Saskatchewan trailed by 10 at the half and watched Toronto's offense pick apart its defense for most of the first two quarters. Then the Roughriders flipped the switch — a blocked convert returned for points, a couple of interceptions from unlikely sources, and a Trevor Harris-to-Ke'Shawn Johnson connection that finally found its rhythm. The result: another character win that head coach Corey Mace says is becoming the identity of this team.
"It's not how you draw them up, obviously. This is pro football though," Harris said after the game. "And I thought their defense did a great job and we had self-inflicted things that took us off the field in the first half. Yeah, it was just frustrating, but we were able to kind of get in a groove in the second half."
A Slow Start Turns Into a Second-Half Surge
Mace didn't dance around it — Toronto was carving up his defense early. But something changed after the break, and it wasn't luck.
"You know, all credit goes to the players and to the coaching staff. I thought Bill did a good job. I think he switched up quite a bit and just with the play calling, just based off of what we were seeing in the first half," Mace said. "I think Bell kind of just jumped just to more man and just letting the guys go up front. And they did a really good job staying ahead of the sticks and getting off the field."
Harris pointed to the same shift from the offense's perspective — once his group started finding creases against Toronto's zone, the game changed shape.
"When we did that and kind of dispersed their backers and their low exterior defenders, we could kind of create some running lanes and some gaps and some certain leverages that we liked," Harris said. "Really, that's what it comes down to for us is getting that first down. As soon as we do that, I feel like we're darn near impossible to stop."
Special Teams Flips the Script
Mace called the blocked convert and return for points one of the biggest swings of the night, even if it doesn't show up as a headline stat.
"Even down honestly to these types of games, you get a blocked convert, you return it. We give up a safety, almost was a touchdown, for us to be able to recover that was huge," Mace said. "I told Sells on the way in, I said, hey, that's going to be crucial what we just did right there."
Mace made a point of crediting the whole special teams operation, not just the one big play. "Our special teams unit, Coach Kent, Coach Stuess, they do a heck of a job getting these guys prepared for each week," he said. "The mentality that I feel like we want to be as a team — I always say let's look into that special teams unit because that should be the mentality of the team. We're a bunch of junkyard dogs."
He also noted the turnaround from earlier in the season against this same opponent. "You lost to them earlier in the season, in part because of special teams. You beat them tonight in part because of special teams," Mace was asked. "I think so, man... it's proof in the pudding there tonight to be able to get that block there and us to scoop it and return it for some points."
Interceptions From the Shadows
Mace singled out defensive back James Burgess Jr. for a story that goes beyond the box score. Burgess nearly didn't make the roster out of training camp.
"We made a decision at the training camp that initially he wasn't going to be one of the guys that stuck around. That was a really tough one because we all saw that he was a really good player," Mace said. "The last conversation that we had was, hey man, just stay in shape. I'm just telling you, you never know how this league goes. And he did that... he's making our offense better. He plays his tail off on look teams when he wasn't able to be on the active roster. And then anytime he's been on the active roster, he's made plays for us."
Mace also gave a nod to Nelson Aikamo's interception at safety. "Every year I've been a part of a team, there's usually a DB that just — he has a magnet," Mace said of Burgess before turning to Aikamo. "I was just giving Nellie some love and jarring him there because that first one hit him — thank God it wasn't a spear. He'd be in trouble. But that second one was perfect timing."
Harris and Ke'Shawn Johnson Find Their Groove Again
Johnson's connection with Harris had cooled the last two games, but it came roaring back on the game-winning drive, with two catches of over 30 yards apiece. Harris broke down the reads.
"He kind of has a two-way go on one of the plays and they kind of pressed him and played inside. I just kind of just held onto it for an extra click just to make sure that the boundary corner wasn't going to fall off so that I could throw a back shoulder ball to him," Harris said. "Ke'Shawn does such a great job with his body control... And the next one was just, they blitzed front side. So actually we were hot and Yoshi did a great job of kind of tandeming... Ke'Shawn made a guy miss at the top when he turned around and got upfield for 30 and we scored later."
Johnson kept his answers simple but pointed to trust as the difference. "My quarterback giving me a chance and, you know, I mean, just being able to be a playmaker and go out there and make those plays for my team," Johnson said. Asked about his approach to reaching milestones, he added, "I told you last year I try not to look at the stats middle of the year. I look at it at the end of the year and see where I am."
Mace framed the Harris-Johnson bond as something that transcends any one game. "If we're talking about the relationship between Key and Trevor, I mean, there's one ball and there's one receiver. He's throwing it there. That's just their relationship," Mace said. "You get open, Hall of Fame quarterback will find you."
The Supporting Cast Steps Up
With Keon Schaefer-Baker and Sam Emelius out, Saskatchewan leaned on Dell Duncan-Busby, Shamar and Daniel Wiebe to fill the gaps — and they delivered. Harris made it clear he's not surprised.
"It's just a matter of opportunity for Dell. He's a great receiver and I've always been a big believer in him," Harris said. "And Danny Wiebe, who I thought was fantastic tonight for those guys to be able to step up in big moments — super happy for those guys. And obviously Ke'Shawn being Ke'Shawn tonight."
Johnson agreed on Duncan-Busby's rise. "He's always had the potential. He's always played good. Just getting more opportunity right now and making the most of it, doing a really good job," Johnson said.
Wiebe, playing his first start at home in his home province, credited the team's depth for making performances like his possible. "I think it speaks to the depth of our team. The standard doesn't change, right? No matter who's in there, they got to go compete," Wiebe said. "You got to win that job. You got to be able to play good. And that standard doesn't change. We got that depth, and I think that really showed today."
Wiebe also owned a costly mistake late. "Did you think you deserved a penalty late in the game? I mean, I got a penalty, so that's really all that matters," he said. "I got to be more locked in, right? I can't be doing that end of the game. I cost a mistake. I'm glad we were able to come out on top with that, but I got to be better."
No Flinching, Even With a New Roster
Mace was asked how the "bar" set by last year's group holds up with so much roster turnover, and he didn't hesitate.
"The bar that was maybe a ceiling for us going into — it was maybe a ceiling for us as a bar, and '25 became the floor," Mace said. "You set new goals for ourselves regardless of new people coming in, but everybody that returned understands what it's supposed to be... you can find yourself in a 10-point hole at halftime and you can battle back and win games like this."
Harris echoed the sentiment from the huddle's perspective. "No flinching on this team. That's kind of been our MO from day one is we're building something special and never flinching," Harris said. "And as long as our head coach is Corey Mace, I feel like I'm here, I don't think we're ever going to flinch."
Saskatchewan will look to build on this one heading into its next test, but both Harris and Mace made clear this group isn't satisfied yet. "The best version of this team is still in front of us," Harris said — a line that doubles as a warning for whoever's next on the schedule.
Watch the Full Videos
Saskatchewan Roughriders: Trevor Harris | August 29th Post-game
Saskatchewan Roughriders: Corey Mace | August 29th Post-game
Saskatchewan Roughriders: KeeSean Johnson | August 29th Post-game
Saskatchewan Roughriders: Daniel Wiebe | August 29th Post-game