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The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defence is beginning to show flashes of the dominance it showed throughout the 2018 CFL season.
The group is enjoying its best stretch of the 2019 season, holding each of its past three opponents to fewer than 20 points. The Roughriders gave up 18 against the B.C. Lions on July 27, 19 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 1, and 10 to the Montreal Alouettes in the weather-shortened game on Aug. 9.
The Roughriders will get a chance to continue their recent run of success against the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday. In the teams’ first meeting, Saskatchewan gave up 44 points in a 44-41 loss on June 20.
Kickoff for the rematch is set for 5 p.m.
Defensive co-ordinator Jason Shivers said the group has been building all season to get to the level it’s at now.
“I think we’re still building. We’re always building until we get to the last game of the season but it’s going good,” Shivers said.
“We set our goals for only 17 points as a defence and we’ve been hitting that week in and week out. It’s a testament to the players buying in and doing a great job of executing.”
The defence also found the end zone for the first time in the 2019 campaign against the Alouettes. Last season, Saskatchewan led the league with 11 touchdowns under then-head coach and defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones.
The first touchdown of this season came off a massive hit by linebacker Derrick Moncrief on Alouettes quarterback Antonio Pipkin in the first quarter. The hit forced the ball loose.
Derrick Moncrief comes up with a MASSIVE HIT to knock the ball loose and Earl Okine scoops it up and takes it the rest of the way to get the @sskroughriders on the board! #CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/bHKk9lNyVA
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 9, 2019
“I timed it with the waggle, I was side-tracking the receivers,” Moncrief said. “Once I saw them go, I just took off and made the play.
“I try to break everybody’s will. Every tackle I make, gotta break his will every time.”
The man who picked up the ball and ran it in for the score was defensive end Earl Okine, who was playing in place of the injured A.C. Leonard (shoulder).
“(I was) just trying to make the play, just trying to help the defence out,” Okine said. “(Moncrief) was screaming at me the whole way; he’s intense. I just couldn’t mess it up.”
Linebacker Cam Judge also forced a fumble after a big hit on quarterback Matt Shiltz. Defensive end Charleston Hughes picked up the ball and took it 45 yards for the touchdown.
Okine is one of the new faces who have joined the Roughriders’ defence in 2019, having signed with the team in July. He joins other new Roughriders including free-agent linebackers Solomon Elimiman and Dyshawn Davis, cornerback L.J. McCray and rookie defensive tackle Charbel Dabire.
“Personally, it’s been seamless (adjusting to this team) because everybody on this team is great; it’s a group of great guys,” Okine said. “It has been a little bit of an adjustment adjusting to the CFL game but it hasn’t been too crazy.”
Leonard hasn’t been the only piece missing for the Green and White on defence.
Defensive lineman Micah Johnson (ankle) missed the game against the Alouettes while Zack Evans (hip) was on the six-game injured list. Johnson is expected to miss the game against the Redblacks. Leonard was taken off the six-game injured list early and could suit up Saturday.
Despite the defence’s recent run, Moncrief said it could get even better.
“We had a solid performance but we can always get better,” he said. “We lost (in Ottawa) a few weeks ago and now we’re trying to hold down our home fort.”
The Green Zone pre-game show gets underway Saturday at 3 p.m.
Notes: Leonard appeared to twist an ankle during practice Thursday. Head coach Craig Dickenson didn’t have an update on Leonard following practice … Kicker Brett Lauther is expected to play Saturday “barring a setback,” according to Dickenson.