17 for 17! Stevens sets Roughriders’ rushing TDs record
Rob Vanstone
By George, he did it!
Tommy Stevens set a Saskatchewan Roughriders single-season record for rushing touchdowns by scoring his 16th and 17th majors in Saturday’s 16-9 CFL victory over the Edmonton Elks at Mosaic Stadium.
“Touchdown Tommy” tied George Reed’s long-standing mark, established in 1968, by scoring from one yard out at 12:07 of the second quarter on the final day of regular-season play.
Stevens surpassed Reed at 2:21 of the fourth quarter, scoring once more from a yard away.
“It’s the first thing I thought about this morning,” the Roughriders' No. 17 said with a laugh. “It’s been the first thing I’ve thought about pretty much every day this week.
“I wish it wouldn’t have come down to the last game of the season. It had been five weeks where it was kind of halted a little bit.”
After scoring three TDs — for the third time this season — against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sept. 6 at Mosaic Stadium, Stevens did not register another major until Saturday.
Over those five TD-less games, he did reach the end zone twice — on a pair of two-point conversions.
It all made for a dramatic ending to the regular season as Saskatchewan improved its record to 10-8.
“I guess it makes for a better story that we were able to do it here,” said Stevens, who received a thunderous ovation after public-address announcer Chris Hodges advised the crowd of the record.
“It was really cool to do it at home and do it for the fans who have come here to support us all year. You get in there and hear people chanting your name and you think, ‘This is a weird dream. It’s pretty strange that this is actually happening.’ ”
Stevens also broke a Club record for multi-touchdown games by a quarterback (seven). Kent Austin held the previous mark of six.
If you include the 2025 Grey Cup win, in which Stevens scored twice, he has eight multi-TD games in two seasons as a Roughrider.
“Like I told the guys in the locker room, it’s going to be my name (accompanying the records), but it’s our award,” Stevens said. “There are so many things that go into me getting my opportunities to play.”
A little good fortune doesn’t hurt, either.
Stevens got his first chance to score on Saturday when Edmonton was flagged for unnecessary roughness, following his eight-yard run on second-and-one.
After the penalty was marched off, Saskatchewan was one yard away from paydirt.
Automatic.
In the second instance, the Elks were penalized for pass interference in the end zone. Just like that, third-and-10 became first-and-goal from the one.
Hello again, Tommy Time.
“People are chanting his name when he goes out there,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “He’s out there and I can look at other things, because I have so much trust and faith in the guy and what he’s able to do for us.
“I think it’s selling him short to think that (short-yardage prowess) is the only thing that he brings to this team. He brings so much to this locker room.
“He means a lot to this team. I’m so happy for him.”
Stevens’ performance was recognized when he received a game ball on Saturday.
“I’m very thankful for you guys,” the second-year Roughriders pivot told his teammates. “This place has been reviving for my career. I was ready to walk away in ’24.
“This place is the best and it’s all about the relationships in this room.”
With that in mind, Stevens performed his only handoff of the day.
He presented the game ball to a fellow Roughriders quarterback.
“This one’s going to Jack Coan for his first career win,” Stevens said in the winners’ locker room.
Coan started in place of Trevor Harris, who was rested for the playoffs.
Harris is to return to action on Halloween when the Roughriders face the host B.C. Lions in the Western Semi-Final.
The Western Final will be a showcase of the league’s TDs leaders for 2026. The Lions’ Zander Horvath led the loop with 21 — two shy of the league record Winnipeg’s Milt Stegall set in 2002.
With 17 majors, Stevens was one shy of the Roughriders’ single-season standard. Ken Carpenter scored 18 times — reaching the end zone on 12 runs and six receptions — in 1955.
Stevens, Hugh Campbell (1966) and Craig Ellis (1985) are tied for second with 17 TDs.
However, Stevens stands alone in Roughriders history in terms of points in a season by a non-kicker. Factor in the two two-pointers and he has 104 points — two more than Campbell or Ellis compiled in their 17-TD seasons.
Carpenter had 90 points during his 18-TD campaign. The 1955 season was the last in which touchdowns were worth five points.
As for rushing touchdowns, Stevens is in a four-way tie for the sixth-highest single-season total in league history:
19 — Mike Pringle (Montreal), 2000
18 — Gerry James (Winnipeg), 1957
18 — Jim Germany (Edmonton), 1981
18 — Joe Smith (B.C.), 2007
18 — Zander Horvath (B.C.), 2026.
17 — Pat Abbruzzi (Montreal), 1955
17 — Larry Key (B.C., 1981)
17 — Cory Philpot (B.C.), 1995
17 — Tommy Stevens (Saskatchewan), 2026
The 17 majors are a league record for a quarterback. On Saturday, he erased the standard of 16 that had been set by the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ Caleb Evans in 2022.
“Anytime you’re able to have a role in pro football, it is extremely valuable,” said Stevens, 29, who spent his first three CFL seasons with the Calgary Stampeders before signing with Saskatchewan as a free agent on Feb. 11, 2025.
“I’ve wanted to play pro football for about as long as I can remember. I’m truthfully one of the fortunate ones. It is a hard business in which to stick around. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go who were probably more talented than me but just didn’t get maybe the right shake.
“I’m super fortunate to have found a role suited for me. I can’t think of a better place to do it in the CFL than here.”