Rider Rumblings Ep 165: Roughriders picking each other up in 2-0 start
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are off to a 2-0 start.
After beating the Ottawa Redblacks in Week 1, the Green and White picked up a second straight victory to begin the 2025 CFL season with a 28-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday.
In Episode 165 of the Rider Rumblings podcast, Leader-Post sports editor Taylor Shire and columnist Darrell Davis discuss the highs and lows in the game from Brett Lauther's kicking problems to A.J. Ouellette's strong performance returning from a concussion.
The duo also previews Saskatchewan's Week 3 matchup as the Riders get set to visit the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night in their second straight road game against an East Division opponent.
10 Thoughts: Roughriders run game, kicking problems and more
The Big Question: What will the Saskatchewan Roughriders do about their kicking situation?
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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alford's 99-yard kickoff return for TD lifts Riders to wild 39-32 win over Argos
TORONTO — As Corey Mace prepared for overtime, Mario Alford took matters into his own hands. Alford's 99-yard kickoff return touchdown with nine seconds remaining in regulation time rallied the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a stirring 39-32 CFL win over the ailing Toronto Argonauts on Friday night. Advertisement Alford's heroics came after Toronto's Nick Arbuckle capped a 70-yard, nine-play drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Mital. Arbuckle then found Dejon Brissett for the two-point convert to make it 32-32. And that had Mace, the Riders head coach, looking ahead to overtime. "Honestly, I was looking at my overtime sheet," Mace said. "I did think we had a chance … depending on how far we get the return whether we're going to play for overtime or be able to go kick (the game-winning field goal). "Special teams did the rest … to have a walk-off like that was incredible." Advertisement Arbuckle was 26-of-33 passing for 259 yards with two TDs and an interception. Mital had seven catches for 98 yards and the touchdown. Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie cited two factors that worked against his club on Alford's return. First, he said game officials missed an illegal block that Dinwiddie couldn't challenge. Secondly, Toronto's kickoff team only had 11 men on the field. "Special teams, I thought, was pretty bad for a third week in a row," Dinwiddie said. "We've got to get that fixed." Ironically, it was Saskatchewan's special teams that allowed Toronto (0-3) an opportunity to force overtime. Arbuckle's heroics came after Brett Lauther missed a 33-yard field goal at 12:58 to put the Riders (3-0) ahead 32-24. Advertisement Lauther missed three field goals and a convert in last week's 28-23 road win over Hamilton. "We would've been happy to get a decent return and play for a game-winner off Number 12 (Lauther)," Mace said. "We still would've put the trust in him. That's our guy and he'll continue to be our guy." Tommy Stevens' two-yard scoring run at 4:38 put Saskatchewan ahead 31-21. Lirim Hajrullahu's 25-yard field goal at 8:02 pulled Toronto to within 31-24. Saskatchewan's wins have all come against East Division teams. Trevor Harris completed 13-of-17 passes for 234 yards with two TDs and an interception while Dohnte Meyers had four catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Advertisement "It seems like every game there's something going on that surprises us and brings some wild circumstances and tonight was no different," Harris said. "I'm just super happy for Mario, he's just an explosive returner." A.J. Ouellette ran for 91 yards and a TD on 17 carries. But the teams combined for 29 penalties for 307 yards (Saskatchewan had 18 for 178 yards, Toronto had 11 for 129 yards) before a BMO Field gathering of 12,025. Saskatchewan had eight penalties for 125 yards combined over its first contests. "That goes to show you in this league you make it really tough to win when you're giving away free yards," Mace said. "We obviously have to get better at that … but to walk out of here with a win on a short week, we'll feel good about that." Advertisement Dinwiddie didn't hide his disdain for Toronto's lack of on-field discipline. "I'm pretty embarrassed by it," he said. "They (Riders) were chirping all game … we got involved in the chirping game and it cost us. "We had selfish penalties, that's the one thing I hate. It isn't about you, it's about the team. We aren't even close to being there. We don't know how to not lose games. It's not about winning games, (it's) not losing games." Toronto — 0-3 for the first time since 2019 — came into the contest short-handed. Quarterback Chad Kelly (leg) and receiver/returner Janarion Grant both missed their third straight game for Toronto. Joining them among the Argos walking wounded were linebackers Wynton McManis (knee) and Jack Cassar (adductor), running back Deonta McMahon (ankle), receiver DaVaris Daniels (hip), defensive lineman Demarcus Christmas (Achilles) and offensive linemen Sage Doxtater (knee), Dylan Giffen (back) and Darius Ciraco (foot). Advertisement Then in the first half, Toronto lost linebacker Kenneth George Jr. (leg) and defensive lineman Derek Parish (foot). Brissett and Jarret Doege also scored touchdowns for Toronto. Jake Herslow added a two-point convert while Hajrullahu booted a convert and three field goals. Lauther kicked five converts and a field goal. Hajrullahu's 24-yard field goal at 8:42 of the third pulled Toronto to within 24-13. Doege scored on a one-yard run at 12:59 before Arbuckle hit Herslow for the two-point convert to cut Saskatchewan's lead to 24-21. Harris threw a 70-yard TD strike to Meyers at 1:16, giving the Riders a 24-10 advantage. Advertisement Hajrullahu's 56-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Saskatchewan's halftime lead to 17-10. It followed the Riders' goal-line stand with 56 seconds left as Kevin Brown was stopped at the one-yard line to end a 17-play, 97-yard drive. Lauther gave Saskatchewan a 17-7 advantage with a 16-yard boot at 1:25. Harris put Saskatchewan ahead 14-7 with a 32-yard TD pass to Meyers at 11:54 of the first. It was set up by Alford's 35-yard punt return. Ouellette had a 25-yard TD run at 8:26. Arbuckle opened the scoring with a five-yard TD pass to Brissett at 4:50. UP NEXT Roughriders: Host the B.C. Lions on Saturday, June 28. Argonauts: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday, June 29. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025. Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alford, Roughriders stun Argonauts in dying seconds to win 39-32
Mario Alford returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the dying seconds as the Saskatchewan Roughriders stunned the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night. After the Argonauts tied the Week 3 CFL contest 32-32 with 23 seconds left on Friday night at BMO Field, Alford brought back the ensuing kickoff to secure Saskatchewan's second straight 3-0 start to a season. The defending Grey Cup champion Argonauts fall to 0-3 for the first time since 2019. While the Argos scored the opening points of the game on their first drive as quarterback Nick Arbuckle engineered a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass to Dejon Brissett, it was the Roughriders who led the way for the majority of the game. On Saskatchewan's first series, quarterback Trevor Harris and company put together a six-play, 75-yard drive highlighted by a 25-yard touchdown run by running back A.J. Ouellette, who had a similar 47-yard touchdown run last week against Hamilton. With the convert, the game was tied 7-7 midway through the first quarter. After a two-and-out by Saskatchewan's defence and a 35-yard punt return by Alford, Saskatchewan's offence went back to work as Harris connected with Dohnte Meyers for a 13-yard gain before the duo connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass on the very next play to put Saskatchewan on top 14-7. Following another two-and-out by the Roughriders' defence, Harris and company went back to work as Mitch Picton made a highlight-reel 33-yard catch which led to a 16-yard field goal by Brett Lauther to make it 17-7 Riders. Near the end of the first half, the Argonauts got down to Saskatchewan's one-yard line on a 17-play, 76-yard drive which lasted more than seven minutes, but they couldn't come away with any points as Saskatchewan's defence forced a turnover on downs after a goal-line stand. The Argos got the ball back before the half was up, and after Riders defensive back Marcus Sayles couldn't come down with an interception, Argos' kicker Lirim Hajrullahu nailed a 56-yard field goal to make it 17-10 at the break. On the opening drive of the second half, the Riders added to their lead as Harris hit Meyers on a slant pass before the second-year slotback broke free and rumbled 70 yards to the end zone for his second touchdown of the game to make it 24-10. The Argos added a field goal on their next drive to cut the lead to 24-13. Following a punt by the Riders, the Argos were looking to put another scoring drive together but Arbuckle was intercepted by defensive back Tevaughn Campbell, who registered his first pick in the CFL since 2018 after spending six years in the NFL. However, the Riders gave it right back as Harris was intercepted by Tyshon Blackburn on the very next play at Saskatchewan's 15-yard line. Following a major penalty, the Argos got the ball on Saskatchewan's one-yard line and Toronto's short-yardage quarterback Jarret Doege punched it into the end zone to make it 24-21 after a successful two-point convert. In the fourth quarter, the Roughriders padded their lead with a touchdown as Harris and company put together a 10-play, 42-yard drive before short-yardage quarterback Tommy Stevens plunged into the end zone to make it 31-21 with the convert. Toronto added a 25-yard field goal to make it 31-24 before the Riders added a single point after Lauther missed a 33-yard field goal through the back of the end zone with 2:02 to go. Needing eight points to tie, the Argos went to work as Arbuckle put together an eight-play, 70-yard drive capped off with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Mital with 23 seconds left before finding Brisset on the two-point convert to tie the game 32-32. And then came the fireworks on the ensuing kickoff as Alford returned the kick 99 yards for a touchdown to put the Riders on top 39-32 with nine seconds left. From there, the Argos couldn't return Lauther's kickoff as Saskatchewan came away with the victory. Harris finished the night 13 of 17 for 234 yards with two touchdowns and interception while Ouellette had 91 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Meyers was Saskatchewan's top receiver with four catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, linebacker Jameer Thurman had a team-high seven tackles while A.J. Allen, Micah Johnson and Mike Rose registered sacks while Habakkuk Baldonado had a forced fumble. For Toronto, Arbuckle finished 26 of 33 for 259 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Miyan Williams had a team-high 36 rushing yards while Mital led all receivers with 98 yards and a touchdown through the air. After two straight road games, the Roughriders will return home in Week 4 of the season as the Green and White will host the B.C. Lions on June 28 at 5 p.m. tshire@ Up Close: Meet Roughriders receiver KeeSean Johnson WR Emilus, RB Carey out as Roughriders get set to visit Argonauts The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Snead, Montreal Alouettes both enjoying solid starts to 2025 CFL regular season
Tyler Snead is making the most of his opportunities early this season with the Montreal Alouettes. The third-year receiver has seven catches for 151 yards in two games. His 21.6-yard average is even more impressive considering Snead has been targeted just eight times compared to 16 for Canadian Tyson Philpot (nine catches, 90 yards and a touchdown) and 14 for Austin Mack (10 receptions, 154 yards). Snead was targeted five times in Montreal's 39-18 win over the Ottawa Redblacks last week, recording four catches for 117 yards. Mack had nine targets (five catches, 103 yards), one more than Philpot (five receptions, 42 yards). 'The coolest thing about playing in this offence, it can be anyone's week on any given gameday,' Snead said. 'We've got many plays we gameplan for based on what the coaches see and like, we have coverages we prepare for early that end up working out in our favour with some big plays. 'Later we get different looks that get people open. It just happened to be a big first half for me (versus Ottawa) but next week it could be a big first half for anybody.' Snead's start is a positive sign given he was slowed by a foot injury last season. After posting 56 catches for 788 yards and five TDs in 15 games as a rookie in 2023, the five-foot-seven, 172-pound Raleigh, N.C., native had 24 receptions for 253 yards in seven contests last year. 'That was like my first major injury, the first time I had to miss games and it was definitely tough,' Snead said. 'But they (Als medical staff) did a great job with rehab and treatment so coming back for the last six games (in '24) and this year, I haven't even noticed it.' Montreal (2-0) visits the Edmonton Elks (0-1) on Thursday night. Its start comes with the remaining three East Division teams all 0-2. 'Tyler has shown tremendous resiliency coming back from an unfortunate injury in his 2024 campaign,' said Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Snead's Florida-based representative. 'I fully expected him to tackle his rehab head-on and as a result he's off to a fast start this season. 'Tyler is a humble, hard-working and determined individual and it's my expectation he'll continue to be a dominant force in this league.' Montreal hasn't skipped a beat with Davis Alexander in his first full season as the starter. Alexander won all four of last year's starts and is 6-0 overall. 'He's just a winner,' Snead said. 'Every time he steps on to the field he gets into that different mindset and plays to win. 'If you see your quarterback is confident, making plays, getting fired up and showing everyone he can do it, it's like that snowball effect where everybody wants to play good ball and then feels like everybody is.' But a stout Montreal defence — anchored by veteran linebackers Tyrice Beverette and Darnell Sankey — has more than done its part, allowing just 27 offensive points while forcing seven turnovers. 'We've got the league's best defence and that makes us better going against the best every day and competing,' Snead said. 'They're going to get turnovers, they're going to rally to the ball and hit you. 'I feel like we see a lot of two-and-outs and so it's the offence right back up, which gives us more confidence.' Snead's first CFL campaign was a memorable one, capping it with a '23 Grey Cup victory. Last year, Montreal posted a CFL-best 12-5-1 record before losing a 30-28 East Division final decision to the Toronto Argonauts, who ultimately won the Grey Cup. Snead said that memory fuelled his and many of his teammates' off-season workouts. 'The goal is the same every year, win a Grey Cup,' he said. 'But it (loss) definitely left a bitter taste in our mouth. 'I know that was on the mind of many guys. We put in a lot of hard work in during the off-season and now we're just trying to show it all during the regular season.' Snead, 25, admits sometimes having difficulty believing he's playing football professionally. 'It feels weird calling it a job because I have so much fun doing it,' he said. 'This is what I've loved doing since I was five years old. 'I'm grateful I get to play a game for a living but I love going out and competing with my teammates and sharing a win or learning lessons from a loss. I know one day it's going to end and it won't be here forever so I just try to enjoy everything about it while I can.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
