‘It feels great’: Moore, Evans set to return to Riders’ receiving corps

Kyran Moore and Shaq Evans are looking to provide a spark for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The two receivers are set to rejoin the CFL team’s lineup in a rematch against the B.C. Lions on Friday in Vancouver.

Kickoff for the game is set for 8:30 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show begins at 6:30 p.m.

“It feels great. It has been a long nine months, so just being able to practise with them, it means everything to me,” Moore said Monday.

The 25-year-old slotback hasn’t played in a CFL game since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a game against the Montreal Alouettes on Oct. 30. Prior to the injury, Moore had caught 64 passes for 585 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games.

“It felt like old times (being out there). Cody (Fajardo, the Riders’ quarterback) told me on a certain route how to run it and I ran it just how he said. I feel like we’ve picked up right where we left off,” Moore said.

Rider fans will also need to get used to Moore sporting a new jersey number; he has changed from 85 to 4.

“I wore it in college. My uncle (Kerwin King), who passed in 2009, I was in ninth grade, and he wore the No. 4 and when I went to college, I told him I was going to wear the number because of him,” Moore said. “Good things happen (when I wear it) so first chance I got, I had to get it back on.”

Another weapon set to come back this week is Evans, who has been out since June 23 with a fractured ankle.

“It feels good. Being out the last six games, the last eight (or) nine weeks, has been tough mentally but I went through it last year and it was a little easier (this year),” Evans said. “I’m just happy to be back out here with my guys and help contribute to winning football again.”

Prior to his injury this season, Evans had caught 10 passes for 185 yards.

The 31-year-old missed seven games last season due to a broken leg.

“I think I’m better physically in terms of how my ankle feels (compared to last year),” Evans said. “This time I think I took an extra week or two than I did last year and I think I’m in a better position to deal with the little bit of pain I do have. It’s nowhere near where it was last year.”

While the Riders’ offence will welcome the two pass-catchers back, it will be without a couple of other contributors this week.

Slotback Duke Williams has a hip injury and an ankle sprain. He is expected to be out at least a week.

Williams has caught 29 passes for 480 yards and four touchdowns in eight games in 2022.

Running back Jamal Morrow will miss the next six to eight weeks with a broken hand. He has 564 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to go along with 34 catches, 305 yards and a touchdown in the passing game.

Slotback Justin McInnis is also questionable for the week with an ankle sprain. He is coming off a career game where he had six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown in the 28-10 loss to the Lions.

Moore thinks one of the things the offence needs this year is some more energy, something he is hoping to bring when he takes the field in a game.

“We need some spark plays sometimes and we got it sometimes … I just feel like sometimes when we need some energy, we just haven’t made that play,” Moore said.

Gary Johnson Jr. suspended

The Riders will be without one of their key special-teams players this week with linebacker Gary Johnson Jr. being added to the suspended list.

“He came in first thing Saturday morning (and) owned up to being involved in an altercation, an incident,” head coach Craig Dickenson said. “He was very good about it, took full responsibility, and we ended up suspending him because he violated our conduct code and it’s conduct detrimental to the team.

“He feels bad about what happened. I don’t want to go into specifics about it, but it was enough to violate our code of conduct.

“We feel strongly that when you’re out on the town or whatever you are doing, you represent the club and are held to a higher standard than the average Joe.”

Dickenson said the suspension is expected to be for one game, but it could be for longer.