ROBSERVATIONS: Coan and microphones … Harris on hold … KeeSean ties Riders receiving record … and a torrent of tidbits
Rob Vanstone
Until Friday, Jack Coan had not sat before a swarm of slavering media carnivores since Dec. 31, 2021 — one day before the 51st annual Fiesta Bowl.
He sparkled in the spotlight as 2022 dawned, throwing for 509 yards and five TDs for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Glendale, Ariz.
Coan subsequently suited up in comparative obscurity for the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas, with whom he made seven starts in 2023, before signing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders the following year.
Primarily an understudy to Trevor Harris for the better part of three seasons in Saskatchewan, Coan is about to make his long-anticipated first start in the CFL. With Harris being rested for the playoffs, Coan will receive the first snaps when the Roughriders oppose the Edmonton Elks on Saturday (1 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
As part of the pre-game protocol, Coan visited the stadium’s media room on Friday and sat in a chair that is ordinarily occupied by Harris.
“It has definitely been a while,” Coan said with a laugh.
“Even these past few years, you don’t get interviewed a ton, like you were back in college. I feel like I was getting a little bit rusty. With some of my answers, I was like, ‘Man, I’m not doing that well right now.’ ”
Coan followed up on his previous pre-start group media session by setting two Fiesta Bowl passing records. Does this portend well for Saturday?
“As long as we get the win, it will be a good day,” Coan replied. “But, yeah, I’d appreciate (stats that resemble those of Jan. 1, 2022). That would be awesome.”
The 27-year-old Coan has thrown only two passes — both completions — this season.
As a Roughrider, he has attempted 31 passes while dressing for 40 regular-season games. Instead of lamenting the inactivity, he has immersed himself in film study and preparation.
Working collaboratively with Harris, Coan is essentially taking a master class in quarterbacking, so there are considerable benefits to a support role.
But there is nonetheless a pronounced contrast between life in the CFL and weekly national-TV appearances as a member of the famed Fighting Irish football program.
“When I started to not play coming out of college, it was difficult for me at first,” Coan said. “As time has gone on, I’ve really had a change of perspective.
“You could be sitting here thinking, ‘Man, it’s just brutal. I’m not playing. I just come here to practise every day and run the scout team.’ But when you look back on it, it’s amazing to be a part of this organization and in the QB room, with these players.
“Everything is so awesome. When you sit back and at it, you’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m not playing, but I’ve got all these guys around me.’ This is such a great experience. I have a chance to get better each and every day, no matter what.”
PREMIER PIVOT’S PLEAS
Harris’s 50th regular-season start as a Roughrider is on hold, despite his best efforts to persuade Head Coach Corey Mace to change his mind.
“I was pleading pretty hard,” Harris said. “I’ll be honest. Usually at this point of the season if that happens, I’m OK with it, and I had a hard time with it. I really want to play this week.
“But then I flipped the page. I’ve done the best I can to help Jack get ready to play in this game and help (Brayden) Schager get ready to play in this game. I’m preparing as if I’m playing against Edmonton, because hopefully here in a couple of weeks we will be.”
Harris will finish the regular season with a league-high 5,370 passing yards.
This is the 11th time a Roughrider has led the CFL in passing yardage. Harris follows Ron Lancaster (in 1966, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977), Kent Austin (1990, 1992), Darian Durant (2010) and Cody Fajardo (2019).
Harris’s 2026 totals of 32 touchdown passes and 431 completions will be the second-highest in franchise history. Austin produced 35 TD passes and 459 completions in 1992.
For the second time, Harris has finished a season with 431 completions in 615 attempts.
He was also 431-for-615 with the Ottawa REDBLACKS in 2018.
On Thursday, Harris was named the Roughriders’ Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row. He decided to play a 14th CFL season shortly after quarterbacking Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup championship in 2025.
“I’ve never second-guessed (the decision to return),” said Harris, 40. “I don’t think it’s something I look back on and say ‘maybe I shouldn’t have come back’ or ‘I’m glad I did.’
“I make the decision and go at it full speed regardless of what the situation is and go out there and try to glorify God and be the best version of myself that I can for my teammates.”
Saskatchewan clinched a playoff berth by defeating the visiting Montreal Alouettes 16-12 one week ago. Harris threw a game-winning, 17-yard touchdown pass to KeeSean Johnson with 29 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
On the play before the picturesque payoff pitch, Harris scrambled for 22 yards.
“Physically, I’m able to run the football if I need to, and I think we all saw that,” he said. “I had a bunch of messages — more messages about my run in the last game than I’ve gotten in the entire season. They were about how fast I am and stuff.
“I asked Kalie: ‘Do I look pretty fast out there?’ She said: ‘Kids never grow up. T.J. asks the same thing after his flag football game.’ He asks: ‘Mom, did I look fast?’ I knew I was trolling myself, because I didn’t look too fast.
“I’m going to be ready to use my legs, arm, whatever it takes to win the football games in the playoffs to make sure that we get to keep working together and keep playing together.
“We want to go out there and do the best we can to finish this year how we want to.”
KeeSEAN’S CATCHES
Johnson, who is to sit out today’s game as a precaution, will finish the 2026 regular season with a share of the Roughriders’ standard for receptions after 16 games.
Johnson has 108 catches in 16 contests this season. Don Narcisse had 108 receptions at the 16-game mark in 1995. Over the final two regular-season games, he caught 15 passes to set an enduring team record for receptions (123).
Joey Walters (in 1982) and Craig Ellis (1985) were the first two Roughriders players to catch 100-plus passes over 16 games. They both finished with 102 receptions. The regular season was lengthened from 16 to 18 games per team in 1986.
BORDERING ON UNBREAKABLE
Bobby Thompson took off on the longest kickoff return in franchise history (115 yards) when the Roughriders routed the B.C. Lions 50-18 at Taylor Field on Oct. 24, 1971 — 55 years ago today.
Unless someone outdistances Thompson very soon, his record will be permanently etched in the books.
Effective next season, the field of play will be shortened from 110 to 100 yards. The depth of the end zones will decrease from 20 to15 yards. As a result, the longest possible kickoff return will be 114 yards.
Thompson’s 115-yard score was part of a banner day for the 2007 Plaza of Honour inductee.
Before the game was 11 minutes old, he had already caught TD passes of 97 and 14 yards.
Thompson finished the game with 361 all-purpose yards. That, too, is a Riders record.
NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, PART 1
I stumbled into a gem from the Oct. 13, 1931 edition of the Regina Leader-Post.
(No, I was not employed by the newspaper at the time.)
Shortly before halftime against the visiting University of Saskatchewan gridders, the Regina Roughriders’ Angie Mitchell aimed a forward pass in the direction of Saul Bloomfield.
According to the L-P, the visitors from Saskatoon were called “for interference behind the goal line.” Officials awarded the Roughriders a touchdown, which was then worth five points.
Observers of the modern game are accustomed to the offence scrimmaging the ball at the defending team’s one-yard line following a pass interference call in the end zone.
But an automatic touchdown? Who knew?!
NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, PART 2
While we are on the topic of automatic touchdowns, we take you back to March 19, 1973.
Here is an excerpt from that day’s edition of the Victoria Times-Colonist: “John Mace didn’t get much rest while leading the Lions to an 80-70 win over the Rams in an Oak Bay Invader Pee Wee Football League game Sunday at Willows School. Mace scored a total of nine touchdowns and kicked a convert.”
You may know John Mace’s 40-year-old son — the Roughriders’ Head Coach.
ROLL CREDITS ...
• Nice people who deserve a plug: Molly Campbell, Lake Korte-Moore, Diego Orellana, Daniel Wiebe, Ben Walz, Tom Shepherd, Eric Anderson, Bobby Thompson, John Mace, Deon Jackson, Dallas Skulski, Brayden Schager, Scott Schager, Ginger Allen, Alicia Dorwart, Rob Harrison and Joe Robustelli.