Riders open preseason with win over Bombers

The Saskatchewan Roughriders got a preseason win to kick off the Corey Mace era.

Saskatchewan beat the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers 25-12 in preseason action at Mosaic Stadium on Monday afternoon.

“We came here to do what we wanted to do, and that was win a football game,” said Mace, who is in his first year as a CFL head coach.

But while he celebrated the win, Mace said he was concerned about the number of penalties the team took and when they happened. The Riders committed nine penalties for 85 yards.

“We’ve been hard on (penalties) since camp started, so to see us do those things, I might take a deeper look and I know some we could have avoided,” Mace said.

“Just far too many for our liking, specifically on big plays. Penalties equal points, and that’s two against us. We have to do a much better job, and that’s the focus.”

Trevor Harris only played two series in the game for the Riders, completing seven of nine attempts for 123 yards. A large chunk of that came from his first completion of the game — a 65-yard play to Shawn Bane Jr.

It was Harris’ first game since suffering a season-ending knee injury in July last year.

“It was amazing,” Harris said.

“It was just one of those things I came to grips with as I walked onto the field today — I just thought about what had happened and the work that had gone into coming back to this point, and I just looked out there and said, ‘If something were to happen again, I’m at peace with it because I learned so much from it.’”

Harris said he hopes other teams write him off as a 37-year-old quarterback coming off a serious injury.

“Just watch,” Harris said.

Mason Fine came in next, but didn’t play for long, or even throw a pass.

“With Mason, he has to be smart with his body,” Mace explained. “There was a situation with him where we had to be smart with him so he could continue to compete at a high level, so that was my call on that.”

Antonio Pipkin didn’t complete a pass during the game, but finished off a drive that ended with a Frankie Hickson touchdown run. Pipkin didn’t run short-yardage packages in the second half — the spot the Riders expect to use him this season.

“We just wanted to see other quarterbacks who are able to do short-yardage stuff,” Mace said.

Shea Patterson was the most productive of the Riders’ quarterbacks in the game, going three for three, including a 38-yard touchdown strike to rookie Ajou Ajou.

“Just getting my feet wet,” Patterson said. “Just out there having fun with my guys. It’s a preseason game, and that’s the time to start having chemistry with your guys and going into the regular season, that’s when the real stuff happens.

“I feel like I’ve done my time up here a little bit. I have been up here since 2020 … I came here and did the short-yardage stuff last year and got my feet wet with these guys and (I’m) ready to take on another role and just be ready when my number is called.”

Patterson also had a big completion to KeeSean Johnson, but it was called back due to a penalty.

Jack Coan came in for most of final quarter, completing six of eight passes for 40 yards before Patterson ended the game.

The defence, with Mace calling the plays for the unit, had pressure on Winnipeg quarterbacks throughout the game, with linebacker Rodney Clemons, defensive back Deontai Williams, defensive tackle Tre Crawford, defensive tackle Miles Brown and defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado getting sacks.

“It felt great. It was great to get back in a game environment,” said Clemons. “We have been practising very hard and bringing it to the field, and hitting someone else in a different jersey, it felt great.”

Riders kicker Brett Lauther made three of six field goal attempts, but missed his only attempt at an extra point after a touchdown.

The Riders’ defence didn’t surrender a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter when Bombers quarterback Terry Wilson connected with Kevins Clercius for the major. The two-point attempt was no good.

Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo made both of his field goal attempts.

The Riders are next in action on Saturday in Edmonton against the Elks for their second preseason game.