Dolegala dimes: Riders QB throws three TDs in victory over the Lions

Jake Dolegala doled out a trio of touchdown passes in his season debut as a starter Sunday as the Saskatchewan Roughriders knocked off the B.C. Lions 34-29 at Mosaic Stadium.

Dolegala was thrust into the starting role after Mason Fine suffered a hamstring injury in last week’s loss to the Montreal Alouettes.

The 25-year-old Dolegala threw for 239 yards as well as the three majors. He wasn’t intercepted.

“It’s incredible. No other words (describe the win),” Dolegala said. “When you have a room of receivers like we do, the easiest thing to do is give them a shot and trust them that they are going to come down with it.”

One of the biggest plays of the game came in the third quarter when Dolegala tossed a ball in the air that looked like it was going to be picked off by Lions defender Marcus Sayles. But wide receiver Sam Emilus burst in front of Sayles to haul down the pass and roll into the end zone for the score.

Saskatchewan Roughriders wide receiver Sam Emilus celebrates after a catch against the B.C. Lions on Aug. 20, 2023. (Saskatchewan Roughriders)

“I just made a play on the ball,” Emilus said. “I had to jump as high as I could and make a play.

“Jake was amazing. It was Jake’s first win as a starter so that’s big and we tried as receivers to help him and he had a great game and great reads and he managed the game well.”

The highlight-reel catch also impressed head coach Craig Dickenson.

“From my perspective, it was one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Dickenson said. “I thought it possibly was an interception waiting to happen but he just went up and over and somehow caught that thing at its highest point.

“He got the game ball for the offence. I thought Sam played the best game he has had as a pro.”

In his first game back, slotback Kian Schaffer-Baker caught a touchdown on the Riders’ first drive of the game.

“It’s truly a blessing,” Schaffer-Baker said. “(It’s) just truly a great feeling just to be out there again with my brothers and get that win.”

Slotback Jerreth Sterns also hauled in his first CFL career touchdown pass in the game.

Dolegala believes this type of game shows the Riders’ offence has the ability to put up a lot of points against good CFL defences.

“We have the guys to do it. We are solid up front and we can run the ball when we need to and obviously the guys on the outside can make plays, we just have to get it to them,” Dolegala said. “Guys went into this week and had a really good, positive attitude and we were just confident.

“We were like we had nothing to lose really and I think that was the biggest key.”

Dickenson said this was a big game for the Riders, now sitting at 5-5 ahead of their second bye week of the season, and it was a night where all three phases played well.

“We put a lot of eggs into this basket and I thought we came out fired up and playing hard and being physical and set the tone early. We had to hang on at the end and there’s things we can learn from that but I was really proud of the men in that room,” Dickenson said. “I thought they stayed together the entire time and really will themselves to a victory.”

The Riders’ defence made things difficult for B.C. quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. throughout most of the game, recording five sacks.

But after the Riders jumped out to a 31-13 lead, the Lions came roaring to life and put up 16 straight points, thanks to a pair of touchdown strikes from Adams Jr.

Adams finished the game with 455 yards passing to go along with three touchdowns and one interception.

“That was the best I’ve seen Vernon Adams played. He was throwing dimes. We had guys who were covering well and we had people in his face and he was just throwing bullets,” Dickenson said. “That’s the best I’ve seen him play in a long, long time.”

But on a third-and-20 from deep in Lions territory, with 55 seconds left in the fourth, Anthony Lanier II recorded his first sack of the game to give the ball back to the Riders.

“The defensive line came out to execute and we have been working on it all week as far as rushing together,” Lanier II said. “I wish I could let people see or feel the same feeling I am getting or all of us get as a sack.

“That’s one of the biggest things for a defensive lineman. It’s a game-changer.”

That sack set up a game-clinching field goal by Brett Lauther.

The 34 points scored by the Riders were the most they’ve scored in a game this season.

Next up for the Riders after their bye week is the annual Labour Day Classic showdown against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Fine has been placed on the six-game injured list but Dickenson remains hopeful the Riders could get him back prior to the next game. Dickenson also wouldn’t comment on which quarterback would start in the game.

“With Mason, it’s a hamstring so it’s just a matter of how long it takes,” Dickenson said. “(The starter) is yet to be determined. We will talk about that over the bye.”