‘Embrace every opportunity:’ Fine set for first start of 2023 regular season

The Roughriders were expressing confidence all week in Mason Fine, the 26-year-old quarterback who’s preparing for his first start of the 2023 regular season.

The Oklahoma product has been tasked with being the first man up to replace veteran CFL quarterback Trevor Harris after the 37-year-old suffered a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee in the fourth quarter of the Riders’ 33-31 loss to the Calgary Stampeders last Saturday.

“You embrace every opportunity. You go in there and be confident,” Fine said ahead of Saturday’s game with the B.C. Lions in Vancouver. Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m.

“Give credit where credit is due, they are a great defence. We are going to have to go in there and execute and be on our A game too.”

It is a tough challenge for Fine, as the Lions’ defence is the best in the league statistically. The unit has given up a league-low 17 points per game while also only giving up 256 yards of offence. The next-lowest is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who went into the week allowing 317.3 yards per game.

This won’t be Fine’s first CFL start; he finished the 2022 season as the team’s starter and suited up for the final two games after Cody Fajardo was benched. Over the course of those two games – both losses to Calgary – Fine threw for 364 yards and one touchdown.

But while a new quarterback will be calling the plays for the Riders, the coaches are ready to see what Fine can do.

“(There was) a little bit of a hiccup (Thursday) in our two-minute offence, but he is going to learn from it and we’re going to be all right. We tried to put a lot of stress on him with some noise and situational stuff and he did all right,” head coach Craig Dickenson said. “We will continue to work and try to get him better.

“I know his teammates have great confidence in him and I know he is itching to go and confident he is going to play well.”

That confidence comes through from his receivers, too.

“He can make plays, he knows what he is doing, he knows the protections, he knows where everybody needs to be and he can get the ball out fast,” said wide receiver Shawn Bane Jr. “He’s a pro.”

After Harris was injured against the Stamps, Fine completed six of eight pass attempts for 116 yards with two touchdowns.

The second of those — a 69-yard, pass-and-run TD to Tevin Jones on a Hail Mary — pulled the Roughriders into a 30-30 tie with 36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Brett Lauther’s convert gave Saskatchewan a 31-30 lead, but Calgary took the ensuing kickoff and moved into field-goal range. Stampeders kicker Rene Paredes then nailed a 50-yard field goal on the game’s final play to earn the victory.

Bane Jr. said he could tell in training camp and the pre-season that Fine would be ready for the moment if it came.

“He can have long drives and he can find the open man,” Bane Jr. said. “It’s cool to have multiple guys who can do that – I know it was tough on the coaches and the guys who have to make those decisions.

“It’s cool to see him step up and make those plays.”