One third through the Canadian Football League season is complete and the Saskatchewan Roughriders find themselves in first place of the CFL Western Division thanks to a 19-9 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday night.
The Roughriders leapfrog the BC Lions on Sunday after BC was defeated by the Calgary Stampeders 25-24.
Saskatchewan’s defence continued their strong start to the season, limiting the Blue Bombers offence. The green and white generated a couple of key turnovers; linebacker Jameer Thurman recovered a fumble just as Winnipeg was driving for a touchdown. Linebacker Adam Auclair also recorded his first interception as a member of the Roughriders.
Coming off the bench for an injured Kian Schaffer-Baker, rookie receiver Ajou Ajou had another strong game for Saskatchewan, hauling four receptions for 110 yards. Running back A.J. Ouellette had 88 yards rushing.
Quarterback Shea Patterson was 17 for 25 with 261 passing yards including a 15-yard touchdown throw to fullback Clint Ratkovich.
With the win, the Roughriders improved their record at Mosaic Stadium to 3-0 in 2024.
This Thursday, Saskatchewan will head east to Montreal to meet the Alouettes, who are coming off a bye. Quarterback Cody Fajardo suffered a hamstring injury in their last game, but the Alouettes haven’t ruled out the former Roughrider quite yet.