The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ third interception produced a franchise first.

Until Friday night in Ottawa, Saskatchewan’s three starting linebackers had never accounted for all the team’s interceptions in one game.

Strong-side linebacker Antoine Brooks Jr. was the first to register a pick against the Ottawa REDBLACKS. He stepped in front of a Dru Brown pass and motored 85 yards for a key touchdown in a 20-13 Roughriders victory that has helped them advance to within one win of clinching first place in the CFL’s West Division.

A.J. Allen, the weak-side linebacker, followed up with an interception of his own.

Middle linebacker Jameer Thurman completed the hat trick — and the pick parade for the day.

Only once before in Roughriders history had all three starting linebackers registered at least one interception in the same game. One that one occasion, however, the linebackers did not sweep the interceptions — unlike Friday.

Tuineau Alipate (starting at middle linebacker in place of an injured Dave Albright), Eddie Lowe and Dan Rashovich combined for three of the Roughriders’ four interceptions in a 34-19 victory over the host Calgary Stampeders on Oct. 29, 1989. Cornerback Albert Brown registered the other interception.

Another Brown — Patrick, the Roughriders’ current Linebackers Coach — greatly enjoyed watching Friday’s events unfold at TD Place.

“I’m very proud of them,” Coach Brown said. “They definitely took the game plan in and absorbed it. It was a very good week of practice — a very good, studious week in the film room, I noticed.

“We were locked in.”

Brooks Jr. scored his first CFL touchdown after reading and reacting to a route — a response he credits to communication with defensive halfback DaMarcus Fields. Allen and Thurman made their interceptions after dropping back into coverage and making leaping catches.

“I’d say this is one of the more productive linebacker groups — not just with interceptions, but with sacks as well,” Brown said. “We do a lot of attacking and, if we don’t attack, then that’s not the standard.

“It’s not always me that has to coach it, which is great about this group, too. It’s other guys in room, other guys on the defence, who will definitely state that it isn’t good enough.”

Friday’s game was the ninth in Roughriders history in which at least three interceptions have been made by a linebacker.

The franchise record for interceptions by a linebacker (four) was set on Oct. 29, 1972 — 17 years to the day before the Alipate/Lowe/Rashovich triple play — when the Roughriders defeated the visiting Montreal Alouettes 29-3.

Bill Manchuk had a career-high three interceptions and fellow linebacker Charlie Collins registered a fourth theft. Defensive back Lewis Cook had the Roughriders’ other interception.

Manchuk is one of four linebackers in team history to have made three interceptions in a game.

The others are Red Eittinger (Aug. 30, 1951 at Winnipeg Blue Bombers), Jim Healy (Aug. 31, 1959 at Calgary Stampeders) and Macho Harris (Sept. 27, 2015 versus Montreal).

There are three other games in which Roughriders linebackers have accounted for three interceptions in total.

Oct. 13, 1962: Steve Myhra, with two picks, and Wayne Shaw combined for three of the Roughriders’ four interceptions versus the host Ottawa Rough Riders.

Sept. 1, 1969: Shaw, Bruce Gainer and Ron McCall produced three of Saskatchewan’s five interceptions against the visiting B.C. Lions.

June 29, 2013: Renauld Williams, Weldon Brown and Diamond Ferri handled all the intercepting for Saskatchewan in Edmonton. Williams turned his pick into a 19-yard TD. Brown and Craig Butler were the other starting linebackers.

Brown and his backup, Ferri, accounted for the Roughriders’ final two interceptions in the 2013 season opener.

Another 12 years and 96 days elapsed before Friday — the next time three different Roughriders linebackers, all starters in the latter instance, combined for all the interceptions.

ONE MORE WIN …

As referenced earlier, the Roughriders need just one victory to secure first place in the division for the ninth time in franchise history.

Ideally, the team will take care of business on Friday against the Toronto Argonauts (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). There will be two subsequent regular-season games, but the Roughriders’ focus does not extend beyond Friday.

“That’s what we’re really looking at — the chance this weekend,” quarterback Trevor Harris said after Monday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium.

“How to get our best, most efficient job done is to have a great Day 1 practice and have great meetings. That’s what we’re focused on.

“I’m going to crush some film with the QBs tonight and we’ll go through some stuff to make sure that we’re on our P’s and Q’s and details.

“We’ll worry about next week when next week gets here.”

After Friday, the Roughriders have regular-season games against the Blue Bombers (Oct. 17 at Winnipeg) and B.C. (Oct. 25, Mosaic Stadium).

One more victory by Saskatchewan or another loss by Calgary is all that is required for the Roughriders to finish first.

The Stampeders’ remaining regular-season games are against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Saturday at Hamilton Stadium), Toronto (Oct. 18, McMahon Stadium) and Edmonton (Oct. 24, Commonwealth Stadium).

Saskatchewan enters Friday’s game with a league-best 11-4 record. B.C. (9-7) is second in the West, followed by two 8-7 teams — Calgary and Winnipeg.

Although the Lions and Blue Bombers can match the Roughriders’ record, Saskatchewan would get the nod in the event of a tie by virtue of having won the season series against both teams. That leaves Calgary as the only team with any chance of unseating Saskatchewan.