

Other offensive players who are not playing, receivers Dohnte Meyers and KeeSean Johnson are both dealing with injuries. Canadian Samuel Emilus is also out.

Running back A.J. Ouellette was announced as out Wednesday, giving Mario Anderson a start in the backfield.

Offensive linemen Jermarcus Hardrick sits, while Logan Ferland will dress but is listed as a back-up.

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“[I expect] the exact same thing we see and try to achieve every week,” head coach Corey Mace said after practice Wednesday about the amount of back-ups in the game. “That’s detail oriented, energy, juice, passion and a physical brand [of football].”

“We’re still trying to become the team we want to become. It doesn’t matter who’s out there,” he added.

Defensively, lineman Micah Johnson gets a break.

While an injured secondary gets a much-needed rest. Marcus Sayles, Rolan Milligan Jr., Nelson Lokombo and Jaxon Ford are all not playing.

Tevaughn Campbell will play after missing the last four games with an injury.

“I just want to see the effort,” middle linebacker Jameer Thurman said. “I want to see them dialed in on their on their assignments, no mental mistakes, no mental errors, being fluent with the communication throughout the game.”

“Whoever’s in the game, nothing should not be a drop off at all,” he added.

Despite the several back-ups being in the lineup this week, many have seen their fair share of playing time already this season.

“We’ve talked to the guys since training camp. At one point or another in the season, we’re going to depend on [them] to help us try to win football games,” Mace reiterated. “Some of them have had to do it early and some of them have to do it now. The way the season’s gone, a lot of those guys are not fresh faces. These are guys who’ve made really good plays for us.”

Maier has appeared in three games already this season, including a start in Week 4 win against the Lions.

In those three appearances, he is 13/23 for 170 yards and has thrown a touchdown pass.

Maier says the hardest part of having a lesser role this season compared to others where he has been the starter is staying at game speed.

“There’s nothing like game like experience,” he said. “It’s hard to simulate that. There’s a lot of prep that goes into the film room. I get reps behind Trevor every single day but to be able to get yourself back into that fire again and feel the real speed of a game, that’s always the challenge.”

Winnipeg is yet to have clinched a playoff spot this season.

The Bombers currently sit fourth place in the West and are in the East-crossover position. Due to tiebreaker implications, Winnipeg requires a win and an Edmonton loss to clinch a playoff spot.

Mace does not expect their division rivals to take it easy on his second-team players.

“They’re a physical football team,” he said. “Their defense flies around likes to hit, their offensive line is a physical group, Brady [Oliveira] plays physical. Riders versus Bombers, everybody expects what kind of ball game that’s going to be.”

Kickoff in Winnipeg is 6 p.m. Saskatchewan time on TSN.