‘Lots of meaningful football left’: Riders take down Argos to clinch West Division regular season title

With a win over Toronto Friday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders earned the top spot in the CFL's West Division.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have locked in the number one seed in the Canadian Football League’s West Division with a 27-19 win over the Toronto Argonauts at Mosaic Stadium Friday night.

“Regular season, it’s awesome,” quarterback Trevor Harris told reporters after the win. “You want to maximize the regular season, and that has been done.”

The win earns Saskatchewan the right to host the West Final for the first time since 2019 – a game which the Roughriders lost to the eventual Grey Cup Champions, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

A home-field advantage head coach Corey Mace is happy to have achieved.

“Naturally boxes are going to be checked,” he said. “But I think this one, to be able to play the West final here in Regina, in the province of Saskatchewan, to take that in - that’s going to be pretty cool, man.”

Harris says the team did not have an extravagant celebration inside the locker room, adding they remain focused on bigger goals than hosting the division final.

“This is a mature locker room and a humble locker room,” he explained. “Because this isn’t the end goal, but it is something you put on a list that you want to do. Guys are excited.”

“Now we get a bonus three weeks to refine and fine tune ourselves into being who we need to be come November 8th,” Harris added.

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At the end of the game, Mace stuffed an attempt at a Gatorade shower from defensive lineman Micah Johnson.

“It’s the regular season. We’ve still got a couple more games,” he said. “Not my thing.”

Saskatchewan has not been to a Grey Cup since they won it in 2013.

The West Final is scheduled for Nov. 8.

Nailbiter ending

Despite taking a 15-7 lead into the half, the Riders needed to fend off a scrappy Argos team, which already had been eliminated from postseason contention.

A fumble on Saskatchewan’s opening offensive drive in the third quarter allowed Toronto to get within two points.

Harris would lead a six-play, 68-yard touchdown drive on the ensuing possession, capped off with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Nield for the major score.

From there, Saskatchewan would muster up just 12 points to finish the game, scoring just one touchdown.

Harris finished 23/28, 340 yards and two touchdown passes.

Sam Emilus led the charge for the receiving core, making six catches on seven targets for a season-high 142 yards - his third 100-yard-plus performance in just seven games.

“Being hurt takes a toll on you and I felt like I let my teammates down by not being available,” Emilus admitted. “So finally being able to be back on the field, I feel like I have to be great and make plays when they come my way.”

“[Emilus and Schaffer-Baker] are dogs in the run game, too,” Harris pointed out. “The fact they were able to put up numbers as well as do that stuff in the run game is awesome.”

Without veterans Chad Kelly and Nick Arbuckle due to injury, quarterback Jarret Doege was serviceable under centre for Toronto.

The third-year pivot out of Troy University - who was making just his third CFL start - threw for 221 yards with 20 completions on 30 attempts, adding one touchdown pass and an interception in the final minute.

Saskatchewan’s defense was only able to muster up one sack against the Argos’ offensive line.

Kicker Brett Lauther, who missed the team’s last outing due to a back injury, was perfect on his five field goal attempts, making from 22 twice, 37 twice and 44 yards.

“It’s not really about me, it’s about the Green,” Lauther told reporters after the game. “These guys haven’t waivered [their] confidence in me. Everything we need we have in this room – and I try to reciprocate that back for them.”

“The fact Brett made five for us tonight is a good thing,” Mace added.

Johnson exits

Riders’ receiver KeeSean Johnson left the game in the first quarter with an apparent lower-body injury.

He was taken to the locker room for further evaluation and did not return to the game.

An update on his status was not immediately available following the game.

Johnson is one of two Roughrider receivers to have crossed the 1,000-yard mark this season.

Dohnte Meyers, who was placed on the one-game injured list Thursday, also has more than 1,000 yards receiving.

Rest versus Rust

Saskatchewan’s next test is on the road in Winnipeg against the Blue Bombers on Oct. 17.

Despite having the extra time to rest, Harris has no intent to not play the final two weeks of the regular season.

“I’ll fight [Mace],” the quarterback joked. “We have a game next week. We’ll turn the page from this, be excited about this and talk about how we’ve set the map for us to get to where we want to go.”

Mace says there will be long conversations in order to balance the time critical players need to be healthy, while not losing a step on the field.

“We’ll sit down and talk more now as a staff, just to plan what we’d like to do,” he said. “But we’ll always make sure we’re doing the right things. And to be honest with you, there isn’t always the [same] answer. It’s a player-by-player basis and we’ll look at each one and make a decision.”

“There’s lots of meaningful football left,” Mace added.