Wiebe wows ’em: Huskies legend gets game ball after Riders’ rally

Not included in the official stats: Daniel Wiebe accepted a handoff from Trevor Harris.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ starting quarterback presented a game ball to Wiebe following Saturday’s 28-24 victory over the Toronto Argonauts at a sold-out Mosaic Stadium.

Making his second CFL start — and his first before a home crowd — the former University of Saskatchewan Huskies game-breaker caught six passes for 56 yards to help the Roughriders improve their record to 7-4.

Addressing the team in the locker room, Harris lauded Wiebe for “stepping up for us in a big moment, a big game,” whereupon the ceremonial handoff of a game ball took place.

“It means everything to be here,” Wiebe told his teammates. “It’s a lifelong dream.

“I love each and every one of you. Let’s keep going.”

The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder entered the game with three career catches, only to triple that total in short order. His yardage total increased from 57 to 113 over the course of three hours.

“I really appreciate the belief,” Wiebe told reporters. “That’s how it is. If you’re out there, they believe in you, and you’ve got to believe in yourself.”

Wiebe has made believers out of everyone while becoming one of the few eighth-round draft choices to make the Roughriders’ active roster.

Selected 69^th overall in the 2025 CFL Canadian Draft, Wiebe was impressive at his first Roughriders training camp before returning to the Huskies for one more season of U Sports football.

And what a season it was! He was named the Canada West Player of the Year after catching 78 passes for 1,257 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He continued to turn heads on the U of S campus when the Roughriders returned to Griffiths Stadium for training camp in 2026.

The Roughriders’ first Saskatoon-based CFL pre-season game since 1991 ended in fine style when Wiebe caught a game-winning, three-yard touchdown pass from Brayden Schager with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on May 23. Alex Hale completed the scoring with a convert that gave Saskatchewan a 31-27 lead.

After spending the first two weeks of the season on the practice roster, Wiebe was activated for a June 26 game against Toronto.

Just like that, he became part of an exclusive fraternity. Until Wiebe arrived, punter Mike Vanderjagt (drafted 58th overall in 1992) and receiver Joshua Stanford (62^nd, 2016) were the only eighth-rounders to play in at least one game for Saskatchewan.

Vanderjagt, a future star placekicker with the Argonauts and Indianapolis Colts, was the Roughriders’ punter for the first two games of the 1993 season.

Stanford played in 21 games over three seasons (2016 to 2018) with the Roughriders, catching 20 passes for 193 yards.

The first Rosetown-born player in franchise history, Wiebe received regular reps on offence after fellow Canadian receiver Samuel Emilus was injured late in the second quarter on June 26 against Toronto.

Wiebe’s first CFL reception produced 31 yards. His second catch was for a 17-yard TD.

He celebrated another milestone on Aug. 1, making his first CFL start and helping the Roughriders defeat the host Edmonton Elks 28-26.

That was also Wiebe’s first of four full games as the Roughriders’ primary punt returner. In that capacity, he has fielded 18 punts and returned them for an average of 12.1 yards. As well, a 70-yard return was called back due to a penalty.

A rash of injuries has led to two lower-round draftees — Wiebe and University of Regina Rams product D’Sean Mimbs — drawing starting assignments of late. Mimbs was chosen by the Roughriders in the sixth round (50^th) in 2024.

Saturday’s starting receiving corps included three draft choices.

Dhel Duncan-Busby, a third-round selection (23^rd) in 2024, caught four passes for 82 yards and one TD.

Mimbs set up a major with an 18-yard reception.

Wiebe played a key role in three scoring drives.

His 16-yard reception to the Argonauts’ 11-yard line was followed two plays later by a scoring strike from Harris to Duncan-Busby.

Near halftime, Harris spotted Wiebe for 10 yards and KeeSean Johnson for 17 to put Hale in position for a 55-yard field goal. (Johnson finished with 10 catches for 146 yards and one TD.)

Hale’s subsequent 34-yarder was set up by a 16-yard pass from Harris to Wiebe, who was tackled on the Argonauts’ 33-yard line.

“Every receiver out there made a big catch for us,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “We needed everybody. Credit to Trevor for not turning his eyes off anybody.

“If you get open, a Hall of Fame quarterback will find you.”