ROBSERVATIONS: Milestone monitor … touting the talents of Trevor, Tommy and teammates … and Rob’s random ramblings
Rob Vanstone
• One year from today: The 114th Grey Cup Game will be played at Mosaic Stadium. Still to be determined: Which team will oppose the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Nov. 7, 2027?
• One year from today, please: Weather reminiscent of Nov. 7, 2026.
• 50 years ago today: The Roughriders clinched first place in the CFL’s Western Conference by defeating the host Calgary Stampeders 33-31 on the final day of regular-season play. Ron Lancaster rallied the Roughriders from deficits of 24-0 and 27-8. His third touchdown pass of the game — a four-yarder to Rhett Dawson on Nov. 7, 1976 — provided the winning points on the final play from scrimmage.
TREVOR TRIVIA, ETC.
• Trevor Harris, the Roughriders’ starting quarterback since 2023, is contemplating whether to return next season — during which he will turn 41. Harris was with Ottawa when Henry Burris quarterbacked the REDBLACKS to a 39-33 overtime victory over Calgary in the CFL’s 2016 championship game. Smilin’ Hank was then named the Grey Cup MVP … at age 41.
• Also worth remembering: Harris was the East Division’s All-Star quarterback in 2016.
• With the opening kickoff slated for Victoria Day weekend, Harris will celebrate a birthday during the regular season for the first time if he opts to return. He was born on May 31.
• TSN’s Glen Suitor put it perfectly during a Tuesday session on CKRM’s SportsCage. Referencing Harris, Suitor said: “I think we take excellence for granted.” That is also applicable to the four other Grey Cup-winning starting quarterbacks in Roughriders history: Lancaster (1966), Kent Austin (1989), Kerry Joseph (2007) and Darian Durant (2013). All of them heard the boos on occasion. Social media commenters were not always kind to Durant or Cody Fajardo. Moral of story: Appreciate the great ones while you can.
STEVENS’ STATS
Of Tommy Stevens’ 17 regular-season rushing touchdowns, 14 were in the one- to three-yard range. It becomes 14-for-18 if you include his four-yard score in last week’s West Division Semi-Final, won 33-26 by the host B.C. Lions.
Stevens surpassed the Roughriders’ record for regular-season rushing touchdowns, set in 1968 when George Reed scored 16 times.
Like Stevens, the incomparable Reed registered most of his TDs from close in. Twelve of the 16 scores were in the one-to-three territory. Factor in a one-yard TD run in the 1968 playoffs and 13 of Reed’s 17 scores were short ones.
No. 34’s short-TD-run percentage: 76.5. Stevens is marginally ahead at 77.8 (14-for-18).
JUST FOR KICKS
Playoffs included, the Roughriders’ opponents connected on 50 of 53 field-goal attempts in 2026. The accuracy rate: 94.3 per cent.
Only two attempts that made it beyond the line of scrimmage were unsuccessful. Defensive tackle Mike Rose blocked the opposition’s first failed attempt. The Montreal Alouettes’ Jose Maltos Diaz was wide from 44 yards on Oct. 17 at Mosaic Stadium. The third miss took place last Saturday, when B.C.’s Sean Whyte’s errant attempt from 49 yards was returned 24 yards by Mathew Sexton.
Sexton was brilliant over the six games in which he appeared in 2026. Imagine what he could accomplish over a full season. We hope to find out in 2027.
FINE LINE
Nobody on a star-studded Roughriders offensive line had a better season than left tackle Payton Collins.
With 35 points, he finished fifth in voting for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award, behind Jarell Broxton of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (95) and three members of the Alouettes — Nick Callender (70), Pier-Olivier Lestage (45) and Donald Ventrelli (43).
Collins received three first-place votes. Roughriders centre Logan Ferland got the first-place nod from two voters. Saskatchewan left tackle Jermarcus Hardrick received one first-place vote.
Overall, Ferland was eighth (with 20 points), Hardrick was 13th (10) and Roughriders right guard Jacob Brammer was 19th (1).
FLASHBACK TO ’54
The 2026 Western Semi-Final, played on Halloween, was the Roughriders’ first October playoff game since 1954.
A mere 72 years ago, the Roughriders and the host Blue Bombers played to a 14-14 tie to open a two-game, total-points set.
Since the CFL expanded its schedule from 16 to 18 games per team in 1986, the Roughriders had not played a post-season game any earlier than Nov. 2 (1997, 2003, 2024).
PASSING OF TIME
On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first NFL team in 52 years to win a game without completing a pass.
Baker Mayfield was 0-for-3 for a Tampa Bay team that blanked the visiting Atlanta Falcons 16-0 in a game that coincided with a driving rainstorm.
There were reminders of Sept. 2, 1974, when the Buffalo Bills’ Joe Ferguson was 0-for-2 in a 16-12 victory over the New York Jets.
The same day, the Roughriders defeated Calgary 34-10 at Taylor Field. The aforementioned Rhett Dawson, making his CFL debut, caught two second-quarter touchdown passes from Lancaster.
Lancaster’s eighth birthday (Oct. 14, 1946) was the date of the Roughriders’ last completion-free game. Saskatchewan was 0-for-2 in a 14-0 home-field loss to Winnipeg, which completed one pass.
The Roughriders last won without a completion on Sept. 2, 1940, when Winnipeg provided the opposition in a 3-1 thriller at Park de Young. Saskatchewan’s Jim Lander was 0-for-4.
I was at that game.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Much has been made of the five-year contract quarterback Chad Kelly recently signed with the Toronto Argonauts. The longest contract in Roughriders history, in case you are wondering, was a six-year deal with offensive lineman Bryan Illerbrun. That signing was announced on April 8, 1987.
Until the Illerbrun transaction, the Riders’ longest contract was a five-year pact signed by running back Peter Watson on April 9, 1974. Austin was the next Roughrider to sign for five years. The deal was announced on Aug. 30, 1991.
BOMBS BY BURRIS
Sorry for bringing this up, but one week ago the Roughriders allowed two TD passes of 69-plus yards for the first time since Oct. 13, 2008.
On that occasion, Burris threw long TD passes to Nik Lewis (85 yards) and Ken-Yon Rambo (81) when the Stampeders visited McMahon Stadium.
Most recently, the Lions’ Nathan Rourke connected for long-distance majors with Jevon Cottoy (70) and Stanley Berryhill III (69). That was the seventh example of Saskatchewan surrendering two aerial TDs of 69-plus. The first such instance took place in 1953.
Saskatchewan has struck for four such games. The last explosion of that nature took place on Sept. 9, 2017, when Kevin Glenn threw TD passes to Duron Carter (88 yards) and Naaman Roosevelt (75) at Winnipeg.
There was a close call on Oct. 9, 2015. Brett Smith found Weston Dressler for a 79-yard score against the host Hamilton Tiger Cats before combining with Ryan Smith for a 68-yard major. Ryan Smith was one yard shy of meeting the criteria for this ground-breaking statistical study.
Interestingly — at least to this numbers nerd — the Roughriders’ first three games of this description included two TD receptions by the same player.
• Sept. 14, 1969: Bobby Thompson, 83 and 72 yards versus Hamilton.
• Aug. 16, 1972: Thompson, 91 and 70 versus Edmonton.
• Sept. 1, 1996: Curtis Mayfield, 95 and 87 versus Winnipeg.
LISTEN HERE!
Profuse thanks to the people at NHL.com for offering the radio broadcast of every game, by every crew.
Visit the app, click on “Scores” (at the bottom) and tap the headphones icon (at the top). It’s all there, for the low, low cost of $0.00.
Another quick radio note: Barney Shynkaruk, who has played host to CKRM’s SportsCage for the past three years, has decided to leave the program. He made the announcement to begin Thursday’s program.
Before Barney steps aside, yours truly will make one more visit to the studio to annoy him in person. Joined by my all-world growler, Candy, I will be part of Barney’s farewell program on Tuesday.
We expect to share plenty of laughs and go off on assorted tangents.
ROLL CREDITS …
• Nice people who deserve a plug: Karen McGeady, Barney Shynkaruk, Teagan Witko, John Phillips, Jenna Phillips, Rowan Phillips, Lynda Lutkin, Mark Lutkin, Jarome Iginla, Donovan Maess, Rhett Dawson, Samuel Emilus, Kian Schaffer-Baker, Antoine Brooks Jr., Morgen Runge, Brett Lauther, Cyndi Cherney, Jana Pruden, Bob Leslie, Ed Staniowski, Don Hewitt, Kevin Gallant, Rylee Cohen, Hannah Sangster and Denis Evmenenko.