In the aftermath of his first playoff victory as a Saskatchewan Roughrider, quarterback Trevor Harris couldn’t help but think back to a conversation with running back A.J. Ouellette three weeks prior.
“He goes, ‘They didn’t pay me to come here and run in June and July. They did it so I could run in October and November,’” he recalled of his talk with the then-injury-plagued runner.
“That kind of sent chills up my spine. I never told him that, but I walked up the stairs and I was like, ‘This guy’s freaking ready.’ You saw it tonight.”
While his numbers won’t find a place in the record books, Ouellette was the star of Saturday’s West Semi-Final victory over the B.C. Lions. Amid swirling winds and brisk temperatures, he carried 14 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns, adding two catches for 15 yards along the way.
It was a statement outing for the first-year Rider, one which also had his head coach reminiscing about old conversations.
“I would say the first time I picked up the phone and said, ‘Hey, do you want to come play for us?’ I was thinking about games like this — in the cold,” Corey Mace told reporters. “This is exactly how we saw it. So happy for him.”
Almost nothing else about Ouellette’s season has gone according to plan. After Saskatchewan made him the highest-paid American running back in the league and placed his ‘Thor’ persona at the centre of their offseason marketing, he was banged up almost immediately. His production suffered drastically and he has yet to have a 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 130 carries for 550 yards and three touchdowns in just eight games played.
However, the former thousand-yard rusher and two-time East Division all-star has remained fixated on the end goal, knowing his biggest moments would come after the regular season was over.
“It feels good to finally be healthy at the right time going into the playoffs,” he confessed. “I knew going into those six games where I sat that I just needed to prepare every week like I was going to play and now it’s paying off.”
With the Riders and Lions tied 13-13 at the half, the game seemed to turn on a third-quarter touchdown from Ouellette. Needing a score against the wind, he received the hand-off from Harris and saw his blockers get to the second level, bouncing off of former NFL defensive tackle Christian Covington to finish with a 30-yard major.
Ragnarok is coming for the B.C. Lions…
A.J. Ouellette (@Ouellette_AJ12) is running angry in the playoffs!#CFL #Riders #RiderNation #GCPlayoffs
pic.twitter.com/h7bKSGEviM
— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) November 3, 2024
It was Ouellette’s longest run of the season and one of just two plays of 30 yards or more from Saskatchewan on the night. B.C. never regained the lead, falling victim to a play that the Riders had put in motion several games earlier.
“A few weeks ago when we played them, we ran the exact same play. We threw a screen on the play because of numbers, and they adjusted,” Harris explained. “They had some good adjustments on defence and unfortunately for them, it wasn’t enough.”
Of course, there was one difference in the play’s execution that probably should have tipped off the Lions.
“Middle of the cadence, he’s telling me he’s handing the ball off so I already know I’m getting the ball,” Ouellette chuckled.
While his rushing scores will get the headlines, Ouellette is most highly regarded in the locker room for his performance as a pass protector. His presence helped Harris complete 78.8 percent of his passes against the Lions for 279 yards and a touchdown.
The quarterback played a pivotal role in getting his top back to Saskatchewan and the two have been close friends ever since they road-tripped to training camp together. Ouellette credits sitting in on quarterback meetings with Harris for keeping him sharp while out with injury.
“Trevor’s a big reason I signed here in the free agency process. He called and I knew that was the quarterback I wanted to lead us into playoffs and into the Cup,” he said.
“Every day after practice, I sit in the quarterback room and just listen to (Trevor) and Jack (Coan). I don’t contribute too much, I kind of just say a joke here and there, but I like listening to the way they learn the game and they process the game.”
Ouellette’s actions spoke louder than words on Saturday and they’ll need to continue to do so in his quest to win a second Grey Cup. The Roughriders (10-8-1) will visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11-7) for the West Final on Saturday, November 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EDT at Princess Auto Stadium.
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