“Put up or shut up,” is the chorus for Rider Nation right now. They’ve had more momentum than we’ve seen in quite some time because of a recent win, but how will they fare against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers?
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are standing at a 5 losses and 5 win record right now, but perhaps it is the win against the BC Lions that is igniting a confidence in a team we’ve seen very little confidence in for quite some time.
Many called the win a fluke, but Rider Nation believes otherwise. Samuel Emilus’ interception has been spoken about in detail in CFL circles as of late and there’s very good reason for that.
-Image via Saskatchewan Roughriders
Head coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Craig Dickenson had this to say about the aforementioned player’s performance:
“That was something else…From my perspective, it was one of the best catches I’ve ever seen…I thought it was possibly an interception, the way it happened, and he just went up and over and somehow caught that thing at its highest point. It was an outstanding play…From my perspective, it was one of the best catches I’ve ever seen.”
– via riderville.com
Jake Dolegala was equally impressed with Emilus’ action:
“He’s a stud. There’s no other way to put it. The defensive halfback was coming over. I was like, ‘I’ll just put the ball up.’ He’s got, whatever, a 45-inch vertical and he’s going to go up and get it, so that’s what I did and I trusted him.”
-via riderville.com (link above)
It was in the team’s previous game played on Sunday, August 20th against the Lions that Keon Hatcher missed a pass from Vernon Adams in the end zone, and some have stated that that was pretty much where it all fell apart for the Lions, but many believe the Riders certainly did outperform the Lions, plain and simple. A fumble is a fumble, a miss is a miss, and the Riders capitalized on it, which any team would have, honestly.
In boxing, if an opponent leaves his gut open, do you not attack those ribs with everything you’ve got?
But the positive side of the Saskatchewan’s game didn’t end there. They scored the most points since a game last season in a victory against the Elks.
In the end, Rider Nation is going strong right now, but is it enough momentum to break through the solid wall of Gibraltar known as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ line of defense…? And do they have it in them to score not one but two victories over a top CFL team? They are facing them twice in a row…
These are the glaring questions the team and its fans face right now, but remember, anything is possible, dear readers. This is football after all.
“Five words, man!! Five words…Put Up Or Shut Up!!”
-Larry Dean
In Other Riders News…
The team has signed Australian-born, Ryan Meskell… a placekicker of some renown. He played his college ball at the University of Hawaii. His record speaks for itself…he completed 26 field goal tries out of 39 and managed to nab a spot for himself on the Lou Groza Award Watch List in 2019.
NEXT: Roughriders Looking Good After Sleeper Win Over Mighty BC Lions—Can This Change Their Momentum Moving Forward?
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