The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers each have explosive running backs, but they also have great run defences
Article content
Despite going up against the CFL’s top running back in Brady Oliveira, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are welcoming the Winnipeg Blue Bombers rushing attack in the West final.
“I love the run game and I know that’s who Winnipeg is,” said Roughriders defensive tackle Miles Brown. “I know they’re going to try to run the ball.
“I want them to give it their all. I want them to bring their best and we’re going to take care of business.
Advertisement 2
Article content
“I welcome the run game a hundred per cent.”
On Saturday (5:30 p.m., TSN), the Roughriders and Bombers will meet at Winnipeg’s sold-out Princess Auto Stadium with a trip to the Grey Cup in Vancouver on the line. It will be the fourth meeting of the season between the two teams with Winnipeg holding a 2-1 record over Saskatchewan this year with Riders winning 19-9 on July 19 followed by back-to-back wins by Winnipeg (35-33 and 26-21) in September.
“We know it’s going to be a dogfight this weekend,” said Brown. “I think every time Sask. and Winnipeg meet, it’s a show.
“And this is for all the marbles, so I know on this side, we’re bringing it — everything we have.”
This season, Winnipeg finished atop the West Division with a 11-7-0 record while the Roughriders were second at 9-8-1. Saskatchewan advanced to the West final with a 28-19 win over the B.C. Lions last week in the Western semifinal.
And a big reason for the success of both teams this year has been the play in the trenches as Saskatchewan’s defence ranks first in the CFL as the Green and White have given up an average of just 80.3 rushing yards per game while the Bombers have averaged 111.7 rushing yards per game, second most in the CFL, led by Oliveira who was named a CFL all-star and the West Division’s Most Outstanding Player for a second straight season.
Headline News
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
However, in the season series this year the Riders limited Oliveira to just 134 rushing yards in three games — an average of 44.7 yards per game.
“We know they’ve got a great defence,” Oliveira told reporters this week in Winnipeg. “They’ve got a great defensive line, great linebackers and they’re tough against the run.
“But there’s still other ways to attack defences. Obviously we want to run the ball, but we can still attack them in other ways.
“Watching tape this week, there’s lots of holes on that defence that I think we can attack.
“Whether that’s me running the ball (or) me catching the ball out of the backfield, I know it’s important to get me involved in this game because I know as we do that, I think good things will come from that.”
This season, the 27-year-old Oliveira led the CFL with 1,353 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. He also had 57 catches for 476 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air.
While Saskatchewan limited Oliveira along the ground in the season series, the 5-foot-10, 222-pound Winnipeg product racked up 149 receiving yards on 16 catches in the three meetings.
Advertisement 4
Article content
“We take pride in trying to defend the run, no doubt,” said Riders head coach Corey Mace. “Certainly, he’s the best in the last couple of years to do it and it’s a challenge.
“But I just know guys like challenges here so if that’s going to be their game plan, I don’t want to say we want them to do it, but if they do I don’t think our guys are going to shy away from that.”
On the other side of the ball, the Roughriders will try to get their ground game going with running back A.J. Ouellette, who had 14 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the Western semifinal win over the Lions. Backup Ryquell Armstead also chipped in with 24 yards on five carries.
This season, Saskatchewan ranked sixth in the CFL with an average of 89.6 rushing yards per game, while the Bombers were also sixth having given up an average of 104.2 yards per game.
In their first meeting of the season, Ouellette racked up 88 yards on 17 carries before missing the second two due to a hip injury.
This week, the 5-foot-9, 210-pounder is excited for the matchup against a team looking for its fifth straight Grey Cup appearance.
Advertisement 5
Article content
“Experienced, smart football team (and) well-coached,” said Ouellette, 29, who was limited to 130 carries for 550 yards in eight regular season games this year. “But I’ve always said I like well-coached teams because I know where they’re going to be.”
Recommended from Editorial
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 leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Article content
